MUSLIM WORLD NEWS. From I.H.S. Correspondents. Election in Vancouver Jamaat. Murder of Øujjatul Isl m `Abdul Maj d al-khu. Toronto Jamaat Elections

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1 MUSLIM WORLD NEWS From I.H.S. Correspondents Murder of Øujjatul Isl m `Abdul Maj d al-khu Hooligans in the shrine of Am r al-mo min n `Al ibn Ab lib (peace be upon him) murdered the son of late Grand yatull h Sayyid Ab l Q sim al-khu on the same Isl mic death anniversary as the elder leader. Øujjatul Isl m Sayyid Abdul Maj d al-khu was killed within a week of returned to Iraq, by possible Ba`thist agents remaining in hiding in the holy sanctuary, on April 9 th, 2003, coinciding with Safar 8 th, 1424 AH. The martyred leader had returned to the city of Najaf to assist in the establishment of a popular government. During the Intifada (uprising) of 1991, at which time the Americans instigated the Sh `a and Kurds to rise against the tyrannical regime of Saddam, only to desert them at the most critical moment, when victory would have been at hand, Sayyid Abdul Maj d was the Governor of Karbal and Najaf. He was a skilled administrator, and demonstrated his leadership abilities as head of the international Im m al-khu Foundation, based in London, following the martyrdom of his elder brother Øujjatul Isl m Sayyid Mu ammad Taq al-khu. Sayyid Mu ammad Taq was also killed at the hands of the `Ir q regime. In a statement issued the same day as the murder, the IHS conveyed condolences to the family of Sayyid Abdul Maj d, his colleagues, and the Im m of the Time (may All h hasten his return) Memorial Week Declared By yatull h as-s st n Many other `Ulam, including the leader of the Isl mic Republic of Iran, yatull h Sayyid `Al Kh mene followed suit and announced similar memorials in their respective areas. Election in Vancouver Jamaat At the Annual General Meeting of the Sh `a Muslim Community of BC, held on Sunday April 27, 2003, the following individual were elected to serve the Jamaat: President: Br. Mahmood Jaffer Vice-President: Br. Mohamed A. Dewji Secretary: Br. Minaz Fazal Joint Secretary: Br. Hasnain R. Dewji Treasurer: Br. Mahmood Merali Joint Treasurer: Br. Jafferali Ladak Mukhi: Br. Hussein Bhojani Committee Members: Br. Hassanali Fazal Br. Mehboob Khaku Ladies Committee results were as follows: Chairlady: Sr. Maher Rashid Treasurer: Sr. Naaz Rashid Mukhiani: Sr. Ashrafbai Devji As some items on the Agenda were not completed at the time of the election, the AGM will resume on Sunday May 11, Toronto Jamaat Elections Members of the Islamic Sh `a Ithna- Asheri Jamaat of Toronto elected a new Executive Committee to serve for the term Below are the names of those who were elected to serve: President: Br. Nazir Gulamhussein Vice-President: Br. GulamAbbas Najafi Secretary: Br. Abbasali Kermalli Treasurer: Br. Shiraz Shariff Mukhi: Br. Raza Kassam Chairlady: Sr. Nargis Vallimohamed Grand yatull h as-sayyid `Al al-øusain as-s st n declared the first week in Rabi` al-awwal, as a mourning period for all the scholars and `Ulam martyred by the brutal regime of Sadd m in `Ir q. Great scholars like yatull h Shah d B qir as-æadr, his respected sister Bint al- Hud, yatull h al-khu, yatull h Gharaw, yatull h Shah d Mu ammad Æ diq as-æadr, Øujjatul Isl m Mu ammad Taq al-khu, Øujjatul Isl m Mahd al-øak m, and countless others have directly or through various agents, been killed by the former `Ir q government. Other candidates who stood for election were Br. Razak Damani, Br. Raza Kaba, Sr. NoorZahra Ebrahim, who was the first lady to stand for election to serve the ISI Jamaat of Toronto. Sr. NoorZahra was also the first female President of NASIMCO. Bridges TV the First Muslim TV Channel Bridges TV, the first Muslim TV channel in North America is set to launch by the Summer of 2004 on both local cable stations and via satellite TV, however they need 10,000 members to convince the American Media to carry this unique TV Channel. YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED! Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June

2 MUSLIM WORLD NEWS From I.H.S. Correspondents The channel will provide family friendly programming and entertainment consistent with the lifestyles of American Muslims. The channel will celebrate the diversity and talents of American Muslims and will build bridges of understanding and friendship with mainstream Americans. Bridges TV is a news and lifestyle channel that will provide sports, news, talk shows, advice, religious, women, history, children, entertainment music, sitcom, dramas, food, travel, movies and comedy programming to American Muslims. With only a $ /month annual membership, you can help bring on air the first Muslim TV channel in North America. With your annual membership, you will receive four FREE movies, including the award winning PBS documentary, Mohammad: Legacy of a Prophet. These movies alone are worth over $ For more information on this exciting new venture, log on