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“IMAMATE A DIVINE COMMAND”
PART 1
A
discourse by: Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump.
And when it is said to them: Follow what
ALLAH has sent down, they say: “Not that! But we will follow what we
found our fathers upon”. What? Even though their fathers were void of
wisdom and guidance? The parable of those who disbelieve is as the
parable of one who calls; but they hear nothing, except a call and a
cry. Deaf, dumb and blind, so they understand not”.
(The Holy Qur’an 2 Al- Baqarah 170-171).
When we reflect on the above mentioned
verse, we quickly understand some different points about true guidance
and false guidance. In fact, ALLAH (swt) sent this verse as a warning
not to follow blindly, but to use wisdom and understanding to follow the
true guidance of ALLAH Azz wa Jall. Since the creation of man, man has
been a victim of blind imitation of silly superstitions, untruths and
heresies. Just look at how many things and conducts in today’s society
are based on superstitions and corruption. ALLAH (swt) wanted to give
out a warning to the Ummah about falling into the trap of following such
untruths and corruption blindly. In this verse, it even states that
those who turn away from the truth and choose to follow their desires or
the desires of their relatives, friends, leaders, etc. blindly who don’t
have knowledge, are as the beasts who do not understand the true meaning
of existence and follow only the meaningless cries and calls. Our
question is what is the meaning of
“Follow what
ALLAH has sent down”
(The
Holy Qur’an
2-170)
ISLAM IS: PURE PERFECTION
ALLAH Azz wa Jall is one and is the
creator and originator of absolutely everything. That which man knows
and knows not. HE (swt) is above all creation and we are not able to
describe HIM in any way. Since any attempt would be just taking away
from HIS (swt) greatness. HE sent, for our guidance, many prophets
(124,000) and many books of guidance. The seal and the best of them,
the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the last of the prophets and the Holy
Qur’an is the ultimate book of guidance sent to man. In fact, the
Qur’an is such an amazing source of guidance and knowledge, its
perfection even today and forever will never be matched or surpassed.
This same pure and perfect source of guidance and knowledge is also the
heart of our most beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). And for those who do
not want to be one of the misguided beasts we spoke of earlier, but one
who truly follows:
“What ALLAH
has sent down”.
(The
Holy Qur’an2-170)
ALLAH (swt) says:
“O you who believe! Obey ALLAH
and obey the Apostle and those in authority from amongst you”.
(Holy Qur’an 4 Surah An-Nisa 59).
By obeying ALLAH (swt), his apostle
Prophet Muhammad (saww) and those in authority amongst us, then and only
then will we be followers of
“What ALLAH has sent down”.
(The Holy Qur’an 2-170)
WHO ARE THOSE IN AUTHORITY FROM AMONGST US?
“Verily, verily, your guardian is ALLAH and his apostle (Muhammad) and
those who believe, those who establish prayer and pay the poor rate,
while they are (even) bowing down”.
(The
Holy Qur’an 5 Surah Al-Maidah-55)
* (Note:
almost all commentators including those of our Sunni brothers agree that
this verse was revealed about Amirul-Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s)
while in prayer giving away a ring to a beggar).
Both in the Qu’ran and in many Hadiths of
the Prophet Muhammad (saww), mention is made of the very special
position of the Ahle-Muhammad, their undeniable high status and saintety.
ALLAH Tabarak wa Ta’ala revealed in the Holy Qur’an:
“ALLAH intendeth but to keep
off from you (every kind of) uncleanness, O’ye the people of the house
(Ahlul-Bayt) and purify you (with) a thorough purification”.
(The
Holy Qur’an 33-Al-Ahzab-33).
The Prophet (saw) said:
“I am leaving for you a
thing which if you will keep hold of, you will never go astray after me
and those two things which are greater and higher than one another. One
of them is the Book of ALLAH which is a rope drawn from earth up to the
sky and another one is my progeny who are my Ahlul Bayt (a-s). These
two will never separate from one another until they arrive to me on the
Hauz of Kauthar. So just think how you will act for me on their
matter”. (Zaid
bin Arqam – Sahih Tirmidhi).
This same Hadith has been mentioned by
many very reliable sources in both Shia and Sunnah books by correct
narrations. On the last Hajj of the Prophet (saww), ALLAH (swt) sent
down the following revelation:
“Oh Messenger! Deliver what
has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you
have not delivered his message and ALLAH will protect you from the
people; surely ALLAH will not guide the unbelieving people”.
(The
Holy Qur’an Sūrah
5-Al-Maidah-
67).
And what was this extremely important
message that ALLAH (swt) commanded the prophet Muhammad (saww) to
declare to the people? While leaving Mecca, the Prophet (saw) stopped at
Ghadir Khumm and announced this most important message to all Muslims
and he asked the 120,000 Muslims present there to spread the message to
all.
