The Awakener for the Soul

From among the fourteen infallibles, none enjoys as much attention and recognition as the Master of the Martyrs, Imam Husayn b. 'Ali (as) – not only in his own era, but even in today’s day and age. To understand his significance in our modern era, we need to go back in history to the day he was born. An event which is usually marked with happiness and jubilation, his birth was actually a grief-filled occasion in which his grandfather, the final Messenger of Allah (swt), had to break the tragic news of his murder and the massacre of his family to his mother, Fatimah az-Zahra (as). After lamenting on the heart-wrenching agony which his son (The Qur’an, in Surah Ale Imran (3) refers to the two grandsons of Prophet Muhammad (saw) as ‘his sons’.) will have to endure, the Prophet then guaranteed his daughter that a nation would be brought forth that will mark his martyrdom and shed tears over this loss - and they would be the ‘Shi’a’ of Aale Muhammad.

Later on in his life, while living in the precincts of his noble grandfather, he was given many lofty titles such as,“The ark of salvation”; “The leader of the youth of Paradise”; “The torch of perpetual guidance”; and who can forget the Prophetic aphorism that rings true even today, “Indeed within the hearts of the true believers, in respect to the murder of al-Husayn, there resides a burning passion which will never subside.”

From this premonition given by the Prophet (saw) shortly after the birth of his grandson in Madinah, up until the end of the Imam’s life on the scorched plains of Kerbala some 50 years later, all lovers of freedom and justice have focused their hearts on Imam Husayn’s (as) six-sided sarcophagus (dharih) and have directed their energy and love towards him and his sacred mission. The proceedings surrounding his killing which took place on the 10th of Muharram in the year 61 AH set the scene for great displays of lamentation and sorrow – starting one year after his killing, lasting until today - and it is not only Muslims who hold the martyred Imam (as) in high esteem.

Rather, when asked to speak about the character of Imam Husayn (as), Antoine Bara, a Lebanese Christian, writes: “My own description of Imam Husayn (as) is that he is ‘the conscience of religions’. Had it not been for him, all divine religions would not have continued to exist … Kerbala was a turning point. Had Imam Husayn (as) not carried out his revolution, the concept of monotheism would not have continued to exist and the new religion of Islam would have become tied to the practices of the rulers whose societies would have accepted and surrendered to their oppression under any circumstances because they were the rulers … Unfortunately, even though Imam Husayn (as) is a holy character to you Muslims and Shi'a, you do not recognize his value and you have neglected his heritage and revolution. Today you must know how to support this great Im{m by saying the truth, helping the oppressed, reforming society and achieving justice and freedom. You are supposed to be absolutely honest in delivering his scream on the day of Ashura to the world. This task requires you to study thoroughly the dimensions of his revolution. It is not enough to narrate and describe the outward aspect of the tragedy to the world.”

Since the massacre of the Imam, his family and friends over 1,350 years ago, the visitation to his grave in the city of Kerbala, Iraq was severely estricted under previous empires, governments and regimes and making the journey meant a severe danger if not loss to one’s life and property. However with the invasion and “liberation” of Iraq in 2003, every year on the day of 'Ashura (the 10th of MuÎarram), over 5,000,000 men, women and children from all over the world converge on this small city – with several thousand walking hundreds of kilometers in a month-long journey, from as far away as Ba‚ra in the south of Iraq to grieve, lament and hear the tragic saga of Kerbala recounted once again – as if it had occurred just yesterday!