to or write to them at: Bridges TV 3900 Teachers Lane, Suite Six Orchard Park, NY Fax: Tel: info@bridges.tv MYA Release Audio CD for Muharram, 1424 A.H. Followers and adherents of the Ahlul Ba t (peace be upon all of them) around the world gathered in their localities during the months of Mu arram and Æafar to commemorate the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet Im m Øusain ibn `Al (peace be upon him) and his loyal companions and friends. On the heels of these commemoration ceremonies which climaxed with the observance of Arba` n-e-øusain or the 40 th day after the murder of al-øusain, the Muslim Youth Association ( in co-operation with the Isl mic Humanitarian Service ( and Al-Fat Al-Mub n Publications ( mubin.org) released their first ever Audio CD entited, The Message of Kerbala. This 7 track CD featured Nawha and the Maqtal or narrative of the tragedy that befell the family of the Prophet (peace be upon all of them) on the plains of Kerbala in the year 61 A.H recited in English with Arabic by Al-Ø jj Usama Al-Attar presently residing in California. Copies of this CD are still available for $10.00 which goes towards production and to fund youth ventures by the MYA. A second CD is also available that contains just the tragedy of Kerbala without the Nawha (taken from the Majaalis of this year) and runs 80 minutes for the same price of $10.00 Orders can be forwarded to ihs@primus.ca or muslimyouth.ca. Islamic Marriage Guidebook With the coming of the summer season, the number of marriages that take place within the Muslim community increase many fold. In order for the newly married couple to know the rights and responsibilities that they each possess, they must refer to the books of Isl mic guidance which will instruct them as to what All h (Glorified and Exalted is He) expects from each of them. It is for this reason that the Isl mic Humanitarian Service has published an 16 page booklet entitled the Islamic Marriage Guidebook. Found within the pages are the following articles: 1. The Religion of Al-Isl m and Marriage 2. Marriage in the Qur n and the Sunnah of the Prophet 3. The Age of Marriage 4. Marriage & Morals in Isl m 5. Preconditions to the `Aqd of the Marriage 6. The Marriage `Aqd (Contract) 7. The Wedding Night and Its Etiquette 8. The First Two Years : A Marriage Survival Guide 9. Opinion of the `Ulama in relation to Marriage Copies of this publication are available from any office of the Isl mic Humanitarian Service for a requested donation of $2.00 $ each. In addition, the entire booklet can be viewed in PDF format at and Win a new Isl mic Humanitarian Service Publication! Would you like to win a new publication by the Isl mic Humanitarian Service? Go to page 20 of this issue of al- Øaqq Newsletter and correctly complete the crossword puzzle. When you are finished, cut out the page (or photocopy it) and mail it to our Editorial Address (found on the Editorial Page). The first 7 CORRECT, completed entries will be sent one of the new Isl mic Humanitarian Service publications. Entries must be received by August 1 st, Good luck! 2 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

3 & & & 2003 / 1423 & 1424 CALENDAR WITH ISLAMIC DATES IN NORTH AMERICA ISLAMIC DATES BEGIN AT SUNSET THE PRECEDING EVENING January Shawwal/Dh /Dhul ul-qa'dah S M T W T F S ZQ February Dhul Qa'dah/Dh Dhul Hijjah S M T W T F S ZH March DHJ/MHM 1423/1424 S M T W T F S MU April Muharram/Safar S M T W T F S SF May Safar/Rabi-I S M T W T F S RA A June Rabi-I/Rabi I/Rabi-II II S M T W T F S ?? RT July Jumada-I/Jumada I/Jumada-II II S M T W T F S JO JT 2 August Jumada-II/Rajab S M T W T F S RJ 2 September Rajab/Sha'ban S M T W T F S SB October Sha'ban/Ramadhan an S M T W T F S RM November Ramadhan/Shawwal an/shawwal S M T W T F S T 29 EF December Shawwal/Dh Dhul Qa'dah S M T W T F S ZQ Σ Ω Σ Κς ΘΩ Ξ Ψ Ν Σ Ψ πℵ ΩΤ ð ΩΤ Σ ΨΘ ΩΤ < Σ ÿπψÿ ð Ψ.ς χ& Σ Σš δ Ω ΩΤŠ Κς : Ω Ψ ð Κς Ω γ.ωηττω ΥφΤΤ Ω ς Ω Ω ΩΤÿ ðϑψ/ γˆητωτψ{ I _ Ω Ω Ω Ω ΩΤ < ðϑψ/ ΩŸ Ψ Ψ Σϑ Τ Ω ϑðÿψ ΘΩ ΜΞ (36) Ω κψ ΠςΣ < Ω Ω ϑðω/ ΘΩ Κς Νϖ Σ ς Ω Ρ ΩΤ ΣΤ ΨΗΤΩ ΣΤÿ Ω Ω{ ΠςΤ : Ω{ φκψ{ξ πτ Σ < Ν ΣΤ ΨΗΤΩΤ Ω Surely the number of months with All h are twelve months in the Book of All h from the day that He created the heavens and the Earth. Of these months, four are sacred. (This is part of the law) of the religion. So then, do not commit injustice against your souls during the sacred months but fight all the polytheists (if they fight you in the sacred months), just as they fight against all of you (during the sacred months). And know that All h is with the pious ones. ( S rah Al-Tawbah (9) Verse 36) Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June _ ΠςΤ : Ω{

