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“IMAMATE A DIVINE COMMAND”
PART 2
A
discourse by: Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump.
The
very important question we left off with at the end of part one was:
why did the Islamic Ummah not “follow
what ALLAH has sent down”
(Qur’an 2-170).
If we know without a doubt exactly what
the command is, then how can we not follow it? Both in the Holy Qur’an
(the book which all Muslims believe fully to be the great miracle of
ALLAH, HIS word and HIS command and undeniable proof), and the Prophet
Muhammad’s (saww) Sunnah (teachings, law), point to Ali ibn Abi Talib
(a-s) as the successor of the Prophet (saww) to all people. Before
we answer this question: Let’s take a closer look at the status of
the Prophet’s (saww) Ahlul-Bayt (a-s).
The
Holy Status of the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s).
The
Prophet (saww) said: “The likeness of
my Ahlul-Bayt amongst my Ummah (followers) is similar to Noah’s
Ark. Those who embarked on it were rescued and those who rejected it
perished….”
(Bihar-Ul-Anwar,
vol. 27 p. 113).
While the holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) was
in a period of illness before he passed away, Lady Fatimah (s-a) got
into a state of crying. Our beloved Prophet (saww) asked:
“Why are you crying?” Lady
Fatimah (s-a) replied: “O
Prophet! Of ALLAH after your death, I am scared of destruction of myself
and my children”. The holy
Prophet (saw) with tears in his eyes said:
“O Fatimah! Don’t you know? We are the people of the household which
ALLAH (swt) has chosen for the hereafter instead of this world and HE
has ordained it necessary for all beings to be destroyed and ALLAH
Tabarak wa T’ala looked at the entire beings that he created and HE
selected me and made me a Prophet and a Messenger (Apostle). Then he
looked again and HE chose your husband (Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a-s)) and
commanded me to marry you to him and that I make him my brother, my
vizier, my wasi (successor) and I made him Khaliph of my Ummah. So your
father is the best amongst all prophets and messengers and your husband
is the best amongst viziers and from all my family, you will be the
first to meet me. Then ALLAH (swt) looked for a third time and HE chose
you and chose eleven men from your children and the children of my
brother (Ali ibn Abi Talib (a-s)) who is your husband. So Oh Fatimah!
You are the leader of the women of paradise and both your sons (Imam
Hasan (a-s) and Imam Hussayn (a-s)) are the leaders of the youths of
paradise and myself and my brother (Imam Ali (a-s)) and the eleven Imams
(a-s) who are my successors till the day of judgement are all guides and
are themselves guided. After my brother amongst all the Asiya
(successors), the first is Hasan (a-s) then second is Hussayn (a-s),
after whom the nine are from Hussayn’s children. All of us will be in
one place in paradise and there will not be any place nearer to ALLAH
(swt) than my place. After my place there will be the place of Prophet
Ibrahim (a-s) and his children. Oh Daughter! Don’t you know that ALLAH
(swt) has given the status that you have been married to the one who is
the best amongst my Ummah and the best of my household? He is the first
one to embrace Islam, possesses the most control over anger than
everyone else, is the most knowledgeable and is more prestigious than
anyone else and is the most truthful in tongue, is the bravest in heart,
most generous in hand and is the least attached to this world and is the
best in action”. (Kitab
Sulaym ibn Qays Al-Hilali, hadith #1).
By
such an eloquent and heart rendering speech, we can easily determine the
high status of Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) on earth until the day of final
judgement.
The holy Prophet (saww) said
“Train your children in
three things: the love of your prophet, the love of his Ahlul-Bayt and
the recitation of the Qur’an”.
(Al-Jami’ul-Saghir,
vol. 1, p. 14).
The messenger of ALLAH (swt) said:
“The stars are the safety for the inhabitants
of the sky and my Ahlul-Bayt is the safety for my Ummah”.
(Quazi
Shustari in Ahqaaqul Haq, vol. 9, pg. 297, Ihya-il Mayyit be Fazaile
Ahle Bayt, hadith 21 Shaykh Jalaluddin Suyuti).
