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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART
11)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
DANGER
IN ACCEPTING A VILLAIN’S LEADERSHIP
People have been warned of a
great danger against accepting leadership of those villainous and
undesirable characters. The following saying of the Holy Prophet (saw)
provides useful guidance:
“When a community is led by
their villains and if their leader happens to be wretched and if a
debauching is honoured, then let them wait (expect) a calamity (to
behalf them)”
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THE IDEAL LEADERSHIP
(PART
10)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
THE IMPACT OF LEADER'S CHARACTER IN THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
Did Islam spread at the point of sword or by coercion over people as
alleged by some non-muslim orientalists? Or did the true and simple
messege of Islam appeal to them under the impact of the humane and
humble character of its divinely appointed leaders? Islamic history has
recorded some interesting incidents which provide a good insight into
the true facts on the subject.
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART
9)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
SPECIAL FAVOUR TO LEADER UNACCEPTABLE
It was during the times of
his caliphate when once Ali bin Abi Talib (as) accompanied by his slave
Qambar went to a bazaar of Kufa. They entered a shop and inquired about
some kind of garments. The shopkeeper recognizing his status promptly
responded by saying,
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THE IDEAL LEADERSHIP
(PART 8)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
HUMILITY ESSENTIAL FOR
LEADERSHIP
Lest man in his narrow and
secular outlook considers himself big and exalted on attainment of high
position in the society, Imam Ali bin Hussain (as) has in his
supplication of Makarim guided us to pray in these words:
"O'
my Lord! Bless Muhammad (saw) and his progeny, and do not elevate my
status in the eyes of the people but at the same time make me think
lower of myself to the same extent and do not bless me with an outward
honor until You make me inculcate humility in my innerself"
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART
7)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
ISLAMIC MENTALITY OF A TRUE LEADER
It is an accepted fact that
the destiny of a community or a nation rests a great deal on its leader.
However, elected with massive votes of the people one may be, and
whatever outward magnetism and high show of dignity he may possess, yet
a great deal of inner purity of heart, sincere intentions to serve his
people and tactful handling of problems are essential to make one an
ideal and worthy leader. When one is entrusted with leadership in a
society, the power and prestige that it carries with it is likely to
corrupt his mind. He could be tempted to consider himself above all
others. He may be misled to consider himself above law and feel safe to
subjugate people under him.
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP (PART 6)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
THE RIGHT OF A
LEADER
In his treatise of rights, Imam Ali bin
Al-Hussayn (as) is mentioned to have said that:
"As to the
rights of a Sultan (Chief-leader), you should be aware that he is
already burdened with deep problems and subjected to hard test for
your sake". (Therefore do not cause to overload him with extra
problems).
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By Marhum
Ahmed H Sheriff
PREREQUISITES OF
LEADERSHIP
In Islam
leadership rests mainly upon two things – Knowledge and Justice.
It is
obvious that without sufficient knowledge about the people whom he is to
lead, their conditions and requirements, a leader would not be able
guide them aright. For this, a leader needs not only right informants
but also to remain personally in closer and constant touch with his
people and be concerned about their affairs.
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART 4)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
LEADER’S MISUSE OF
POSITION UNACCEPTABLE
One of the main
subjects on which the dailies these days present to us fresh news of our
morning reading is the ever-increasing cases of fraud and corruption. Be
they committed by individuals or by those in high positions in public
institutions, the news are indeed sickening for honest readers. It makes
one wonder if in our midst of generation of thugs and crooks is being
allowed to grow up. So daring have those involved become that the
amounts of funds or properties disappearing run into millions of
shillings (or dollars or pounds).
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART 3)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
SHARING THE AFFLICTIONS OF
PEOPLE
An
ideal leader of a society is the one who ever remains aware and concious
of the problems afflicting his people.The one who feels deeply concerned
of their poverty,sickness and lack of means for their upliftment.
Despite himself having sufficient provisions of food and other amenities
for his own home, he refrains from remaining satiated in order to share
with his people in their afflictions.