The Prophet of Islam (saw) and the other Infallibles who make up the Ahlul Bayt have emphasized to their followers to make the trek to Kerbala to pay their respects to Imam Husayn b. 'Ali (as) and for this special journey, numerous forms of ‘greetings’ have been related through reliable chains of narrators. However from all of the methods of greetings for the Master of the Martyrs, without a doubt, the most powerful and potent for awaking the soul and stirring the emotions and enacting a change both internally and externally is that of Ziyarat 'Ashura - and it is for this reason that despotic governments always tried their best to prevent mass gatherings at the shrine of Abi 'Abdillah al-Husayn (as).A passionate discourse between The Creator and His servants with terms of endearment addressed to the infallible Imam (as), this intimate conversation holds a special ranking within the corpus of supplications and visitation literature being that this specific ziyarat is a Hadith al-Qudsi’ or sacred tradition taught by Allah (swt) to His Arch-Angel Gabriel who conveyed it to the Noble Prophet (saw) who continued the chain of purity, being taught to us through the great Shi'a scholars until today.
 
Shaykh Saleem Bhimji

The Great tribulations for the People of Islam

ya aba `abdillahi

laqad `adhumat alrraziyyatu

wa jallat wa `adhumat almuseebatu bika

`alayna wa `ala jami`i ahli al-islam

wa jallat wa `adhumat museebatuka

fi alssamaawaati `ala jami`i ahli alssamawaat

O’ Aba 'Abdillah! Surely the tribulations are great and unbearable and your tragedy is great for us, and for all of the people of Islam; it is unbearable and great is your tragedy in the heavens and for all of the dwellers of the heavens.

[Ziyarat al-Ashura]

In this section of the ziyarat, we address our Imam (as) directly and recall the tragedies which befell him, and our grief and remorse at what occurred on the plains of Karbala. The historians have stated that from the first day of creation until the Resurrection comes, the tribulations which Imam Husayn (as) faced are the greatest and the most severe – and there is no other historical event which comes close to what he went through [events such as what transpired to the daughter of the Prophet, Fatimah az-Zahra (as) and her husband Imam 'Ali (as) are also tragic events in the life of the Ahlul Bayt and have their own ranking in terms of the tragedy and loss]. However, why such an emphasis on recalling this tragedy in this particular way and with such words?

The late scholar, Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari has written that, “Once, I sat down and tried to count the number of reasons why this event was so unbearable and I was able to come up with around twenty-one reasons and I do not think that there is any other single event in this world which could compare to this injustice...”

When we study the event of Karbala we see that no one was spared – the infant child, the young adults, the grown men, the elderly people and even the women of the camp! Not only were they murdered in cold blood, but even after their death, they were not shown respect and this is evident from the trampling of their bodies by the horses and their decapitation and parading through the streets of Kufah and Sham (present day regions of Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon)!

In addition, we read in the ziyarat that this is a tribulation that not only the people of the Earth feel grief and cry about, but even the angels in the Heavens express remorse about! In this regards, we have numerous Hadith, however it suffices us to quote the following from the 6th Imam, Jafar b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) where he said, “What is wrong with you that you do not go (to the ziyarat of the grave of al-Husayn)? Surely 40,000 angels are at his grave, crying, until the Day of Resurrection.”

'Ali Asghar 'Azizi Tehrani; The Torch of Perpetual Guidance; Summarized and Translated by Saleem Bhimji

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 4 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah

Dua al-Iftitah is a well-known supplication and is generally recited during each night of the month of Ramadan. 

[Towards the end of the du'a,] we make a very beautiful and important request to Allah (swt) for ourselves:

اَللَّهُمَّ مَا عَرَّفْتَنَا مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ فَحَمِّلْنَاهُ

وَمَا قَصُرْنَا عَنْهُ فَبَلِّغْنَاهُ

O Allah, let us bear out that which You make known to us as the truth

and let us attain that which we fall short to do.

This concept of 'bearing' is very important. Regarding this, Chapter 62 Verse 5 reads:

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا ۚ بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ 

The likeness of those who were charged with the Taurat, then they did not observe it, is as the likeness of the ass bearing books, evil is the likeness of the people who reject the communications of Allah; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.

Thus someone may be given a divine book but it does not mean that they will necessarily be able to 'bear' it, meaning that they may not be able to take it on board. Therefore, it is important to carry and uphold the truth that we know, to take it on board, and whosoever is able to do this enjoys a high position. 