The messenger of ALLAH (saww) said: “By
ALLAH (swt) faith cannot enter the heart of anyone if he does not love
my nearest relatives for the sake of ALLAH (swt) and for the sake of the
nearest relatives”. (Durre
Manthoor and Zakhairul Uqba, Ihya-il Mayyit be Fazaile Ahle-Bayt, hadith
4 Shaykh Jalaluddin Suyuti).
Imam Baqir
(a-s) said: “The best means by which
servants can obtain nearness to ALLAH (swt) is the obedience to ALLAH
(swt), the obedience to his messenger (saw) and the obedience to those
charged with authority”. Then
he (a-s) added: “The love of us
(Ahlul-Bayt) is faith and the hatred of us is infidelity”.
(Al-Kafi,
vol. 1 p.187).
Imam Sadiq (a-s) said:
“Verily, there are various degrees of serving
ALLAH (swt), But affection for us, Ahlul-Bayt is the highest one”.
(Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 27, 91).
The prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “Remain
steadfast on our love, the Ahlul-Bayt. For he who meets ALLAH (swt)
with our love will enter the paradise with our intercession. But He who
controls my soul, a servant of ALLAH (swt) does not benefit from his
deeds except by knowing us and our stature”.
(Al-Amaali-Shaikh
al-Mufid Second Assembly).
The Prophet Muhammad (saww) said:
“O Ali,
whoever hates you, ALLAH (swt) shall cause him to die the death of
infidels, and on the day of Judgement, will ask him to account for his
deeds (also)”.
(Al-Amaali Shaykh al-Mufid #10 eight Assembly).
These are only a very small example of the many more hadiths about the
high status of the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and the importance to love and obey
them. Now back to our question, if following, obeying and loving the
Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) is a Divine Command from ALLAH (swt) as reported by the
Prophet Muhammad (saww) and in the Holy Qur’an (which is the direct
Divine word of ALLAH Azz wa Jall) and now we know that the 12 holy Imams
(a-s) are: “those in authority from
amongst you".
(Holy Qur’an 4-Surah An-Nisa 59).
Then
when and why did the Ummah turn away from HIS command and
in all evidence turn away altogether from ALLAH (swt) the ONE and ONLY
CREATOR of all existence?
WHEN?
Unfortunately, many early historians have
wrongly reported or avoided this question altogether. Most ignored this
issue. (except a few of the truthful and
those who truly searched for the correct answers). The
Animosity and envy shown towards Ali ibn Abi-Talib (a-s) and Lady
Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) and the Ahlul-Bayt was evident even during the
life of Prophet Muhammad (saww). And was not something that developed
during the caliphate of Uthman as most were wrongly guided to believe.
Later researchers and experts of hadiths have found many errors,
mistakes, lies and heresies in those early reports written by servants
of the controlling majority governments, after the death of our beloved
Prophet Muhammad (saww) and they have shown that the teachings of the
Ahlul-Bayt were much more accurate and truthful. From one of the most
trustworthiest writers of hadith Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilali we will find
in the above 2nd Hadith (from:
Kitab-e-Sulaym ibn Qays al-Hilali, hadith #1
please note: that the book that Sulaym
ibn Qays al-Hilali wrote has been read and approved by the first 5 Holy
Imams (a-s) during his lifetime and Imam Sadiq (a-s) the 6th
Holy Imam said: “If anyone from
our Shia and devotees does not have the book of Sulaym Ibn Qays
al-Hilali, then he does not have any of our things , and he does not
know our matters”.
He is being constantly quoted by the great
scholars in history and in present times), that the Holy
Prophet (saww), while being in a period of illness, before his death
asked his beloved daughter the Mistress of all women Fatimah-Az-Zahra
(s-a) why she was crying so profoundly? She answered:
“O prophet of ALLAH! After your death, I am
scared of destruction of myself and my children”. By
this statement, Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) was registering to all that
a large build-up of animosity and hatred against the Ahlul-Bayt was
already well in progress. We must not forget who made this statement.
Our beloved prophet (saww) said the following about his daughter Lady
Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a):
“Surely my daughter Fatimah is the
mistress of all women from the beginning to the end. She is part of me
and the light of my eyes, she is the flower of my heart and is my soul,
Fatimah is a human huri, who whenever she stands in prayers in the
presence of her Lord (exalted in his name), her light illuminates the
skies for the angels, like stars shine to people on the earth”.
(Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 10).
We can also find the following, showing once again from an extremely
reliable source: Shaykh al-Mufid
(Shaykh Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu’man al-Mufid is on
of the most respected Scholar in the history of Islam and is respected
for his accuracy and truthfulness in his reporting of hadiths, as well
please note: that this Hadith originally comes from Lady Zainab bint Ali
ibn Abi Talib (s-a), the pure daughter of Imam Ali (a-s) and Lady
Fatimah Az-Zahra (s-a) and one of the most reliable sources of hadiths
of all times):
When
the opinion of Abu Bakr and his supporters became unanimous about
depriving Lady Fatimah (s-a) from Fadak and she (s-a) lost all hope
about his reconsideration, she (s-a) came to her father’s grave, threw
herself upon it, and grievously complained about the way the people
treated her. And she (s-a) wept, till the earth on the grave became wet
with her (s-a) tears and she (s-a) said in her elegy:
“There have been after you news and incidents were you to witness them,
you would have disapproved them; We missed you, the way a parched land
misses the rainfall, your people are in total disarray, see how they
have reneged. Jibraeel (a-s) used to endear us with the verses of the
Qur’an but after you have hid from us, all good is also concealed; You
were the moon, from whose light people benefited, and upon was revealed
the books-from the Lord Almighty. Men have attacked us and humiliated
us, after the Prophet (saww), and all wealth has been usurped; the
perpetrator of injustices to us will know his fate on the day of
Judgement, where he will finally land. We have come across things which
no one before us, neither from Arabs nor from the Ajam have suffered;
So, we shall continue weeping over you as long as we live, and for as
long as we have eyes which well up with flowing tears.”
(Al-Amaali Shaykh al-Mufid #8 fifth Assembly).
And we can also find from the words of our beloved Prophet Muhammad
(saww):
“What has happened to some people in my Ummah, who become cheerful and
jubilant when Prophet Ibrahim (a-s) and the progeny of Ibrahim are
mentioned to them; but when I and my progeny are mentioned, they detest
it and frown at it! By HE WHO sent me as a truthful Prophet, if a person
dies after having performed the good deeds of 70 Prophets, but he has no
liking for the authority of our Ahlul-Bayt (a-s), ALLAH Azz wa Jall will
not accept his obligatory or voluntary acts of worship”.
(Al-Amaali Shaykh al-Mufid #8 Thirteenth Assembly).
Again this proves that much resentment was shown towards the Prophet
Muhammad (saww) and the Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) even during the lifetime of our
most beloved Prophet (saww).
But
we will look more deeply into this issue in the 3rd part of
this discourse. For now, we only want to confirm that animosity and
jealousy towards the Prophet (saww) and his family was happening much
before the Caliphate of Uthman, and even during the lifetime of our most
beloved Prophet Muhammad (saww). Perhaps more hidden, but after his
death, the veil of the hypocrites fell to the ground to expose their
dirty and evil plan. Now we have no doubt and we now can focus on
why?
WHY?
There are many points that will answer this question. For this
discourse, we will only look at two of them, but we will see many of
these points as examples in the texts of the 3rd part of this
discourse.
Point A – Hypocrisy in the face of the truth:
When the most divine miracle of the holy Qur’an came down to our beloved
Prophet (saww) and the pure, truthful and perfect message of Islam
spread. The people of that time had taken position in three distinctive
groups. The
first group:
The true believers (moomineen) are
those who embraced Islam wholeheartedly and
with true conviction. This
group are unfortunately often the minority and very often obliged to
live in secrecy in certain societies, in order that the truth may
survive throughout time. The true believers are those who occupy the
ranks of this group, in hopes to be ever so closer to ALLAH (swt). Their
true faith and conviction in their hearts are everlasting.
The second group:
The open enemies are those who opposed Islam
openly in hatred and in violence. Many in this group would
finally join those in the third group, since fighting head-on with truth
is a loosing battle. Many of the biggest opponents of Islam, in the
early days who did everything to try to destroy Islam, realised that for
them it was easier to join the Muslims and control the weaker hearted
ones within the ranks. The rest of this group, despite constant losses
stayed on their position to the point that even today later generations
of these movements exist. They make wars against Muslims for no other
reason but hate and the thirst for innocent blood.
