SHAIKH MOSLEH AL-DIN SAADI SHIRAZI (R.A.)

Saadi was born in Shiraz, Iran around 1200 A.D. He was one of the greatest literary figures of Iran.  He was also a Sufi.

It is well-known that Sufis also retract their spiritual leadership to the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.).

 He was credited with the masterpieces; Bostan-e-Saadi, and Golestan-e-Saadi. The original works were in Persian. It was translated in different languages. In English, one of the translations were done by Richard Francis Burton (1821-1892)

Saadi travelled to many countries. He had expressed his life time experience in the above-mentioned books.

The word Bostan in Persian means “The Orchard”. In Bostan, which is entirely in verse and consisting of stories aptly illustrating the Muslim culture; justice, modesty, contentment etc. The book has 10 chapters discussing benevolence, love, humility, resignation, contentment, education, gratitude, repentance, and prayer

The word Golestan means “The Rose Garden”. The Golestan is mainly in prose containing stories and personal anecdotes. It has 8 chapters dealing in manners of kings, morals of dervishes, excellence of contents, advantages of silence, love and youth, weakness and old age, effects of education, and rules for conduct in life.

In chapter 8, there are many maxims and admonitions.

Shaikh Saadi had detailed some 82 Maxims in the chapter “Rules for conduct in life” in “Golestan”; some of which are reproduced below:

                Knowledge is for the cherishing religion, not for amassing wealth.

                A learned man, who is not abstinent, resembles a torchbearer who guides others but                     does not guide himself.

                Everyone thinks himself as perfect in intellect and his child in beauty.

                Whatever takes place quickly is not permanent.

                Affairs succeed by patience and a hasty man fails.

                Whoever associates with bad people will see no good.

                Not everyone who is handsome in form possesses a good character.    

                Transgression by whosoever committed is blamable but more so in learned men.

                An envious man is avaricious with the wealth of God and hates the guiltless as foe.

                Mendacity (Lying) resembles a violent blow, the scar of which remains, though the                       wound may be healed.

                Two men died, bearing away their grief. One had possessed and did not enjoy it; the                     other possessed knowledge and did not practice it.

Bani Adam: Shaikh Saadi had used this proverb in his poetry. He preached for the breaking down the barriers in mankind. In one of such couplet, he says:

                Humans (children of Adam) are inherent parts (or limbs) of one body, and are from                     the same valuable essence in their creation. When the conditions of the time hurts one                 of these parts, other parts will be disturbed. If you are indifferent about the misery of                  others, it may not be appropriate to call you a human being.

Shaikh Saadi in the West: Andre du Ryer was the first European to present Saadi to the West, by means of a partial French translation of Golestan in 1634 A.D. Adam Olearius followed soon with the complete translation of The Bostan and The Golestan into German in 1654. Alexander Pushkin, one of Russia’s celebrated poets, quotes Saadi in his work “as Saadi sang in his earlier, ‘some are far distant, some are dead.”

Saadi died in 1291 or 1292 and was buried in Shiraz, Iran.

                Sources used:

                WIKIPEDIA, Persian Language and Literature  

DUA-E-SABAH BY THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL IMAM ALI (A.S.)

According to the Gateway of Knowledge, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.), the person who recites this Dua’a will achieve success; will be relieved of sorrow, grief and troubles. He will leave this world in right faith and will be entitled to Heave. It is recommended to recite the Dua’a in Arabic followed by translation for comprehension.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

O Allah! Send your blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad

O Allah! O He who extended the morning’s tongue in the speech of its dawning’

dispatched the fragments of the dark night into the gloom of its stammering,

made firm the structure of its turning spheres in the measures of its display

and beamed forth the brightness of the sun through the light of its blazing!

O He who demonstrates His Essence by His Essence,

transcends congeniality with His creatures

and is exalted beyond conformity with His qualities!

O He who is near to the passing thoughts of opinions,

far from the sight of eyes

and knows what will be before it comes to be!

O He who has put me at ease in the cradle of His security and sanctuary,

awakened me to the favors and kindness that He has bestowed upon me

and held me from the claws of evil with His Hand and His Sultan!

