THE CORONATION OF THE NAFSE RASOOL, IMAM ALI (A.S.)

Shia Muslims celebrate 5 Eid: Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-Mubahela, Eid-e-Ghadeer, Wedding of Lady of Paradise Hazrat Fatima Zahra (s.a.) and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.).

Apart from these, the birth days of Chahardah Masoomeen are days of rejoicings and celebrations hence treated as Eid.

On the 17^th day of Dhul-Hijjah 10 A.H. the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s) was returning along with over 120,000 Muslims after performing last Hajj, when Archangel Jibril descended on earth and brought Ayah 67 of Sura al-Mai’dah , “O Apostle, deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you don’t do it, you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the people.” By this time, every command of Allah has been delivered to Muslims and nothing was added after this day. A question arises in every mind as to why Allah was threatening His Messenger that if he did not comply with the directive it would liquidate efforts of his whole life. The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) died about 70 days after the event of Ghadeer. The last sentence indicates that the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was apprehensive of the reaction of his people in delivering that message but Allah informed him not to worry, for He will protect His Messenger from the people!

The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) spent about 5 hours at Ghadeer-e-Khumm in the scorching heat of Arabian Desert. He recited about 100 Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an for about 3 hours. The Messenger declared “It seems the time has approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things (thaqalayn) and if you adhere to them both, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Progeny that is my Ahlul Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool of Kauthar (in Paradise)” Then the Messenger continued “Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves.” People cried and answered “Yes, O Messenger of Allah” Then followed the key sentence denoting the clear designation of Imam Ali (a.s.) as the Leader of Muslim ummah. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) held up the hand of Imam Ali (a.s.) and said “For whoever, I am his Leader (Maula), Ali is his Leader (Maula). The Prophet continued “O’Allah, love those who love him and be hostile to those who are hostile to him.”

Immediately after the Prophet finished his speech, the following Ayah was revealed, Surah Al-Ma’idah Ayah 3 “Today, I have perfected your religion, completed My favors to you, and have chosen Islam as your religion”. This Ayah clearly indicates that Islam, without clearing up matter of leadership after the Messenger, was not complete, and completion of religion was achieved by the appointment of the Messenger’s successor.

As soon as the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) completed his sermon, Hassan Bin Thabit, the companion and poet of the Messenger of Islam, asked for his permission to compose a few verses of poetry for the newly crowned successor Imam Ali (a.s.) for the audience. The Prophet said “Say, with the blessings of Allah”. Hassan stood up and said “O People of Quraysh, I follow with my words what preceded and witnessed by the Messenger of Allah. He then composed the following verses extempore:

            He calls them on the Day of Ghadeer, their Prophet

            In Khumm so hear (and heed) the Messenger’s call

            He said “Who is your Guide and Leader?

            They said, and there was no apparent blindness clearly:

            “Your God, our Guide, and you are our leader

            And you won’t find from among us, in this, any disobedient”

            He said to him “Stand up O Ali, for I am

            Pleased to announce you Imam and Guide after me

            So, whoever I am his leader (Maula), then this is his leader(Maula),

            So be to him supporters in truth and followers”

            Then he prayed “Allah! Be a friend and Guide to his follower

            And be, to the one who is Ali’s enemy, an enemy”

After his speech, The Messenger of Allah asked everyone to give the oath of allegiance to Imam Ali (a.s.) and congratulate him. Among those who did so was Umar bin al-Khattab, who said “Well done, Ibne Abi Talib! Today you became the Leader (Maula), of all believing men and women.”

Allah ordered His Prophet to inform the people of this designation at a time of mammoth congregation so that all become the witnesses and narrators of the tradition, while they exceeded a hundred twenty thousand. Narrated by Zayd bin Arqam: Abu al-Tufayl said “I heard from the Messenger of Allah and there was no one there except that he saw him with his eyes and heard him with his ears”

Some Sunni commentators report that when the first three Ayahs of Surah al-Maa’rij were revealed, a man challenged the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) when he reached Madinah as detailed below:

“On the day of Ghadeer, the Prophet summoned the people towards Ali and said “Ali is the mawla of whom I am the mawla.” The news spread quickly all over the urban and rural areas. When Harith Ibne Nauman al-Fahri came to know of it, he rode his she-camel and came to Madinah and went to the Messenger of Allah and said to him “You commanded us to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. We obeyed you. You ordered us to pray five times a day and we obeyed. You ordered us to observe fasts during month of Ramadan and we obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage to Makkah and we obeyed. You are not satisfied with all this and you raised your cousin by hand and imposed upon us as our master as saying, ‘Ali is the mawla of whom I am the mawla.’ Is this imposition from Allah or you?”