The third group:
This is the most dangerous group, they are the
hypocrites. They infiltrate into the Ummah. They befriend
moomineen (true believers) and then betray them. They pretend to
believe (especially when it profits them). They are like a deadly poison
that slowly pours into the blood stream, constantly making victims die a
slow and painful death. Their hearts seek only what profits them. They
are lovers of lofty positions in this temporal life and they will betray
anyone to get this momentary power. They love to be close to the
truthful believers, in order to try to take position and they love to be
in charge of the ignorant in order to spread their social disease. They
are ignorant of their own ignorance. ALLAH (swt) says:
“There are some people who say,
[we
believe in ALLAH and the last day],
but they are not at all believers. They desire to deceive ALLAH and
those who believe, but they deceive only themselves while they do not
perceive. There is a disease in their hearts, so ALLAH added to their
disease”.
(The
Holy Qur’an 2-Al Baqarah 8-10).
And ALLAH (swt) says:
“And when you see
them, their bodies will please you and if they speak, you will be
captivated by their speech; as if they were big pieces of wood clad with
garments”.
(The
holy Qur’an 63–Al-Munafiqun-4).
Imam Sadiq (a-s) said: “The hypocrite
is content to be far from the mercy of ALLAH (swt), because his outward
actions appear to be in line with Islamic laws and yet he is heedless
and ineffective, mocking and transgressing its truthfulness in his
heart”.
(Masbah-Shariat,
section 18).
Point B – The love of power and position:
As Islam grew in size and the message
spread over to far lands, many people around the prophet saw themselves
in high position. Slowly their love for power, dominance and pride
turned their hearts to stone and their interests only to worldly
possessions, but they always tried to hide their true intention in order
not to loose their position of authority. For the love of power is as
dangerous as the love of wealth. Many of the hypocrites jumped at the
chance to control as soon as our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saww) became
ill and his Ahlul-Bayt (a-s)
(those in authority)
(Holy Qur’an 4-59)
turned towards him to care for him. This
was when these hypocrites hungered for power so much that they made the
Saqifa’. (Secret meeting in which certain
men decided to make an agreement to go against the command of ALLAH
(swt) announced by the Prophet Muhammad (saww) about succession)
And turned their backs on the
pledge they made to Imam Ali (a-s) at Ghadir Khum. At that moment, in
the name of their love of position in this life, they totally ignored
the Message of Islam taught to them during the Prophethood of our most
beloved Prophet Muhammad (saww). They turned their backs on the Holy
Qur’an the word and the miracle sent to us from ALLAH (swt). The Book
from which ALLAH Azz wa Jall commands us to follow in order to be guided
to the true straight path that will lead us to the Paradise, ALLAH (swt)
makes that so clear when HE says:
“O you who believe! Obey ALLAH
and obey the apostle and those in authority from amongst you”.
(Holy Qur’an 4-An-Nisa 59).
And these men used any possible way to
get the authority over the Ummah. Sometimes with bribes and sometimes
with force, they pushed the Ummah to go against the divine command: From
that moment all would change. The Ummah were turned away from the
infallibles (who did not possess such
character faults as hypocrisy, envy, jealousy, arrogance, ignorance,
love of this life
[and
its power],
etc.)
and turned towards men who were not the most learned, nor the most
religious, nor the most pious, nor the most truthful, nor the most
caring for humanity. The leadership of Islam at that moment was stolen
away by possessors of ignorance and envy. As we said, there are many
points to why the Ummah did not “follow
what ALLAH had sent down”.
(Holy Qur’an 2-170).
But for reasons, not to make this discourse deviate from its original
purpose, we will end this part here.
(Please note that any act purposely done in order to disobey a command
of ALLAH (swt) is an act of polytheists and not one of a true believer).
In the third and final part of
our discourse: we will show the infallibility of the holy
Imams (a-s), their suffering and that of their Ahlul-Bayt (a-s) and our
duty to follow the present day Imam (a-s). Imam Muhammad ibn Hassan
Al-Mahdi (a-s) (May ALLAH (swt) hurry his advent) in order to live by
the TRUE ISLAM until
his (a-s) re-appearance.
Brother Ali Ja’afary Stump
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