Bless, O Allah, the guide to You in the darkest night,

Him who, of Your ropes, cling to the cord of longest nobility,

Him whose glory is evident at the summit of stout shoulders

And whose feet were entrenched in spite of slippery places in ancient time;

And bless his household, the good, the chosen, the pious,

And open for us, O Allah, the leaves of morning’s doors with the keys of mercy and prosperity!

Clothe me, O Allah, with the most excellent robes of guidance and righteousness!

Plant, Oh Allah, through Your tremendousness, the springs of humility in the watering place of my heart!

Cause to flow, Oh Allah, because of Your awesomeness, tears of sorrow from the corners of my eyes!

And chastise, Oh Allah, the recklessness of my clumsiness with the reins of contentment!

My Allah, if mercy from You does not begin with fair success for me,

Then who can take me to You upon the clear path?

If Your patience would turn me over to the guide of hope and wishes,

Then who will annul my slips from the stumbles of desire?

If Your help should forsake me in the battle with the soul and Shaitan,

Then Your forsaking will have entrusted me to where there is hardship and deprivation.

My Allah, do You see that I have only come to You from the direction of hope

Or clung to the ends of Your ropes when my sins have driven me from the house of union?

So what an evil mount upon which my soul has mounted-its desires!

Woe upon it for being seduced by its own opinions and wishes!

And destruction be upon it for its audacity towards its Master and Protector!

My Allah, I have knocked upon the door of Your mercy with the hand of my hope,

Fled to You seeking refuge from my excessive desires

and fixed the fingers of my love to the ends of Your ropes.

So pardon, oh Allah, the slips and errors I have committed

and release me from foot-dangling of my robe

For You are my Master, my Protector, my Support and my Hope

and You are the object of my search and my desire in my ultimate end and stable abode.

                Bihar-ul-Anwar                                                by Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (r.a.)

MARRIAGES OF THE NOBLE PROPHET (S.A.W.A.S.)

The enemies of Islam always tried to attack the character of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) as he symbolized Islam. At different stages of history, the enemies of Islam targeted the Infallible Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) of Islam for his number of marriages.

People do not understand the status of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.). They treat him like themselves, as they were misled by the Ayah 110 of Surah al-Kahf: “And say, “I am only a man like you but I have received revelation that there is only One Lord. Whoever desires to meet his Lord should strive righteously and should worship no one besides Him.”

 Allah sent 124,000 prophets and he was the “Chief of Prophets”. Apart from many testaments (Sahifa) revealed on Prophets, four Divine Books were sent, which included the Glorious Qur’an which is the last Word of Allah till the Day of Resurrection and the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was the Last Prophet of Allah. “The Panjetan” including the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) were crowned by Allah by His Revelation of their Purity in Surah al-Ahz’ab Ayah 33 which reads: “O People of the House, Allah wants to keep off all kinds of uncleanliness from you and to purify you thoroughly.” They were the “Most Truthful” represented in the “Ayah of Mubahila”Surah al-Imran Ayah 61: “If anyone disputes therein after knowledge has come to you, say, “Let each one of us bring our children, women, ourselves to one place and pray to Allah to condemn the liars among us.”  The Surah al-Najm Ayah 3 and 4: “He (Muhammad) does not speak out of his own desires. It (whatever he says) is a revelation which has been revealed to him.”

The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), at the age of 25, married Sayyidah Khadija (s.a.) when she was 40 years old and remained with her for 25 years. At the sad demise of Sayyidah Khadija (s.a.), he was 50 years. During her life time he did not marry any one.

The enemies of Islam and the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) allege sensuality and sexual passions for his marriages. It is apparent that if this were so he would never have married Sayyidah Khadija (s.a.). Because at 25, the sexual passions of youth makes a man pre-occupied with choosing young wives.

John Davenport says: “How is it possible for a sensual man to content himself with just one wife for 25 years in such a place where polygamy was common and prevalent.”

After the sad demise of Sayyidah Khadija (s.a.), the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), when he was 53 years old, took other wives including Ladies Aisha, Hafsa, Zaynab binteKhuzayma, Umm Salma, Sauda, Zaynab binte Jahsh, Juwayria, Safia, Maymona, Umm Habiba, and Mariya.

Conditions and Circumstances of several marriages were:

                To take care of the orphans and the destitute: He married some of them to maintain                     their reputation and prestige after the loss of their guardians e.g. Lady Sauda. Zaynab                 binte Khuzayma was known as the “mother of the poor” fell into poverty when she                       became a widow. Umm Salma was faithful, aged and had helpless orphans.