4 Human Development In the Light of Morality Lesson 6 Self-Deception and Egotism O ne of the most dangerous attributes that is commonly seen amongst most people even the scholars and sages - is egotism. It is that same selfcenteredness which the great teachers of ethics and morals have written so much about that they themselves are plagued with this disease! Egotism means that a person thinks himself to be great due to his material attainments - be those actual virtues that he possesses or those which are a figment of his imagination. Some have said: Egotism is that a person, due to whatever attributes or blessings he has, thinks that he is great and becomes unmindful of the One who granted everything to him. It is such people who do not consider it self-deceit and egotism though he considers his self to be better than others. In addition, it is Ujb (Egotism) even if there is none besides one that he can boast over. Contrary to this, in the case of pride, it is necessary that there is someone else, so that the proud person may be able to imagine himself to be better than that other person. The late `All mah Majlis (may All h be pleased with him) has said: Ujb means to imagine one s deeds as great and to be pleased with them in such a way that he does not consider himself to be at fault rather, he thinks that he has obliged All h! It can be said that there are stages or grades of self-deceit and egotism and it is not necessary that the egotist must have crossed all the stages. Thus, it has been mentioned in an authentic narration by `Al bin Suwed, from M s ibn Ja`far a that: I inquired about the deed called `Ujb. The Imam a said: Some of the stages of it are that a bad deed appears good to a person; he considers it nice and becomes happy with it and thinks that he has done a good thing. (S rah al-kahf, Verse 104) One of the stages is when man believes in All h i and imagines that he has done a favour to All h i, whereas the truth is that All h i has favoured him. (S rah al- Øujur t, Verse 14) In short, it can be said that it is Ujb when man becomes happy with himself - and this is the very first stage of egotism. from this stage and man begins to imagine himself to be better than others. Sometimes it so happen that he imagines that as a result of some of his good deeds, he has acquired some rights over All h i and we see that the scholars have explained this subject from various aspects. There are many narrations in this matter. mention three of them: Here, we 1. Im m as-æ diq a has said: Whoever is taken over by egotism is finished. 2. It is narrated either from Im m as-æ diq a or Im m al- B qir a that: Two men enter into a Masjid. One is a worshipper and the other is a sinner. Then they leave the Masjid in such a condition that the sinner becomes a Mo min and the worshipper turns into a sinner. The reason is that the worshipper entered the Masjid happily taking pride in his worship and thinks only about it whereas the sinner feels very ashamed of his misdeeds and seeks All h s pardon. 3. The Holy Prophet e has said: The Lord Almighty addressed Prophet Daw d a: O Daw d! Give good tidings to the sinners and warn the truthful and righteous. Daw d said: How can I give good tidings to the offenders and warn the pious? The commandment came: O Daw d! Give good news to the sinners that I accept repentance and forgive sins and caution the truthful that they should not be self-centered due to their good deeds because there is no slave who is called for giving the account of his deeds and he is not destroyed. Now that we know that egotism is prohibited from the viewpoint of traditions, let us discuss some other aspects of it: 1. Worldly and other than worldly harms of ujb. 2. What are the signs of ujb? 3. How can it be cured? From the viewpoint of the worldly life, the harms and corrupting effects of egotism are many. We point out four of them that have been mentioned in the narrations: A) Ujb means self-centeredness or egotism. Once a person develops this evil, he is no more prepared to obtain any benefit from the centres of knowledge or from knowledgeable people since he imagines himself to be at their level and sometimes even above them! Due to this, he drags behind in scholarly achievements or in the progress of knowledge. He remains in a state of multiple ignorance, forever. Most of us possibly know a group of them (people such as this) and in the words of our dear leader of the Isl mic Revolution, Im m Khumayn (may All h be pleased with Sometimes pride and self-centeredness also branch out him) which he had uttered in one of his final addresses to 4 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