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART 2)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
THE HEART OF A LEADER
Imam Ali
bin Abi Talib (as) is reported to have said:
“The means of securing
leadership is a generous heart”
What it
means is that a good leader needs to have a kind and munificent but
discerning heart whereby he does not act with emotion, does not take
hasty decisions, nor does he come under easy influence of others who may
be trying to poison his ears. Being ever concerned with exercising
fairplay and differentiating between what is right and wrong, he
persistently displays forbearance and thinks more while he speaks less.
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THE IDEAL
LEADERSHIP
(PART 1)
By Marhum Ahmed H Sheriff
NEED OF LEADERSHIP
Man is
a social animal. He is divinely endowed with gregarious nature to meet
socially, to plan and do tasks in groups, to delight in company, to
share and enjoy fruits and even to arise against a common enemy. He
even wants to survive, defend, gain and progress. Any group or society,
with its diverse needs and talents invariably needs a leader to provide
unity of purpose and guidance when needed. Thus leadership is vital in
Religious, Social and Political affairs.
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AHLUL
BAIT
WHO ARE AHLUL-BAIT ?
The Ahl-ul Bait, are
those glowing personalities, endeared and respected by every Muslim
alike who loves the Almighty’s final Messenger to mankind and sincerely
believes in his mission. The Muslims have known this lofty term, this
guiding star on the horizon of Islam, ever since the Glorious Quran
pronounced this blessed epithet, to address the family of our Prophet in
the following terms:
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Twelve Successors of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)
by Sayyid Murtada
al-Askari
Introduction
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds. Benedictions be upon Muhammad
(S.A.W.) and his Purified Progeny. Peace be upon the righteous
Companions. Some of the controversial issues have divided the Muslims.
These issues have been misused by the enemies of Islam to divide the
Muslims and to weaken them.
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Holy
Imams (A.S.) - Clear and Coherent Policy
S.J Hussain
A question has puzzled some believers a
great deal, namely why did al-Husayn fight with the sword, while his
successors refrained from doing so, especially as all the Imams
subscribed to a single and coherent ideology. For, if al-Husayn, in
spite of the small number of his followers rose up against injustice,
demanding his usurped rights, why did Imam al-Sadiq, for example, not
rise up when the numbers of his partisans had increased.
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The Scholarly Jihad of
the Holy Imams (A.S.)
Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi
The period under discussion
(95-148 A.H /712-765 A.D.) began and ended in the times of the Vth and
VIth Imams. The persecutions of the Shi'is continued unabated from
Mu'awiya's time to almost the very last days of the Umayyads, although
this dynasty in its latter days was considerably weakened by internal
strife. Zayd, the grandson of Husayn, rose up to establish the rule of
religion and justice in 122/740, but he was felled by an arrow in his
forehead, and his army of 15,000 fled. His body was exhumed by order of
the Umayyad caliph, Hisham, was mutilated, beheaded and crucified in
Kufa and left there for years on the cross.
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Tawassul
Dr. 'Abd al-Karim Bi-Azar
Shirazi
"O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek
an approach unto Him..."
(Holy Qur'an 5:35)
Over the last few centuries, the Muslims have been wracked by severe
discord and hostility over the issue of tawassul (beseeching or
supplicating) to Prophet Muhammad (s), the Ahl al-Bayt ('a), the Saints
and the Pious, to the extent that those who reject this concept have
accused its supporters of shirk or polytheism, while the upholders of
tawassul have charged its opponents with enmity and aversion towards the
Prophet (s) and his Infallible Household ('a).
The result has led to increasing bigotry on both sides to the benefit of
their common enemies who have increased their domination of Muslim
lands. This article is an attempt to examine and critically study the
issue of tawassul.
Definition of Tawassul
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Ahl-al-Bayt (`A.S.): Its
Meaning and Origin
The term "ahl"
signifies the members of a household of a man, including his fellow
tribesmen, kin, relatives, wife (or wives), children, and all those who
share a family background, religion, housing, city, and country with
him. "Ahl" and "al" are both the same term with the exception that "al"
is exclusively used for human beings and should come before the family
name, but such a condition is not existent in the case of "ahl". "Bayt"
refers to habitation and dwelling, including tents and buildings both.
The "ahl-al-bayt" of any person refers to his family members and all
those who live in his house (c.f. "Mufradat al-Qur'an" by Raghib
Isfahani; "Qamus" by Firoozabadi; "Majm`a al-Bahrayn".