                To establish proper laws and customs: To annul class discrimination, he married                         Zaynab bint Jahsh, his first cousin, who was first married to a slave Zayd but could                     not continue the ties and Zayd divorced her.

                To set free the slaves: After the defeat of Bani Mustalaq in a fight with Muslims,                           Juwayria, the daughter of the chief of the tribe, was made captive. Hence, he married                 her and the entire tribe was set free.

                To form friendly relations: Some marriages occurred to form friendly relations with                   the great tribes, to hinder their obstruction, and to maintain internal policy. For these                 reasons, he married Ladies Aisha, Hafsa, Safia, Maymoona, and Umm Habiba.

Sources used:

The Glorious Qur’an, al-Islam.org/Prophet Muhammad, A Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)

ANGER AND FORGIVENESS

At different situations in life, it is natural to get angry by people’s behavior. Up to this stage it is natural, but how to react to this situation is to a greater extent in our hands. Anger causes stresses which have adverse effects on human body specially the heart. When a man is angry, certain enzymes are released by the body causing a rise in the blood pressure and cholesterol. It increases the demand of oxygen by the heart’s muscles cells and causes stickiness to blood platelets which may lead to the formation blood clots and may lead to heart attack or stroke. Similarly, increase in blood pressure in the arteries is also a contributing factor leading to heart attack. Anger affects nervous system, liver, kidneys and may cause depression. Uncontrolled anger may lead to violence causing severe damage to the person himself or persons near him.

The modern science deals with this situation under “Stress Management”. There are a large number of ways and methods how to manage your stress, which also include forgiveness and meditation.

Turning to our way of life i.e. Islam, Allah, The Creator of human race, knows the causes and grants remedies to mankind.

Surah al-Shurah Ayah 40: “The recompense of evil will be equivalent to the deed. He, who pardons (the evil done to him) and reforms himself, will receive his reward from Allah. He certainly does not love the unjust.”

Surah al-Noor Ayah 22: “The well-to-do and the rich among you should not fail to give to relatives, the destitute, and Emmigrants for the cause of Allah. Be considerate and forgiving. Do you not want Allah to forgive you? Allah is All-Forgiving and All-Merciful.”

Surah al-A’raafAyah 199: “Have forgiveness, preach the truth, and keep away from the ignorant ones.”

The Sunnah of our beloved Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) is in our view, how he forgave people who caused physical and emotional injuries to him. He forgave all the polytheists on the eve of “The Victory of Makkah” who had fought many wars with the Muslims, inflicted inhuman injuries to the people who converted to Islam, forced him to leave his place of birth and migrate to Madinah.

The Commander of the Faithful, the Gateway of the Knowledge, Imam Ali (a.s.) says:

                “Be afraid of your anger, because out of all the weapons of Shaitan, inciting anger (in                    a person) is his strongest (weapon).”

                “I advise you to control anger and do not lose your temper.”

                “Take pride in performing good acts, keeping away from blood-shed, doing justice to                    people, and suppressing anger.”

                “Anger is akin to madness, and the person usually repents; if not, then his madness is                    confirmed.”

The Infallible Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) said: “If anyone is angry, he should lie down. If he is angry with one of his blood relation, then that person should touch with his hands the person in anger, then his anger will cool down.

As a general rule, the angry person should immediately change the environment; either goes to a different room or go out of the house and gets some fresh air. When a person gets angry, electric charge is developed in his body. Hence the directive of the Imam to lie down when angry results in discharging the body of the electric charge generated.

Sources used:

The Glorious Qur’an, Nahjul Balagha, al-Kafi of al-Kulayni, WebMD

IMAM HASAN ASKARI (A.S.)

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) was born on 10 Rabiul As-Sani 232AH in Samarra, Iraq.

Asker in Arabic means army. The reason for this name being given to the Imam was that the Abbasid Caliph wanted to impress the Imam with his military strength and he arranged an army parade. After the parade, the Imam asked the Caliph to look between his two fingers. The Caliph saw and was impressed by the army much superior in number to his and he named the Imam as “Askari”

The Imam spent his life from childhood to adulthood in the house where his father, Imam Ali al-Naqi (a.s.) remained house arrest. Even then the Imam continued his duties of preaching and explaining the Glorious Qur’an and the knowledge of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). The Imam had written a complete Tafseer on Qur’an. Imam’s life was not at peace even during house arrest. He was taken to Baghdad, unnecessarily questioned and imprisoned.