5 the students, he stated: Honourable students! Learn lessons before your age advances and your turbans expand, because then it is likely that you may not be ready to attend study circles and benefit from them, even though sometimes man knows that the lesson is beneficial for him. The master of the monotheists `Al ibn Ab lib a says: Egotism prevents progress of knowledge. (Bi r al- Anw r, Vol. 73, Page 316) He a has also said: Self-centerdness corrupts ones intelligence. (Ibid., Page ) B) It is but natural that egotism makes a person unpleasant among the people who become displeased with him and do not care for him. It is for this reason that referring to this, the Imam a has said: One who is pleased with himself makes many people angry with him. (Ibid.) Yes, it must be said that egotism, in every meaning of the word is a harmful ignorance. Im m as-æ diq a says: No ignorance and foolishness is more harmful than egotism. (Ibid.) C) Egotism takes man away from the reality and consequently, he is not able to benefit from good deeds. As an example, once Prophet `Is a was traveling with one of his companions. When they reached the seashore, `Is a, with full faith in the Lord of the worlds, uttered the name of All h i and began to walk on the water. The youth accompanying him also took the name of All h with full faith and walked on the water likewise. But during the walk on the sea, egotism took over the youth so he said to himself proudly: Now how is `Is superior to me? At the very moment that he entertained this thought, he went down in the water. Prophet `Is a saved him and said: This happened due to egotism in you. If you repent then you will return to your earlier condition. The youth repented and gained his earlier status. D) An egotist fails and will fail because the Holy Qur n says in regards to the unbelievers: Whatever is in the Heavens and whatever is in the Earth declares the Glory of All h, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. He is who caused those who disbelieved of the followers of the Book to go forth from their homes at the first banishment; you did not think that they would go forth, while they were certain that their fortresses would defend them against All h; but All h came to them whence they did not expect, and cast terror into their hearts; they demolished their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers; therefore take a lesson, O you who have sight! (S rah al-hashr (59), Verse 2) The Harms of Egotism in the Next World Egotism makes our deeds meaningless. The noble Qur n says: Say: Shall we inform you of the greatest losers in their deeds? These are they whose labour is lost in this life and they think that they are well-versed in skill of the work of hands. (S rah al-kahf (17), Verse 103) And again, the Qur n says: What! Is he whose evil deed is made fair seeming to him so much so that he considers it good, like the one who sees the truth? (S rah al-f ßir (35), Verse 8) Yes, those who think in this way destroy their good deeds, in a way, by casting favour. Therefore, the Noble Qur n says: O you who believe! Do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his property to be seen of men. (S rah al-baqarah (2), Verse 164) We conclude this discussion with a narration from Im m as-æ diq a where he said: Egotism is a plant, the seed whereof is unbelief, and its ground is hypocrisy, and its water is oppression, and its branches are foolishness, and its leaf is waywardness, and its fruit is condemnation, and dumping in Hell. So whoever adopts egotism has cultivated and sown the see of blasphemy and its cultivation will be discord and know that they are bound to get this fruit. (Bi r al-anw r, Vol. 76, Page ) Signs of Ujb Obviously the sign of egotism is that one considers oneself better than others and in the words of the noble Qur n: Nay! Man is evidence against himself, though he puts forth his excuses. (S rah al-qiy mat (75), Verse 14-15) And likewise Im m as-æ diq a said: One who does not recognize the personality of others, is the one who is an egotist. (Bi r al-anw r, Volume 72, Page ) To be continued in the next issue of al-øaqq Newsletter Subscription to Al-Øaqq Newsletter is FREE and open to all who are interested. Donations are encouraged to help offset the cost of printing and distributing this newsletter to over 1000 homes per issue. Donations can be forwarded to our HEAD OFFICE. To be included on our mailing list, simply fill in the bottom portion or us your particulars to ihs@primus.ca. Name: Address: City, State/Province: Country: Zip/Postal Code: Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June

6 The Great Illusion Written by Br. Jibreel Æabr Mahd :( ). Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) has said: (The prison) is a graveyard for the living, the dwelling of sadness, the place of trials for the truthful (person) and the place of malicious joy for the wicked. W hat beautiful words to ponder upon for the incarcerated man s enlightenment one who wishes to re-discover himself. Locked away in a cell twenty-three sometimes twenty-four hours a day - with only daily prayers, meditation and self-reflection. I find myself reaching a stage wherein my life is being played back before me. During this process, I ve been able to re-discover the real me and what I thought was, felt and appealed to be me, which was actually an illusion and deception - a great injustice upon myself. Now seeing my father Adam a and mother Eve d crying out from the garden: ΩΤ ς Ψ πττ ΩΤ ψπς ΜΞ Ω (23) Ω ÿξ Ψ ΗΤΤΩ< Ω Ψ ΩΤ Ω Σ ςκ : ΤΩΤ ς ðℵ ΩΤ ΘΩΤŠΩ ΘΩ ΩΤ Ρ ΩΤ ς ΩΤ Ωš ΩΤΩ Our Lord, Indeed we have wronged ourselves and if Thou doth not forgive us and have mercy, we are sure to be the losers. (S rah al- A`r f (7), Verse 23) There is no greater injustice than not knowing yourself. I am no guru or sage by any means - I am simply and merely conveying my experience thus far. To the losers: there is no greater injustice than not knowing yourself. Guru or sage, no! Not by any means! It is my Lord conveying the experience, realizing that He is allowing me to see myself in stages - as I really truly am. Now, finding I don t like what I am seeing, looking at the real me is a very bitter experience. The regret is so intense, that I don t know if I can handle it. However, it is far better for me to remove these veils of illusion now in this life, rather than have them removed from me at the time of death, when I enter into the next world where things are so intense and there are no veils to hide my shame. I remember, for this reason Prophet Mu ammad e has said: People are asleep. When the die, they wake up. This means that (at the time of death), all of the internal and external distractions are gone and only then can the realization of the self take place. Therefore, it is better to face it (the soul) and work to perfect it (the soul) now while there is still cover over top of it. Essentially, one of the characteristics of the human being is that we are inherently idealists and lovers of perfection. I am always working for external perfection - my hair, body, clothes, etc WHY?? Because this is where my spirit is being drawn; because of my knowledge of external things and a strong desire for them. I ve forgotten as my father Adam and mother Eve forgot - to perfect and maintain perfectly my internal spiritual being and I can only truly do this in one way - the constant remembrance of my Lord All h i. Surely, turning my attention away from Him for even one moment is straying (away from Him). This is unquestionably what my father Adam a and mother Eve d forgot that caused their fall. My Lord is all perfect and created everything perfect and leads to perfection, because only that which is perfect in and of its self can dwell in the presence of my all perfect Lord - only a perfect self can dwell with a perfect Self. My Prophet Mu ammad e was perfect, my Im ms were also perfect. The Prophet Jesus said in the Bible, Be ye also perfect - Al amdulill h (peace be upon them all). I must work to perfect my self with the help of my Lord - by All h i - the Lord of the Worlds. There is no greater illusion, greater deception, greater pride, greater arrogance and greater ignorance than one believing that this task is impossible when our Lord has informed us that we have a perfect example in the Holy Prophet e and his Ahlul Ba t c. Should my Lord would never leave me without a living proof upon the Earth yet expect perfection from me? Surely this is an injustice and far be it for my Lord to be unjust. m n, m n, m n 6 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

7 Muslim Family Ethics A Series of Lectures by yatullah al-`u m Ø jj Sha kh Øusayn Maz her from the book Family Etiquette Within the House. Part V in a Series of Continuing Articles Summarized and Translated by Saleem Bhimji Sins Becoming Common Place in the Home O ne of the things that prevents the Divine Blessings (Barak h) of All h i from entering the home and blessing its inhabitants is the performance of sins. As we know, sins can be broken up into various categories from one point of view we have the major sins and the minor sins. We do not wish to discuss these categories at this point in time, rather, we will mention that there is also another category of sins: those which are continuously performed and those which are not. Sometimes we see that - may All h i protect us - a person performs a sin such as lying. We know that this is a very bad act and that one must ask All h i for forgiveness immediately and one must make amends for this sin. However sometimes we see that a person performs a sin on a continuous basis for example he lies every day. Every day he backbites other people; every day he spreads untruths about others; every day he oppresses other people these sorts of continuous sins are very dangerous so dangerous in fact that the noble Qur n has stated: Then the eventual outcome of those people who were evil-doers was terrible, since they used to belie the signs of All h and used to mock them. (Surah ar-rum (30), Verse 10) Those people who are habituated to committing sins should realize that by this act of theirs, they will lose everything around them such that they will even reach to a stage in their life where they will think that even the Mimbar and Mi r b and the Muslim Scholars are some sort of made up thing (trivial) and will even belie them! Im m Ja`far as-æ diq a has said in many a dith that if a person commits a sin, a black dot is imprinted on his heart. If he asks for forgiveness