After praising ALLAH Azz wa Jall and gave the above mentioned statement
about 2 weighty things the Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“Do not go ahead of them, for you will be
ruined. Do not fall behind them for you will also be ruined”.
Then
he raised the hand of Ali (a-s) so that everyone could see him: then he
(saww) declared: “ALLAH gave me
wilāyah
(authority) and I am more worthy than the believers and the followers
themselves. Therefore, to whosoever I am his wali (master) and
guardian, Ali is his master and guardian too. O ALLAH! Be the friend of
his friends and the enemy of his enemies. Help anyone who helps him and
punish anyone who rebels against him. Now everyone who is present must
tell those who are absent”.
(Al-Amini:
Al-Ghadir)
Even before the people left that
place, it was revealed to our beloved Prophet (saww) from ALLAH (swt),
“Today I have perfected your religion for
you and I have completed my blessings upon you and I have chosen Islam
as your religion”.
(Holy Qur’an 5-Surah Al-Maidah-3).
Again we must reflect on what we have
spoken about until now: We have seen, that without any doubt, ALLAH Azz
wa Jall is the creator of absolutely everything that possibly exists, HE
(swt) sent to us the Qur’an and the holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) as the
seal and the last of 124,000 prophets and toward the ending of the
mission of the Prophet (saww), ALLAH (swt) commanded the Prophet (saww)
to declare his successor to the entire world. But even throughout our
beloved Prophet’s (saww) holy and sacred mission he (saww) continuously
directed the Ummah towards the love of his (saww) Ahlul-Bayt (a-s).
The
Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“My family to you is like the
Ark of
Noah. Whoever rides on it will be saved and whoever lags behind it will
drown.”
And he
(saww) also said:
“The example of my family to you is like the Gate of Forgiveness of the
Israelites. Whoever enters it his sins will be forgiven and will deserve
mercy and blessings of ALLAH (swt).
(Al-Ghayba:Sheikh Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ibraheem bin Ja’far al-Katib
‘Ibn Abu Zaynab an-Nu’mani.).
And
about Imam Ali (a-s)
the Messenger of
ALLAH (saww) said:
“I am the
master of the first and the last, and you, O Ali, are the master of the
creation after me. I am just like you and you are just like me.”
(Bihar V.12 p.360 H.17, Ghayatol Maram p.450h.14 and 610 h17, Khawarazmi
in Manaqeb p.31 and in Maqtal V.1 p.39, Misbah Al-Anwar p.61).
The
Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“No one has a higher status than Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s) except me .He
is the Imam of my nation; he is my heir; and he is my successor. Those
who follow him are guided to the right path; those who follow anyone
other then Ali (a-s) are lost and have strayed off the right path.
Indeed I am the chosen Prophet. I do not say this about Ali (a-s) from
my own inclination. What I say is nothing but revelation brought by
Jibraeel from ALLAH (swt), who owns everything in the skies and in the
earth, and whatever is between the skies and the earth, and whatever is
under the earth.
(Bihar Al-Anwar v.12 p.361 h31, Ghayatol Maram p.45 h.54, Rowzat
Al-Jannat v.6 p.185).
Logically, ALLAH (swt) in HIS
indescribable perfection surely gave to us the most perfect plan for our
lives here on earth and gave to us the perfect guidance and preparation
for the hereafter. It is very obvious to any rational thinking human
being that ALLAH (swt) would give a clear command on the successor ship
of our beloved Prophet (saww) the seal of the prophets and ALLAH (swt)
did exactly this. Now the question is what went wrong, why did the
Ummah not
“Follow what ALLAH has sent down”
(Qur’an-2-170)?
Insha’ALLAH Ta’ala we
will look at this question and take a closer look at the pure holy
Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and their positions as leaders and guides in the 2nd
part of this discourse.
In
finishing this 1st part, here are some great words to reflect
on: May ALLAH (swt) guide us and protect us. Imam Ali (a-s) said:
“Beware, by God I know how messages have
been sent and how promises have been fulfilled and how his words have
been completed and how for me the reasons developed and how the
ancestors were identified for me and how, apart from this world, I had a
glance at the Angels. The past is not hidden from me, what happened
before me is not away from my knowledge and on the day of witnesses, I
will have no partner in what ALLAH Azz Wa Jall has made me a witness
for. Through me ALLAH will fulfill his promises and complete his
words. I am that blessing that ALLAH (swt) has given to his entire
creation and I am that Islam that HE has chosen for HIMSELF. All this
is HIS favour that HE has on me and has kept on my hands”.
(Kitab
Sulaym
ibn
Qays Al-Hilali Hadith #17).
END
PART 1.
Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump. |