While he was in Baghdad, there was a severe drought. Rain had not fallen for some time. People were facing famine. A Christian priest came to rescue the people. He prayed and it rained. The Caliph was concerned that people may become Christian because of this. The Imam was requested for help. The Imam told them when the priest shows that miracle, he will remove the doubts. Next time when the priest lifted his hands for prayers, the Imam told his companion to get the bone the priest had in his hands. The Imam told them that it was the bone of a Prophet and it was the effect of the bone that when lifted in prayer, Allah’s mercy falls on earth. After this the Imam spread his prayer sheet and performed two rakats of prayers and prayed for rain. Before the Imam’s prayer was finished, it started to rain heavily. As a reward for this, the Imam was allowed to go back to Samarra but still was placed under house arrest.

It was the tragedy of Muslim Ummah that instead of being respectful and thankful to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and getting benefits from them, the caliphs in power, due to their own inferiority complexes, subjected the Infallible Imams to imprisonment.

Allama Majlisi had given a detailed account of Imam Hasan Askari’s marriage. Imam Ali al-Naqi wrote a letter in ‘Roman’, enclosed it with 220 Dinars in red purse and gave it to his friend Bashir ibne Suleiman and explained how to escort the grand daughter of the Emperor of Rum. Nargis Khatoon narrated the story to Bashir: “I am a princess. My mother was the vice-gerent of Jesus. My grandfather was anxious to marry me to his nephew. On the day of the proposed marriage, some abnormal events prevented the wedding. One night, I saw a dream in which Jesus and Prophet Muhammad greeted each other and the Prophet asked my hand for his grand son Hasan Askari. When consent was given, the Prophet Muhammad solemnized the wedding. After some time, I had another vision in that Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad and Mariam, the mother of Jesus told me that I cannot marry Hasan Askari unless I become Muslim. This I accepted and saw Hasan Askari in my dream.” Bashir asked as to how she became a prisoner, she replied: “Hasan Askari told me that my father was planning to send an army against the Muslims, and that I should disguised myself and some of my women servants and go with the army. I did this and before long some army guards captured us.”

 Imam Ali al-Naqi gave her in the custody of her sister Hakima Khatoon. After a few days, Imam Hasan al-Askari was married to the grand daughter of Emperor of ‘Rum’.

Words of Wisdom: The Imam said: “Fear Allah, increase prostrations, be kind to neighbors, associate with your kin and carry out their rights, treat people kindly, mention Allah excessively and remember death, recite the Qur’an and send peace and blessings on Prophet because it has the reward of ten virtuous deeds, generosity has a certain extent and if it is exceeded it is extravagance, economy has a certain extent and if it is exceeded it is stinginess, and courage has a certain extent and if it is exceeded it is recklessness. Death comes unexpectedly. Whoever sows good deeds shall harvest happiness and whoever sows evil deeds shall harvest regrets. Worship is not abundant fasting and praying, but includes deliberating on the Signs of the Magnificent God. What a bad man he is who has two faces and two tongues! He praises his brother when he is present and eats his flesh (back-biting) when he is absent.

Vices have been put in a house and its key is telling lies. He, who praises an undeserving one, becomes as an accused person. Staying up makes sleep more pleasant, and hunger makes food more delicious.  Reaching Allah the All-Mighty is a journey not achieved, except by praying at night.

He said to al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid Caliph: “Do not expect goodwill from one, whom you have offended, or loyalty from one whom you have betrayed, or sincerity from one which you have suspected, because the hearts of others towards you are like hearts are like your heart towards them. From the disasters that break one’s back is a neighbor who, if sees a good deed conceals it, and if sees a bad deed, spreads it.

(In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful) is closer to the Great Names of Allah than the iris of the eye to its white. Polytheism in people is more inconspicuous than the creeping of ants on a black rock in a dark night.