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Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.) in the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet's Traditions (Sunnah)
- Part 2
The Prophetic
Traditions (Sunnah) in the School of the Ahlul-Bait
It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said:
May Allah prosper the person who heard my saying, memorized it,
comprehended it and retold it (to others) as he had heard it, since a
carrier of knowledge may not be a scholar and perhaps one may transport
knowledge to a more learned one."(38)
The Prophetic tradition means the specific actions, sayings and the
declarations (confirmations)* of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).
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Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.) in the
Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet's Traditions (Sunnah) - Part 1
The Qur'an emphasizes
the lofty position and significance of the Ahlul-Bait so as to make
mankind follow their right path, consult them when their opinion differs
or their faith, situation and concepts contradict.
Investigating the verse of Revelation, we will find that the Qur'an
sometimes addresses them as 'Ahlul-Bait', like the Almighty's saying:
..Allah desires only to keep away uncleanness from you
O people of the House (Ahlul-Bait) and make you as pure as can be.
Holy Qur'an (33:33)
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Role of the Imams in the
Reconstruction of Islamic Society
· Author Late Ayatullah
Baqir al-Sadr.
· Transalated by M.A.Ansari.
Allah who brought prophethood to an end with Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.),
decreed that he should be followed by his vicegerents who would carry
out the task of leadership and succesion after the termination of
Prophethood. These are the tweleve Imams, whose number was textually
fixed by the Messenger of Allah in a number of authentic traditions*
which are unanimously accepted by the Muslims. Their names are in the
following order:
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The
Greatness of the Holy Ahlul Bayt (A.S.)
Who are Household of the Holy Prophet
(S.A.W)?
The Holy Book tells us about the Words of Allah, the Great and Almighty,
concerning them:
" Allah only desires to keep away uncleanness from you, O members of the
House! and to purify you a (thorough purification)." (XXXIII:33)
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The Holy Qur'an and
Ahlul Bayt (A.S.)
Based on a
parallel (Mutawatir) tradition upon whose authenticity all Muslims
agree, the Messenger of Allah (AS) informed his followers in several
occasions that he would leave them two precious/weighty things and that
if Muslims adhere to both of them, they will never go astray after him.
They are the Book of Allah (Quran) and the Members of the House of the
Prophet (Ahlul-Bayt), peace be upon them all.
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim as well as many other sources that:
Someday (after his last pilgrimage) the Messenger of Allah
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The Reward of Loving
Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.)
I found the following
astonishing tradition in one of the most famous Tafsir book of the Sunni
brothers, that is, "Tafsir al-Kabir", by Fakhr al-Razi who is a leading
Sunni scholar with multiple specialties in Tafsir, Fiqh, and theology.
The full address of the document is given at the end. I have provided
Arabic text for each sentence of this tradition. This tradition can also
be found in other Sunni commentary books of Quran, "Tafsir al-Kashshaf,"
written by al-Zamakhshari, as well as "Tafsir al-Tha'labi."
Before going over the text of the tradition, it is important to point
out that a true love is always accompanied by obedience.
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Ask Ahl al-Dhikr If You
Do Not Know
All
praise is for Allah, the Lord of the universe. May the best of blessings
and greetings be upon our leader and master Muhammad, who was sent as a
mercy to the universe, he is the master of the foremost ones and the
last ones, he was purified from all disgraces. May Allah's choicest
blessings and greetings also be upon the illustrious and purified
ahlul-bayt, the standards of guidance, light of those in darkness and
the Imams of the Muslims.
".... Ask ahl al-dhikr if you do not know". (Quran 16:43)
".... Ask ahl al-dhikr if you do not know". (Quran 21:07)
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Islam did not rise
except through Ali's sword and Khadija's wealth,
Khadija Daughter of Khuwaylid
by: Yasin.T.al Jibouri
INTRODUCTION:
"Islam did not rise except through Ali's sword and Khadija's wealth," a
saying goes. Khadija al-Kubra daughter of Khuwaylid ibn (son of) Asad
ibn Abdul-`Uzza ibn Qusayy belonged to the clan of Banu Hashim of the
tribe of Banu Asad. She was a distant cousin of her husband the
Messenger of Allah Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim
ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and
his progeny. Qusayy, then, is the ancestor of all clans belonging to
Quraysh. According to some historians, Quraysh's real name was Fahr, and
he was son of Malik son of Madar son of Kananah son of Khuzaimah son of
Mudrikah son of Ilyas son of Mazar son of Nazar son of Ma`ad son of
Adnan son of Isma`eel (Ishmael) son of Ibrahim (Abraham) son of Sam son
of Noah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon the prophets from among
his ancestors.