Furthermore, we ask Allah (swt) to inform us about the parts of the truth of which we are unaware. It is surely enough for us if this part of the du'a is answered, because we will then know the truth about which we were previously and unaware and we will be able to commit ourselves to and implement the truth which we already do know. It would seem that these are actually the only two things which we really need because in Islam everything is facilitated by commitment to the truth and so if we are committed to the truth then everything else will be sorted out.

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 3 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah

Special salutations to Imam Mahdi (a)

The salutations to Imam Mahdi (a), the Imam of our time, are not limited to simple salutations but instead are expanded on in several phrases and then attention is focused on the last Imam until the end of the du'a.

Firstly we read:

اَللَّهُمَّ وَصَلِّ عَلَىٰ وَليِّ امْرِكَ

ٱلْقَائِمِ ٱلْمُؤَمَّلِ

وَٱلْعَدْلِ ٱلْمُنْتَظَرِ

وَحُفَّهُ بِمَلائِكَتِكَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ

وَايِّدْهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ

يَا رَبَّ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ

O Allah, (please do) send blessings to the custodian of Your commandments,

the vigilant guardian, the reliable patron,

and the awaited establisher of justice.

And (please) surround him with Your favorite angels

and assist him with the Holy Spirit.

O Lord of the worlds!

In this passage we ask Allah (swt) to support our Imam (a) with the Holy Spirit. The concept of the Holy Spirit (Ruuh al-Qudus) is very important, especially for Shi'a Muslims. According to the glorious Qur'an and various narrations, one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to support and guide good people. For example, the Qur'an says that the Holy Spirit supported Prophet Jesus (a) and thus we read in Chapter 5, Verse 110:

إِذْ أَيَّدْتُكَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ

when I strengthened you with the holy Spirit, 

If we are good and pious people, we too can hope that Allah (swt) will support us and one of the ways in which He (swt) does this is to ask the Holy Spirit to help us.

It should be mentioned that whilst Sunni scholars normally identify the Holy Spirit with the archangel Gabriel, Shi'a Muslims, as taught by the Holy Imams (a) hold that the Holy Spirit is a creature at a higher level than Gabriel. Abu Basir, a great companion of Imam Sadiq (a), says:

'I asked Imam Sadiq (a) about the verse 'They question you concerning the Spirit. Say, 'The Spirit is of the command of my Lord' (17:58).' He responded that the Spirit is a creature greater than Gabriel and Michael.' [Kulayni, Muhammad Ibn Ya'qub, Usul al-Kafi, vol.1 (Tehran Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 1388 AH) p. 273, no.3].

As confirmation of the fact that the Holy Spirit is not the same as Gabriel, one may refer to Verse 4 of Chapter 97 of the Glorious Qur'an which reads:

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ 

The angels and Gibreel descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair,

The verse explains that on the night of Qadr, the Holy Spirit descends along with the angels. This suggests that the Holy Spirit is different from the angels which include Gabriel and Michael.

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 2 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah

Dua al-Iftitah is a well-known supplication and is generally recited during each night of the month of Ramadan. 

The second theme which is repeated in this du'a regards salutations being offered to the Noble Prophet (s) and His Household (a) and when such salutations are mentioned, then several qualities of the Noble Prophet (s) are described. Some of the qualities of the Prophet's Household in general are also briefly mentioned but when the 12th Imam (a) is described, several of his qualities are referred to. The du'a continues in this spirit of remembrance of the 12th Imam (a) with various requests being made to Allah (swt) regarding the last Imam right up until the end of the du'a where the emphasis then shifts to asking Allah (swt), because of the Imam (a), to grant us our requests concerning what we need for our community.

Regarding the Prophet (s), we read:

اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ

وَامِينِكَ وَصَفِيِّكَ وَحَبِيبِكَ

وَخِيَرَتِكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ

وَحَافِظِ سِرِّكَ

وَمُبَلِّغِ رِسَالاَتِكَ

It is interesting to see that the very first quality which has been mentioned here for the Noble Prophet (s) is that he is a servant of Allah (swt)...