Once, Muntasar Billah, the Abbasid caliph, visited the holy shrines of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and Imam Ali al-Naqi (a.s.) in Samarrah. His vizier suggested to him that he should visit the tombs of his fathers of Abbasid kings, and he agreed. When he reached there, he found the graves dark and miserable where dirt was accumulated. The vizier asked the king to take care and pay money to rebuild these graves, but the Abbasid king asked if he saw the flourishing tombs of the pure Imams? “My fore- fathers associated with Satan and these masters associated with Allah, and all that which is for Allah remains, and all that which is for Satan perishes and disappears.”

 Addressing one of his companions, the Imam said: “Allah the All-Mighty did not deprive the earth since He created Adam, and He will not deprive it until the Day of Resurrection, of an authority over His people. My son, who is named after the Messenger of Allah, will fill the earth with justice and fairness after it has been filled with injustice and oppression. He will hide in an occultation, during which time no one shall be saved except one whom Allah fixes on the belief in his imamat and supplicating Allah to hasten his deliverance.

            Sources used:

            The Fourteen Luminaries of Islam                               by Ahmad Bijandi

            Principles of Sh’ite Creed                                            by Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini

            Story of the Holy Ka’aba and its People                       by S.M.R.Shabbar

            Islam, Faith, Practices, and History                              by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi

PROGENY OF PROPHET IBRA'HIM (A.S.)

Our Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) is from the progeny of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) through Prophet Isma’il (a.s.), while Prophet Mousa (a.s.) and Prophet Ie’sa (a.s.) are from the progeny of Prophet Isha’que (a.s.).

Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) was tried and tested by Allah (s.w.t.) and when he was found successful, he was appointed the “Imam” of the people as stated in Surah al-Baqarah Ayah 124: “When his Lord tested Ibrahim’s faith (by His words) and he satisfied the test, He said: “I am appointing you as the leader of mankind.” Ibrahim asked: “Will this leadership also continue through my descendants?” The Lord replied: “The unjust do not have the right to exercise My authority.”

Unjust are the wrongdoers who are unjust to himself or to others.

Allama Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, the author of the famous Tafseer-e-Qur’an, al-Mizaan, classified wrongdoers into four categories:

(a) Those who are wrongdoers throughout their life.

(b) Those who are wrongdoers in the beginning and became virtuous later.

(c) Those who are virtuous in the beginning but became wrongdoers subsequently.

(d)  hose who are not wrongdoers at any time.

While Prophet Ibra’him was still a young man, he demonstrated Tauheed of Allah by destroying all man-made idols and placed the hammer in the hand of the big idol. When asked who destroyed the remaining idols, he told them to ask the big idol if he could speak! The idol-worshippers threw him in a mammoth fire, but Allah ordered the fire to cool down.

Prophet Ibrahim was happily married to Lady Sarah for a very long time, but they did not have any children. Lady Sarah asked her husband to marry her maid named Ha’jirah and hence Prophet Isma’il (a.s.) was born, when Prophet Ibrahim was about 78 years old.  Later, Allah ordered him to migrate to the Hijaz (present day Saudi Arabia). He arrived in Makkah, which was a barren land at that time. He left his infant son Isma’il and wife Lady Ha’jirah as stated in Surah Ibra’him Ayah 37: “Lord, I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near your Sacred House so that they could be steadfast in prayer. Lord, fill the hearts of the people with love for them and produce fruits (sympathy of hearts) for their sustenance so that they may give thanks.”

One of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.)’s tests was when Allah ordered him to sacrifice his young son Isma’il as stated in Surah as-Saffa’at Ayah 102 to 105: “When his son was old enough to work with him, he said, “My son, I have had a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think of this? He replied, “Father, fulfill whatever you are commanded to you and you will find me with patient, by the will of Allah. When they both agreed and Ibrahim laid down his son on the side of the face (for slaughtering), We called to him, Ibrahim, you have fulfilled what you were commanded to do in your dream. “Thus do We reward the righteous ones. It was certainly an open trial. We ransomed his son with a great sacrifice and perpetuated his praise in later generations.”

After the birth of Prophet Isma’il from Lady Hajirah, Lady Sarah gave birth to Prophet Isha’que when Prophet Ibra’him was about 86 years old. Surah al-Ankabut Ayah 27: “We granted Isaac (Isha’que) and Jacob (Yaqoob) to Abraham (Ibrahim) and We bestowed upon his offspring Prophet-hood and the Book. We gave him his reward in this world, and in the next life he will be among the pious ones.”