for his sin, then that black dot is removed, however if he does not ask All h i for forgiveness and performs a second sin, then that black dot increases in size and the blackness of his continuous sinning would reach to a point that his entire heart will become covered in blackness. It is from this point that there is no way to return back to All h i. Therefore, we humbly request everyone that there should be no sins that come into your life and if you fall into sin, then you must immediately make up and repent for that sin - you must make sure that there are no sins in your life whatsoever. There is also another division of sins which is that there are certain sins whose effect penetrates within the person, such as looking at a non-ma ram with a lustful glance and as we know, such a look brings about a sexual excitement in the person. Other sins such as backbiting another person or lying even if done just one time - create such an pleasure within the person. However sometimes the attraction to sin goes deep into the soul of the person and becomes an imposing presence in the soul and thus, the sin becomes one which is continuously performed. If the sin becomes engrained in the soul of the person, then this is the worst type of sin that can happen, since it is possible that a person who just commits a particular sin on a regular basis can be successful in asking All h i for forgiveness, however once the sin takes on an imposing presence within the person, then it is very difficult to ever ask for forgiveness for such a sin. Bad Øij b A Means of Spreading Corruption It has been seen that sometimes a woman goes to a wedding party and is not wearing the appropriate ij b, however she herself notices and realizes this act and knows that not wearing the appropriate ij b is not right. When the wedding program finishes, she repents for her sins, cries for her error and thus, develops an inner sense of remorse. However another time it is possible that this bad ij b of hers continues on and on until it becomes her custom to wear it in the incorrect manner. It may be that such a woman has modesty and if she was to hear about adultery taking place, then she would become very upset about this. If she heard that a woman committed adultery or had relations out of marriage, then she would scold and reprimand that woman for doing such a vile act, however this same woman has actually committed an act that is worse than adultery and fornication meaning that she may All h i protect us has gone out of her house with her beauties displayed to other men. She has beautified Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June

8 herself with make up, has put on a blouse with short sleeves and pants that show her body and then she goes out in the streets, goes out shopping and passes her time talking and joking with the people in the stores she goes to this is actually worse than adultery and fornication and this is clear from the point of view of the Qur n, since she is actually spreading corruption and sins, and one of the biggest sins that we have is to spread corruption and evil. Surely those who love to spread corruption among those who believe for them is a painful punishment, both in the world (of this life) and in the next life. (S rah an-nur (20), Verse 19) Those people who love that corruption should spread, they love that they should be the ones who spread it for example a young man who loves to look at non-ma ram women, or that business man who is always talking and joking with non-ma ram women and they too talk and joke with him the Qur n mentions that this sort of loving of the spread of corruption is actually accompanied by two forms of punishment one that takes place in this world that we are living in and the other is in the next life when he or she will be sent into the pits of the hell fire. The act of spreading corruption in itself is much greater and worse than sin itself, just like giving a person into adultery is a greater sin that actually performing the adultery yourself and it is so great that it is actually been mentioned in the Qur n that:... and those who do so have perpetrated a grave sin. (S rah al-furqan (25), Verse 68) her distance from the men working there, she begins to talk, laugh and giggle with them. The Qur n states that this type of sin is the worst sin of all. Sometimes we see that a woman may be very pious, very modest, however the need to perform sins has penetrated into her heart, such that it has become common for her to walk out of her house without covering properly. She has become accustomed to going in the presence of non-ma ram men. She has become accustomed to sitting with her husband s brother and spends time talking to him, joking with him, dressing up while she is in front of him and showing him her beauties even as much as her upper arms, legs, feet are all kept open while in his presence and this has become common and easy for her and this is one of the greatest