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The Concept of Ahlul
Bayt: Tribal or Islamic?
By
Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
Toronto, Canada
1. The Meaning of Ahlul Bayt
"Ahlul Bayt" literally means people of the house and it refers to the
family or children of a person. In Islamic terminology, it refers to the
family of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.).
What is the basis of the importance given to the Ahlul Bayt of the
Prophet? Is there anything about it in the Qur'an and the sayings of the
Prophet? Or is this an old Arab tribal concept with no basis in Islamic
sources? The Qur'an and the hadith have a lot to say about the Ahlul
Bayt. However, before we even go to the Qur'an, a clarification on the
concept of Ahlul Bayt is necessary.
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Knowledge of the Ahlul
Bayt (A.S.)
By Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
Toronto, Canada
1. Introduction
The universal wilayat is in a way linked to the knowledge that Almighty
Allah has bestowed upon the person holding the wilayat. The universal
wilayat of Imam 'Ali, for example, is described in the Qur'an by the
words "the person who has knowledge of the Book."
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Unity of the Muslims and
the School of Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.)
By
Ayatullah Muhammad Jawad Chirri
Late Director of the Islamic Center of America
As we come to the end of our discussion, we find that Sunnites and
Shi'ites do not disagree on any fundamental point in Islam, and that the
mercenary writers, whose goal is to divide Muslims, can not substantiate
any of their accusations.
They have tried to spread falsehood and deliberately mislead some
uneducated Muslims. The vicious campaign which they have waged is
opposed to the Holy Qur'an and the authentic hadiths of the Prophet. To
prove this, we only need to read the first five verses from the second
chapter of the Qur'an, in which the Almighty has defined the meaning of
Al-Muttaqin (the righteous).
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The Value of Knowing the
Ahl al-Bayt (A.S)
The Messenger of Allah
(S.A.W): Whomever Allah has bestowed the knowing and the love of my Ahl
al-Bayt has actually been granted the whole benevolence.
Al-Imam al-Baqir (A.S.): Those who have known Allah and their Imam who
is of our Ahl al-Bayt, has truly known Allah the Almighty and worshipped
him.
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Ahl al-Bayt's (A.S.)
Status on the Day of Resurrection
The Messenger of Allah
(S.A.W.) said: The first who will join me by the Hawd of Kawthar are my
Ahl al-Bayt and those of my Ummah who love me.
Al-Imam Ali (A.S.): The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) informed me that among the
first who will enter the Paradise are me along with Fatima (A.S.) al-Hasan
(A.S.), and al-Husayn(A.S.). I asked, O Rasul Allah! How about my
followers and lovers? He replied: They will follow you into the
Paradise.
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Ahl
al-Bayt's (A.S.) Altruism
And they feed, for the
love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive - (saying), we
feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you,
nor thanks (76:8.9)
But give them preference over themselves, even though poverty was their
(own lot) - they are the ones that achieve prosperity. (59:9)
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Humbleness and
Forgiveness of the Ahl al-Bayt(A.S.)
The Messenger of Allah
(S.A.W.): An angel came down to me who had neither descended on any
prophet before me nor will descend on anyone after me. He was the
Israfil and was accompanied by Jibrail. He said: Peace be upon you o
Muhammad (S.A.W.)! Then he went on to say: I am an envoy from your lord
to you; He ordered me to appoint you a prophet as a servant of Allah if
you wish or a king prophet. I looked at Jibra'il who was signaling me to
keep humble, and I said: I prefer to be a prophet as a servant of Allah.
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Ahl
al-Bayt's (A.S.) Way of Worship
Imam Ali (A.S.): O
Allah! I worshipped you neither out of greed for the Paradise nor as a
result of fearing your Hell Fire, but I found you praise worthy and
worshipped you.