The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said “By Allah, who is the only deity! This is from Allah, the Mighty and the Glorious” On hearing this, Harith turned back and proceeded towards his she-camel saying “O Allah! If what Muhammad said is correct then fling on us a stone from sky and subject us to severe pain and torture” He had not reached his she-camel when Allah, who is above all defects, flung at him a stone which struck him on his head, penetrated his body, and passed out through his body and left him dead. It was on this occasion that Allah, the Exalted sent the following verse “A questioner questioned about the punishment to fall. For the disbelievers, there is nothing to avert it, from Allah, the Lord of the Ascent.” (Surah al-Maa’rij Ayahs 1-3)

Some of the opponents of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) tried to belittle the occasion by interpreting that “Maula” means friend!

In the scorching heat of the desert, making a pulpit of the camel seats, reciting more than 100 Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an, giving sermon for 5 hours in the light of the Divine threat that if he (the Messenger) did not deliver the Message of Allah to Muslims as if he did not deliver any message and that in consequence of delivering the Message, Allah will protect the Messenger. All the pains and effort were taken by the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) to tell the Muslims that Ali is their friend! It is plain and simple logic!

Sources used:

The Glorious Qur’an

Al-Ghadeer by Allama Abdul Husayn Al-Amini Al-Najafi, WIKIPEDIA    

AHADITHS NARRATED BY THE INFALLIBLE IMAM MUHAMMAD AL-BAQIR (A.S.)

Traditions or Ahadiths have been narrated by different companions or others who were influenced by many factors i.e. during the reign of Bani Umayyad, hadiths were fabricated by using Muslim Ummah’s resources for their self ends. The narrators were not impartial. Each hadith reported by any of our Infallible Imams were truthful and the chain of narrators could be traced directly to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.). Some of the hadiths are as follows:

“Whoever performs his ritual ablution properly, performs his prayers well, pays the Zakat (alms) of his property, stops his anger, prevents his tongue, does his favor, asks Allah for forgiveness of his sins, and is loyal to the members of my House, meets the facts of belief and the doors of Paradise are open for him.

If two kinds of people from my community are righteous, my community is righteous. When they are corrupt, my community is corrupt; they are jurists and the rulers.

Whoever helps the poor and treats the people with justice is a true believer.

Two kinds of my community have no share in Islam; the extremists and the fatalists.

Whoever has three qualities or one of them, will be under the shade of The Throne of Allah; he should treat people with justice, he should know the deeds that pleases Allah or angers Him, he should not find fault with his Muslim brother till he frees himself from that fault.

Every eye will weep on the Day of Judgment except the eye that weeps out of fear of Allah, the eye that blinks at what Allah has prohibited, and the eye that stays awake at night for Allah.

Three groups of people have the right to intercede with Allah; the Prophets, the scholars, and the martyrs.

O ’Ali! Four persons whose supplication is not refused are; the just Imam, the father who invokes Allah for his son, the man who invokes Allah for his absent brother, and the oppressed one.

O” Ali! Indeed, Allah looked thoroughly over the people of the earth and chose me from them. Then He looked over them the second time and chose you from them. Then He looked over them the third time and chose the Imams from your children. Then He looked over them a fourth time and chose Fatima from the women of the world.

Whoever has the four attributes, is in Allah’s great light; the protection of his affairs is that there is no god but Allah and that I am His apostle, when a misfortune hits him, he says: to Allah we belong and to Him is our return, when he gains a virtue, he says: praise belongs to Allah, when he commits a sin, he says: I ask Allah’s forgiveness and repents to Him.

Four acts deaden the heart; committing sin after sin, too much talk with the women, disputing with a fool, sitting with the extravagant.

O ‘Ali, act through four; your youth before old age, your health before illness, your riches before poverty, your life before death.

Signs of unhappiness are; impudence of the eye, cruelty of the heart, intensity of greediness in earning livelihood, persistence of sin.