Prophet Ibra’him died at the age of 175.

Sources used:

The Glorious Qur’an

Ahlul-Bayt.com, al-Huda Foundation

THE GLORIOUS QUR'AN

It is human instinct to praise and submit to a superior power. In ancient times, men worshipped the sun, the stars etc. As time progressed, man wanted to explore and understand as to who was his Creator and Sustainer. The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “Whoever understand himself understand his Creator.”

Hence it is important to have “Self-Knowledge”. When a faithful Muslim probes about himself, he realizes that he is a precious creation of Allah and not only yet another creation having some basic needs only. He has not only a material body but also a soul and spirit. If we truly understand what a precious being we are, our indescribable potentials, and the heights to which we can rise, then we will not allow ourselves to be shackled by sins.

Imam Ali (a.s.) said in Nahjul Balagha: “Whoever views himself with respect, views his desires with disdain. Keep yourself above every low thing even though it may take you to your desires, because what you will receive in return is nowhere near the worth that which you have to give of yourself. Do not let anything enslave you, for Allah created you free.”

The tragedy of modern times is that we pay very little attention to our souls and spirits, which acts develop our soul and which one rusts our souls. Every action and every word spoken has consequences for our spiritual well-being. Hence, a sinful act has the roots in the spirit and adversely affects the soul.

The Glorious Qur’an is the word of Allah, revealed to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) during 23 years for the benefit and guidance of humanity. It is a unique book which gives principles and guidelines for individual as well as social needs and development of the society.

The Glorious Qur’an is the authentic Divine word of Allah; its teachings are genuinely original and are exactly the same as revealed to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.). For the understanding of the Glorious Qur’an, it is necessary to have the knowledge of the Arabic language, history of Islam, and the Traditions of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.). It is important to remember that we should try to understand the Glorious Qur’an by Qur’an itself; its Ayahs explain and corroborate themselves. The specific mode and style of the Glorious Qur’an may be noticed from the distinction noted between “Ayat-ul-Muhkamat” (the firm verses) and “Ayat-ul-Mutashabihat” (the ambiguous verses). The Ambiguous verses are to be studied and pondered with the help of the firm verses.

A question arises whether the Glorious Qur’an can be studied and understood?

There were some scholars who asserted that only the Prophets and Imams can understand the Glorious Qur’an. The ordinary human beings can only read and recite it. This group was called “Akhbaris”. They regarded Hadees as the only permissible source of fiqh or Islamic Jurisprudence. Besides the Akhbaris, there were other groups who also thought that the Glorious Qur’an is inaccessible to the ordinary human intellect. They thought the real meaning of the verses is the same as the literal meaning. Ash’arites are among them. This approach leads to the personification of God and His physical characteristics like human beings. Opposing this group, another group came into existence that used the Glorious Qur’an to fulfill their selfish ends. The champions of this movement in the history of Islam consist of two groups; the first group is the Isma’ilis (also known as Batinis-secret sect) and the other is the Sufis. As an example, the famous event in the Glorious Qur’an when Prophet Ibrahim sacrificed his son Prophet Isma’il and he was saved by a sheep, the Sufis interpret this incident as : Ibrahim represents here as intellect and reason (Aql), and Isma’il represents  the self (nafs).

In numerous verses, the Glorious Qur’an challenges and encourages mankind to think and ponder over its contents like “What, do they not ponder the Qur’an? Or is it that there are locks upon their hearts?” (47:24). What is required is a just, honest, unbiased, truthful and balanced interpretation free of all traces of selfish interests.

Sources used:

Man and Universe                                                                by Ayatullah  Murtaza Mutahhari

Understanding the Uniqueness of Qur’an                            by Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari

Self Knowledge                                                                    by Mohammad Ali Shomali

THE NOBLE PROPHET (S.A.W.A.S.)'S MATCHLESS MANNERS

Although there are numerous Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an praising the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), but some of the Ayahs relating to his excellent manners are reproduced below:

                Surah al-Qalam Ayah 4; “You have attained a great moral standard”

                Surah al-Younus Ayah 128: “A messenger from your own people has come to you.                      Your  destruction and suffering are extremely grievous to him. He really cares about                    you and is very compassionate and merciful to the believers.”