...According to this part of the du'a, salutations can increase and expand. When we send salawat (salutations) or salaam (peace) to the Noble Prophet (s) and our Imams (a), we do not send our salutations or peace directly but instead we ask Allah (swt) Himself to send them these salutations and peace. Indeed salaam is a prayer and so we are asking Allah (swt) to send peace to that person.

Thus we say:

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

'O Allah! Send salutations to Muhammad (s) and his Household.'

And so when we ask Allah (swt) Himself to send salutations, such salutations are not limited to the time when we say them: rather, we can ask Allah (swt) to send salutations all the time. Therefore, we read in one of the Ziyaaraat for Imam Husayn (a):

عَلَيْكُمْ مِنِّي جَمِيعاً سَلاَمُ ٱللَّهِ ابَداً

مَا بَقيتُ وَبَقِيَ ٱللَّيْلُ وَٱلنَّهَارُ

'Be with you, from me, the peace of Allah (swt) as long as I live and (even if I am not alive) as long as there is day and night.' 

[Tusi, Misbaah al-Mutahajjid, p. 776]

So this means that we request Allah (swt) to send His peace to Imam Husayn (a) until the end of time. So, again we have this beautiful concept that the salaam does not remain in the same state but grows and becomes better and better.

Understanding al-Iftitah Part 1 of 4

Shaykh Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Excerpts from the commentary of Dua al-Iftitah

Dua al-Iftitah is a well-known supplication and is generally recited during each night of the month of Ramadan. It is called 'Dua al-Iftitah' because it begins with:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي افْتَتِحُ ٱلثَّنَاءَ بِحَمْدِكَ

Thus we say that we begin or open praising Allah (swt) by remembering all the great qualities that He (swt) possesses and all the many favours that He (swt) has bestowed upon us.

There are several points that have been emphasized in this du'a, the first and foremost of which is praise of Allah (swt). Praising God the Almighty is perhaps the most important thing mentioned in this du'a. Obviously praising Allah (swt) is not the same as thanking Him (swt). There is a difference between hamd (praising) and shukr (thanksgiving). Praising Allah (swt) requires remembering and mentioning the good qualities that He (swt) possesses and all the good things that He (swt) has done for us, whether they relate to oneself personally or not. However, thanksgiving is about those things that in a way or another actually relate to oneself.

For example, an artist may produce a beautiful work of art and then someone who sees this work of art may praise the artist but would not thank the artist, unless the work had been produced specifically for this person or for someone who relates to this person. Therefore, in general, when Allah (swt) does something good for other people, or even other creatures such as animals, we can praise Him (swt) for this. Indeed the performance of an action by Him (swt) is not even necessary in order to praise Him (swt) as we can praise Him (swt) simply for the qualities He (swt) possesses.

The Teachers of the Angels Part 2 of 2

Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani quoting Shaykh Saduq

After that Allah created Adam (a.s.) and entrusted our effulgence to his loins and due to our respect and honor ordered the angels to prostrate before him. Their prostration was due to their servitude of God and their respect and honor to His Eminence, Adam (a.s.) was due to His obedience. Because we were in his lions, then why shouldn't we be superior to the angels, as all of them prostrated before His Eminence, Adam (a.s.).

And when I was taken to the heavens, His Eminence, Jibraeel (a.s.) recited the Azan and Iqamah twice and told me, ‘O Muhammad go ahead and lead the Prayers’, I said: ‘O Jibraeel, should I take precedence over you?’ ‘Yes’, he replied, ‘because god had given superiority to all prophets over the angels and endowed you with a special excellence’. Thus, I stood in the front and prayed with him. But I do not say this due to pride.