The servants will be asked about four things on the Day of Judgment; how did he used his age, how did he spent his youth, from where did he earned money and how did he spend it, and our love, we, the members of Ahlul Bayt.

Knowledge is; listening, memorizing, putting it to practice, and proclaiming it.

O ‘Ali! There are six qualities in fornication; three in this world and three in the Hereafter; they take away glory, hasten the ruin and stop livelihood in this world, evil reckoning, the Wrath of Merciful Allah and immortality in the fire in Hereafter.

You are unable to encompass the people with your money, so encompass them with your ethics.

Sitting with the people of religion is the honor in this world and in the Hereafter.

Whoever wants to seek access through me to Allah and that there will be a hand for him through which I intercede for him with Allah on the Day of Judgment, he should keep in contact with the members of my family and make them happy.

Indeed, I and twelve members of my family, of whom Ali is the first, are the stakes through which Allah prevents the earth and its people from sinking. If the twelve members of my family depart, the earth and its people will sink.

O’ Ali! I am the city of knowledge and you are the gate. He who claims that he can reach the city not through the gate, tells lies.”

               Source: Life of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir by Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi

              

THE NAFSE RASOOL, IMAM ALI (A.S.) DESCRIBES THE CREATION OF THE NOBLE PROPHET (S.A.W.A.S.)'S NOOR

There is a tradition of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.), “No one comprehends Allah (s.w.t.) except me and Ali (a.s.), no one comprehends Ali (a.s.) except me and Allah (s.w.t.) and no one comprehends me except Allah (s.w.t.) and Ali (a.s.).”

The Gateway of Knowledge, Imam Ali (a.s.) had described the nature and origin of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)’s Noor. His most eloquent sermon was reported in Beharul Anwar compiled by Allama Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi (r.a.) in volume 15 from page 27 to 31 published in Arabic by The House of Revival of Arabic Heritage, Lebanon, Beirut.

Some of the extracts are reproduced below:

“There was only Allah, and nothing was with Him. He created the light (Noor) of His beloved Muhammad (s.a.w.a.s.). After a lapse of 424,000, divine years, He created water, Throne, Kursi, Skies and earth, Tablet, Pen, Paradise, Hell, angels, Adam and Hawwa. Then his light (Noor) stood respectfully in front of his Creator and praised Allah for 1,000 years. (It may be mentioned here that 50,000 years of this world are equal to 1 day of Hereafter) Allah (s.w.t.) continued to look at his light (Noor). Allah (s.w.t.) continued to say, “O My servant! You are the ‘Murid’ and you are the ‘Murad’ (Murid is the one intends, and Murad is the one who is intended). You are “Murad” because I intended for you and you are Mureed because you praised me. If you were not there, I would not create this universe. Whoever loves you, I will love him, and whoever is your enemy, he is My enemy.” When his Noor heard Allah’s praise about him, it increased its glow higher and higher. Allah (s.w.t.) created 12 Hijab from his Noor. Then Allah (s.w.t) told His beloved (Habib), “Enter the hijab of Qudrat”. When the light of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) entered the hijab, it recited “Subhanal Alial A’ala” for 12,000 years. Then his Noor (Light) entered the Hijab al-Azamate and recited “Subhanal Alame Sirre wal Akbar” “Praise be to Him who is aware of the latent and patent things” for 11,000 years. Likewise, his Noor continued to enter 10 more hijab and the number of years continued to decrease. When his Noor entered the 12^th hijab of Shifa’at, his Noor continued to recite “Subhana Rabbi al Azeem wa Behamde” for 1,000 years. Then Allah created 20 oceans of Noor for scarification of Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.)’s Noor, and his Noor passed through those 20 oceans. In each ocean of Noor, the depth of knowledge was only known to Allah (s.w.t.). When he came out of it, 124,000 drops came down from his body, and Allah made 124,000 Messengers out of each drop. Then Allah created a pearl from his Noor and broke into two parts and looked aggressively at one part which converted into sweet water. Then He (s.w.t.) looked at the other half with kindness and created His Throne out of it. Then from the Throne He created Kursi, from Kursi created Tablet, from Tablet created Pen (Qalam) and addressed Pen to write His Unity (Tauheed) and the Pen was shivering for 1,000 years. When the Pen revived, it asked what to write and Allah said write “La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadun Rasool Allah”. As soon as the Pen heard Muhammadun Rasool Allah, it fell in prostration out of love and status of the Noor. Then the Pen inquired as to who is Muhammad? Allah replied “if Muhammad was not created, I would not have created you. Muhammad is Bashir, Nazir, Sirajul Munir, Shafi and Habib.” The Pen said, “Salam Alaika Ya Rasool Allah.” Allah replied, “Wa Alaikas Salaam Minni” That is the reason saying salaam is recommended but reply is obligatory.”