Imam a-Sadiq (A.S.): Servants consist of three groups: One group worship
Allah out of fear which is the worship of the slaves; the next are
seeking reward, which is the worship of the hirelings, and finally the
group who worship Allah out of love and affection towards Him which is
the worship of the nobles, and this is the best of worships.
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Scholarly Authority of
the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) for Islamic Scholars
Dr. 'Abd al-Karim Bi-Azar
Shirazi
Translated by: Sayyid 'Ali Shahbaz
The marja'iyyat or authority of the Ahl al-Bayt in matters of religion
is the common point shared by all denominations of Islam, and this could
be an ideal platform for resolving issues of difference among the
jurisprudential schools. By marja'iyyat-i 'ilmi (scholarly authority),
we mean the common point on which all Muslims are unanimous and to which
all issues of difference could be referred, especially in the domain of
ideological and legal (shar'i) matters, where the authority of the Ahl
al-Bayt is the only instrument for expounding the realities of the Holy
Qur'an and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), in view of the Word
of God:
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Wisdom of the Ahl al-Bayt
(A.S.): The Main Pivot of Islamic Unity
By: Ayatullah Muhammad 'Ali Taskhiri
Translated by Dr. Muhsin and Zahra' Shuja '-Khani
The issue of marja'iyyat-i 'ilmi for Muslims has been widely discussed
and debated for centuries and its importance among the Muslims has been
steadily growing as the time factor distances them from the period of
the revelation of the Qur'an and the era of the Prophet (S.A.W.).
Needless to say, it is of prime importance that all Muslims strive in
earnest towards arriving at a common strategy of approaching this
subject which plays a most pivotal role in ensuring the unity of the
Islamic ummah.
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BASED ON THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN 1426 LECTURE #
4
OUR LOVE FOR THE AHLUL-BAYT (A-S):
A
FAIRWELL TO THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN.
“In the Name of ALLAH the Merciful, the Compassionate”
By: Brother Ali Ja’afary.
INTRODUCTION:
During this holiest of months I based most of my discourses on one
Particular theme.
Good moral
and ethical behaviour and self sacrifice in the way of ALLAH (swt),
during my first speech we looked at the outstanding support and
behaviour of Abu Talib (a-s) and Sayeeda Khadija (s-a), during the
second speech we looked at the great teachings of freedom from Imam
Hasan (a-s) and how through our love of ALLAH (swt) and a good moral and
ethical behaviour, we may Insha’ALLAH, attain true freedom and a lofty
place in paradise. During the third speech, we looked at the great
sacrifice that was made at Badr in the way of ALLAH (swt) and the
outstanding behaviour and ethics of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww).
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Qur'an
in Sura 42, V 23 tells us in the words of Prophet Muhammad (saw), " I do
not ask you for any recompense for this (communication of the
revelation) except the love of the near kinship." (Mawaddata fil-Qurba).
Asking the believers to love the Prophet and his Ahlulbayt.
In Sura
33 (Ahzab) V.33 there is further elaboration of the Ahlulbayt and their
status.
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Hadeeth Al-Kisaa' (Story of the Cloak)
One day, my dear Father, The Holy Prophet
of Allah (s), came to my house and said to me:
Peace be upon you, O Fatima.
I replied: And upon you be peace.
He said: I feel some weakness in my body.
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Who are the Prophet's AhlulBayt !?
The Holy
Book tells us about the Words of Allah, the Great and Almighty,
concerning them:
" Allah only desires to keep away uncleanness from you, O members of the
House! and to purify you a (thorough purification)." (33:33)
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Wilayah of AhlulBayt (as)
Abul
Qasim Ja'far b. Muhammad - may Allah bless him with mercy, reported to
me from his father, from Sa'd b. Abdillah, from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa,
from Muhammad b. Sinan, from Abdul Karim b. Amru and Ibrahim b. Rahah
al-Basri, who both reported from Mayassar, who reported that:
Abu Abdillah Ja'far b. Muhammad, peace be upon him told him: "What do
you say about a person who does not disobey in what Allah has enjoined
and forbidden, but he disassociates with you and your friends in this
matter (i.e. wilayah of Ahlul Bait)?" I said: "What can I say in your
presence?" He said: "Say, for I command you to speak." I said: "He will
be in hellfire."
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