After that I reached up to the veil of effulgence and His Eminence, Jibraeel (a.s.) said, ‘Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), now you go ahead,’ and he himself remained there. I said, ‘You are leaving me at this juncture?’ He replied, ‘O Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) this is the limit that Allah has fixed for me, if I take a step forward my wings will burn down.’ Thus I was put into the ocean of effulgence and I began to swim in the seas of divine lights. Till I reached at that place in the cosmos up to which Allah desired.

Then a voice came to me, ‘O Muhammad.’ I said: ‘Here I am My Lord, You the Bestower of honor and dignity.’ ‘Muhammad, you are My servant, My messenger among My creatures, You are My Proof upon My servants. I have created Paradise for everyone who obeys you and prepared the fire of Hell for all those who oppose you. I have made favors and honor incumbent upon Me for your successors, and made divine rewards incumbent for their Shias.’

I said, ‘My Lord, please introduce my successors to me.’ He said, ‘Your successors are those whose names are inscribed on the empyrean of My throne.’ So I looked and I was before my Lord. I saw twelve lights on the empyrean of the throne. In each light I saw a green line. The names of each of my successors were written in it. The first name was that of Ali Ibne Abi Talib and the last was Mahdi.

I asked, ‘O my Lord, are they my successors after me?’ The reply was, ‘Yes, O Muhammad, after you, they are My friends, legatees, the chosen ones and My proof on My servants. They are your successors and Caliphs and the best of Creations after you. By My majesty and glory, I shall reveal My religion through them and I shall exalt My words through them and through the last of them, I shall purify the earth from My enemies. And I shall make him the absolute master of the whole world. I shall make the wind subservient to his command and I shall make the hard cloud proof for him so that he may ride upon it to go wherever to likes in the sky and the earth and I shall assist him with My armies. And I shall strengthen him with My angels. So that My call is raised and all the creatures gather upon My Oneness. Thus his rulership would endure and continue and from My friends, I shall make one after the other the leaders of My faith till Qiyamat. And Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and blessings be upon our prophet, Muhammad and his purified and chaste progeny.’”

[Mikyalul Makarim Fee Fawaaid ad-Duaa Lil Qaaim; Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani, quoting Kamaluddin wa Tamaam an-Ni’mah; Shaykh Saduq; Vol. 1/254]

The Teachers of the Angels Part 1 of 2

Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani quoting Shaykh Saduq

Shaykh Sadooq has quoted an authentic tradition from His Eminence, Ali bin Moosa ar-Reza (a.s.) from his father, Moosa bin Ja’far from his father, Ja’far bin Muhammad from his father Muhammad bin Ali from his father Ali bin al-Husain from his father, Husain bin Ali from his father Ali bin Abi Talib that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“The Almighty Allah has not created any creature better than me and there is no one more respectable near Him than me.”

Ali (a.s.) says that he asked, “O Allah’s Messenger, are you better or Jibraeel?”

He (the Prophet) replied, “O Ali, Almighty Allah has given superiority to the Messenger Prophets over His proximate angels and He gave me superiority over all the Messengers and Prophets. And O Ali, after me you and after youthe Imams are having superiority over them because the angels of God are our servants and servants of our friends. O Ali, the bearers of the Arsh and the angels around it praise and glorify their Lord and they pray for the forgiveness of those who believe in your Wilayat (mastership). O Ali, if we hadn’t been there, Almighty Allah would neither have created His Eminence, Adam (a.s.) nor Her Eminence, Hawwa (a.s.); neither Paradise nor Hell, neither the earth nor the sky.

And why shouldn’t we be superior to the angels? We have preceded them in praising and glorifying our Lord. It is so because the first creations of Allah were the souls and He made us speaking with His unity and magnification.Then He created the angels. When they saw us with an effulgence (Noor), they considered our affair to be of a great importance.

I said: ‘Glory be to Allah’, so that the angels may understand that we are creatures and servants of God. And that the Almighty Allah is more exalted and purified than our qualities. So by our glorification the angels learnt how to glorify Allah and they understood that God is purified and clean of qualities (of the creatures).