The Gateway of Knowledge, Nafse Rasool, Imam Ali (a.s.) is describing the creation of the Noor of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) showing in a way that he was the witness of the whole Divine Process. Moreover, when 124,000 Messengers were created from the sweat of the Noble Messenger, what must be the status of his flesh and blood? When he said to Imam Ali, “Your blood is my blood, your flesh is my flesh.” He said to The Chief of the Women of the World, Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.), “Fatima is part of me”!

TESTS AND TRIALS FOR THE FAITHFUL

The word “Test” and “Trial” has been used 38 times in the Glorious Qur’an.

Every faithful must go through the “Tests and Trials” in life. Even the Prophets had to go through it. Prophet Ibra’him was also tested and was awarded the title of “Imam” as stated in the Glorious Qur’an in Ayah 124 of Surah al-Baqarah, “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.”

All-Powerful Allah (s.w.t.) tests people and expects them to be patient and if successful, shall shower His Blessings and Mercy on them as stated in Ayah 155 to 157 of Surah al-Baqarah, “We shall test you through fear, hunger, loss of life, property and crops. (Muhammad), give glad news to the people who have patience and in difficulty say, “We are the servants of Allah and to Him we shall all return. It is they who will receive blessings and mercy from their Lord and who follow the right guidance.”

Some of the Ayahs used in the Glorious Qur’an are given as under:

Children of Israel, recall My favor of saving you from the Pharaoh’s people who afflicted you with the worst kind of cruelty, slaying your sons and sparing your women. Your suffering was indeed a great trial from your Lord. (2:49)

Then He let you face the defeat to test you. Allah is Gracious to the believers. (3:152)

You (believers) will certainly be tested by the loss of your property and lives. (3:186)

Allah will test you concerning what you hunt, so that He would know who is afraid of Him in private. (5:94)

We have made some of you do good deeds of a higher degree than others. He will test you in this way through what He has revealed to you. (6:165)

(Muhammad), ask them about the (people of the) towns on the seashore. They had transgressed by catching fish on the Sabbath when the fish came openly within their reach but not on other days. Thus, We were testing them because of their evil deeds. (7:163)

It was not you (believers) but Allah who slew the pagans. It was not you (Muhammad) but Allah who threw dust at them. He did this as a favorable test for the believers. (8:17)

His throne existed on water so that He could test you and find out those among you who do good deeds. (11:7)

Allah tests your faiths by your oaths. (16:92)

(Muhammad), We told you that your Lord has encompassed all mankind. We showed you and the condemned tree mentioned in the Qur’an, as a trial for the human being. (17:60)

We have caused earthly things to seem attractive so that We can see who will excel in good deeds. (18:7)

Do not be envious of what We have given to some people as means of enjoyment, spouses and worldly delight. Such means are a trial for them, but the reward you will receive from your Lord will be far better and everlasting. (20:131)

Every soul must experience the taste of death. We test you with both hardships and blessings. (21:35)

We would make Satan’s temptations a trial for those whose hearts are hard and sick. (22:53)

In this story (Noah’s Ark) there is enough evidence (of the Truth); thus, do We try (mankind). (23:30)

Do people think they will not be tested because they say, “We have faith?” (29:2)

We had tried those who lived before them to make sure who were truthful in their faith and who were liars (29:3)

We shall certainly test you until We know those who strive for hard for the cause of Allah and those who exercise patience. We will also examine your deeds. (47:31)

It is He who has created death and life to put you to the test and see which of you is most virtuous in your deeds (67:2)

When his Lord tests the human being, honors, and grants him bounty, he says, “Allah has honored me.” However, when his Lord tests him by a measured amount of sustenance, he says, “Allah has disgraced me.” (89:15,16)