What is the “Sunnah of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)”?

Sunnah is whatever he did, whatever he prohibited others to do, if in front of him, an act was done and he did not object to it. 

Appended below are the sayings of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), whose references may be seen in the book given at the end:

I was sent with the most noble and refined character.

Allah distinguished His Prophet with ten character traits; Certainty, contentment, patience, thankfulness, forbearance, good manners, generosity, honor, bravery, and valor.

He used to be the first to greet people, even he used to say salaam to the children.

He would give equal attention to everyone in his company; hence everyone thought that he was dearest to him. He was always cheerful, tender with everyone and not rude to them.

When he shook hands with someone, he would never withdraw his hands until the other person withdrew his hand first and when he was occupied with someone in fulfilling his needs or conversing with him, he would never leave until the person himself left first.

He would divide his attention between his companions; he would look at each one of them equally.

He would smile as he spoke.

He would usually sit facing the Qiblah-Ka’aba.

He would never take revenge for himself, rather he would forgive.

If he did not see his brothers for three days, he would inquire about him, if the person is sick, he would visit him.

Anas served him for nine years but he never asked Anas: “Why did you do this?”

He would prefer his guests over himself by offering his cushion on which he reclined, if the guest refused, he insisted.

When he would enter a place, he would at the nearest space that was available as he entered.

We, the Prophets, have been ordered to speak to the people at their level of comprehension.

My Lord commanded me to be gracious with the people just as He ordered me to perform obligatory actions.

Our way, the way of Ahlul Bayt, is: Forgiving the ones who wrong us and giving to the ones who deprive us.

My Lord commanded me to love the needy from among the Muslims.

Surely, patience, truthfulness, clemency, and good morals are from the “akhlaq” of the Prophets.

Jibra’il descended upon me with a message from the Lord of the Universe and said: “O Muhammad! You must adopt a good character, for a bad character drives away the good of this world and the hereafter. Surely, those who have the greatest semblance to me are those with the best character.

Have I not forbidden you to withhold anything for tomorrow? Verily Allah brings the sustenance for every morrow.

Return what has been committed to your trust.

When a guest came to visit him, he would eat with him, and would not stop eating until the guest had stopped eating, and would accompany the guest to the door when he departs.

When something made him sad, he would take to prayer.

When any Muslim would say: “Salamu Alayka”, he would reply: “Wa Alayka al-Salam Wa Rahmatullah”. If he said: “As-Salamu Alayka Wa Rahmatulla”, The Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) would reply: “Wa Alayka al-Salam Wa Rahmatulla Wa Barkatu”

He wore his ring with the stone facing the inside of his hand and he would look at it often.

Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) never touched the hands of women when they pay allegiance, a bowl of water was brought, he will put his hand in it and withdraw, then the women will dip their hands.”

             Sunan-an-Nabi                                     Allama Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai

THE NOBLE PROPHET (S.A.W.A.S.) LEADS THE LIST OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY

According to the Muslim faith, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was the last Messenger of the Creator to guide the humanity till the Day of Judgment in the light of the Divine Revelation embodied in the Glorious Qur’an.

Michael H. Hart compiled a book in 1978 “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History”. In that book, he had placed the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) as number one individual who influenced the human beings. A revised edition of the book was published in the year 1992.

Although we do not agree with a non-Muslim’s views about the Messenger and the Glorious Qur’an, but we should appreciate their recognition of his secular and religious influence on humanity.

In the first two paragraphs about the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), Michael H. Hart writes:

                “My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may                 surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in                     history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.

                Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world’s great                       religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen                               centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive.”

Michael H. Hart explains the reason why he ranked the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) higher than Prophet E’isa or Jesus:

                “How ,then, is one to assess the overall impact of Muhammad on human history? Like                 all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the life of its followers. It is for                   this reason that the founders of the world’s great religions all figure prominently in                     this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Muslims in the world,                   it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus.                        There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Muhammad played a far more                 important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development                              of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and moral                              precepts of Christianity. It was St. Paul who was the main developer of Christian                          theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of New                                  Testament.

                Muhammad was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and                    moral principles. Further more, Muhammad (unlike Jesus) was a secular as well as a                  religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well                    rank as the most influential political leader of all time.”