And when they noticed our greatness and majesty, we said: ‘There is no god except Allah’, so that the angels may understand that there is no one worthy of deification except Allah and that we are the servants of God, we are not partners in His divinity. Thus they (also) reiterated: ‘There is no god except Allah.’

When the angels realized our greatness we said: ‘Allah is the Greatest’, so that they may understand that God is much greater than which can be imagined and all the greatness, power and strength is reserved only for God.

After that when they saw that Allah has bestowed us with honor and power, we said: ‘There is no power and strength except by Allah, the High and the great’, so that the angels may understand that there is no power and might except for Allah. Thus the angels also repeated: ‘There is no power and strength except by Allah.’

When they witnessed the bounties that Allah has bestowed on us and that our obedience is made incumbent on all creatures by Him, we said: ‘AlHamdulillaah’ (Praise be to Allah) so that the angels may know that it is the right of Allah upon us to thank Him for His bounties. So the angels also said: ‘Al Hamdulillaah’.

In other words, the angels received guidance through our Barakat, and understood the unity, glorification, praise and magnification of God.

[Mikyalul Makarim Fee Fawaaid ad-Duaa Lil Qaaim; Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani, quoting Kamaluddin wa Tamaam an-Ni’mah; Shaykh Saduq; Vol. 1/254]

The Mukhlasin and Mukhlisin

Shaykh Saleem Bhimji

There is a stark difference between two relatively similar terms: al-Mukhlasin and al-Mukhlisin – and even though there is only one vowel point which makes the pronunciation different, however that one difference radically changes the meaning of the words.

In his seminal work, Tafsire Namuneh, Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Nasir Makarim Shirazi states that: It must be noted that the word “al-Mukhlas” is the passive participle (al-ism al-maf’ul) and is in the meaning of ‘one who has been made sincere’; while the word “al-Mukhlis” which is the active participle (al-ism al-fa’il) can be rendered as ‘one who is making himself sincere’. By carefully studying the verses of the Qur’an we clearly see that “al-Mukhlis” has been used more often than “al-Mukhlas” and [this word] is used in reference to a person who is at the first of many stages of perfection and on the path of self-building, for example in the verse of the Qur’an which states:

فَإِذَا رَكِبُوا فِي الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ

“When they board the ship, they invoke God putting exclusive faith in Him, but when He delivers them to land, behold, they ascribe partners [to Him.]” (Al-Ankabut (29) v. 65)

And also:

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

“Yet they were not commanded except to worship Allah, dedicating their faith to Him as men of pure faith, and to maintain the prayer, and pay the zakat. That is the upright religion.” (Al-Bayyinah (98), v. 5)

However the word “al-Mukhlas” is a higher station which one can only attain after traversing the station of the struggle with the self; and this is the level at which Satan loses all hope of using his influence or whisperings to misguide these individuals; and is that station in which Allah himself guards the person so that no impurity can touch him.

Therefore, the one who is initiating that ‘act of making one sincere’ is Allah Himself, and the one who is ‘receiving the status of being made sincere’ is the human being [who has been bestowed with this lofty status]; and in essence such a person has been granted a level of insurance from Allah.

Therefore we read:

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

“He said, ‘My Lord! As You have consigned me [Satan] to perversity, I will surely glamorize [evil] for them on the earth, and I will surely pervert them, except Your exclusive servants among them.’” (Al-Hijr (15), v. 39-40)

Shaykh Saleem Bhimji

Conversation with the Prophet about the Love of 'Ali

In his Isnad narrating from Hadhrat Salman (may God be pleased with him) that: 

Salmaan al-Farsi (May God be pleased with him) said: “We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a Bedouin entered. He stood up in front of us and said: “Assalamu Alaykum”. We replied him back. He then said: 

‘Which one of you is the Full Moon, and the Lantern of darkness; Mohammad the messenger of God, the learned king? Is he this radiant face?’ 

We said: ‘Yes’.

The Prophet (saww) said: ‘O Arab brother! Have a seat.’ 

He replied: ‘O Mohammad! I did believe in you before I met you and acknowledged you before I see you, except a matter narrated to me from you. The Prophet (saww) said: " And what is that"? The Bedouin said: You invited us to bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. We then agreed. You then invited us to Salaat, Zakat, Fasting, and Hajj and we accepted those. You then were not satisfied with us until you invited us to obedience for your cousin; Ali bin Abi-Talib and his love. Did you make this compulsory on us or God from the heaven has made it compulsory?’ 

The Prophet (saww) said: ‘Rather, Allah made it compulsory for inhabitants of heavens and earth. When the man heard of that Prophetic statement said: I hear and obey for the sake of Allah O Messenger of God! as it is truly from our Lord. 

The Prophet (saww) then added: 

O Arab brother! I was given in Ali five qualities that even one of them is better than this world and what it contains. Do you not like me to inform you about them, O Arab brother?’ 

‘Yes O messenger of God’, the man replied. 

The Prophet (saww) then said: 

‘I was sitting on the day of the Battle of Badr and the war had just come to an end, that Gabriel (peace be on him) descended and said: ‘God the Exalted sends you al-Salam and says for you: ‘O Mohammad I swear in My Majesty that I do not reveal the love for Ali bin Abi-Talib save to those whom I love. Thus, whoever I love, I shall reveal to them Ali’s love, and whoever I hate I shall reveal to them their hatred for Ali.’ 

O Arab brother! Should I not inform you of the second one?’ 

‘Yes O messenger of Allah’, said the Arab. 

The Prophet (saww) said: 

‘I was sitting after I finished from the burial of my uncle Hamzeh (after the Battle of Ohod), that Gabriel descended and said: O Mohammad! Allah sends you al-Salam and says for you: “Indeed I made Salaat compulsory, but I excused the menstruating women, the insane and the children. I made fasting compulsory; yet I exempt a traveler from it. I made Hajj compulsory, but I excused an ill person. I made Zakat compulsory; yet exempt the poor from it. But I made the love for Ali ibn Abi-Talib compulsory on the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, and did not give any excuse to anyone.” 

O Arab brother! Do you want me to tell you about the third one?’ 

‘Yes, indeed O messenger of God’, said the Arab. 

The Prophet (saww) said: 

‘God did not create anything unless He made a master in it. The eagle is the master of the birds. The bull is the master of beasts. The lion is the master of wild animals. Friday is the master of the days of the week. Ramadan is the master of the months. Israfil is the master of the angels. Adam is the master of the humans. I am the master of the Prophets and Ali is the master of successors. 

O Arab brother! Do you want me to inform you about the fourth one?’ 

‘Yes, please O messenger of God’, said the Arab man. 

The Prophet (saww) said: 

‘The love of Ali ibn Abi-Talib is a tree whose root is in Paradise and its branches are in this world. Whoever from my community clings into any of its branches, it will reach them to Paradise. The hatred of Ali ibn Abi-Talib is a tree that its root is in hell and its branches are in this world. Whoever clings into any of its branches will enter into hell.

O Arab brother! Should I not inform you of the fifth one?’ 

‘Yes of course, O messenger of God’, said the man. 

The Prophet (saww) then said: 

‘On the Day of Judgment, a pulpit will be placed for me on the right side of the Throne. Then another pulpit will be placed for Ibrahim (peace be upon him) adjacent to mine on the right side of the Throne. Then a bright high and dominating Chair will be brought known as the Chair of Honor. It will be placed for Ali between my pulpit and the pulpit of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Then my eyes will have never seen a better friend between two bosom friends. 

O Arab! The love for Ali ibn Abi-Talib is true, then you shall love him. Indeed Allah will love those who love him and he is with me on the Day of Judgment. Ali and I are in the same part (of Paradise).’ 

Upon hearing that, the Arab man said: ‘I hear and obey Allah, his messenger and your cousin Ali ibn Abi-Talib.’” 

Bihar al-Anwar, vol.40 p.46