dangers. Thus people who have become like this must immediately repent for their sins and make amends to All h i for what they have done. Am r al-mo min n `Al ibn Ab lib a said to his companion A bagh ibn Nab tah, A time will come upon the Ummah of the Prophet Mu ammad e where a woman will come out of her house with clothing that will show her body ( ) [she will be clothed, but will still be naked]. The Im m a then continued, That time, is the period of trails and tribulations and it is these sorts of women who will go to the hell fire and will stay there for-ever and this is where they must stay. Sisters must be careful that when they leave the house they cover their body, including wearing socks so that their feet even are not shown. If you have a shirt on with short sleeves, then when you want to go out of the house, you must make sure that you either change your shirt or cover your arms to make sure they are not showing. When you go shopping and want to take something from the hand of the cashier or wish to take your change, make sure that you maintain your modesty. Those people that either help others perform adultery or perform adultery themselves must go to hell and must One of the apparent characteristics of a Muslim woman is stay there for infinity and in the hell fire, they will be the that she is one with a dignified character and displays a lowest of people. It has been mentioned in the a d th that sort of pride in the presence of non-ma ram men. One of the private parts of a person who either assist others in the signs of a believing woman is that when she is in the performing adultery or performs adultery themself will presence of non-ma ram men, she is serious and does not give off such a putrid smell in the hell fire that this smell smile or joke around. will actually bug others who are in the hell! However that which is even more severe than helping or performing The late Shaykh Kulayn (may All h be pleased with him) adultery yourself is to spread sins and corruption. By this narrates a ad th in al-k f that Im m as-æ diq a said, If a we mean that the woman who goes out of her house with woman jokes around in a sexual manner with a nonher body showing, who has beautified herself and has Ma ram man, then the punishment for this joking will be worn seductive clothing with short sleeves, and goes out for her to spend 100 years in the hell fire. around non-ma ram men and walks around the city like this, and creates bad thoughts in the heads of others. Such a woman would walk into a store and instead of keeping To be continued in the next issue of al-øaqq Newsletter etter Next Issue Part VI: Backbiting and False Accusations 8 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

9 Tafs r of the Holy Qur n S RAH AL-MULK Written by a Group of Scholars under the supervision of yatull h al-`u m al-ø jj ash-shaykh N ir Mak rim Sh r z Translated from Tafs r-e-namuna (Vol. 24) by Saleem Bhimji ] [PART IV IN THE SERIES OF TAFS R OF THIS S RAH] In the Name of All h, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [ Continued from our last Installment ] T here are some scholars and scientists who have said that the Earth has fourteen different movements of which, three are related to movements within its self; the movement of the Earth around the sun; the movement of itself in relation to the solar system with the stars. These movements take place at a magnificent speed yet so calm and tranquil that until that time when it was indisputably proven that the Earth moves, no one would have believed that it is constantly in motion! From another point of view, the movement of the Earth is not so harsh or rough that it would be impossible to live on this planet, nor is it so slow or measured that we could not have peace and tranquility while living on it rather, it has been made completely subservient for mankind to live upon it. If for example a majority of the land on the Earth were so porous that everything sank into it or if the land of the Earth were as fine and soft as sand such that man would be up to his knees if he were to walk on it, or if the land of the Earth were to be like sharp rocks, such that if a person were to walk a short distance, he would be injured and bruised, then would it make sense for us to be placed upon this Earth which is not calm or tranquil!? A third point to mention is that the distance from the Earth to the Sun is not so close that due to the intense heat, everything would burn up; nor is it so far away that it would cause everything to die due to the extreme cold. As well, the air pressure on the Earth is such that it facilities life for the humans on it and it is not so much that it would cause its inhabitants to suffocate, nor is it so little that would make all the people scatter around. The gravity of the Earth is not so much that our bones would break from its pressure, nor is it so little that by the smallest movement, a person would move from his place and float off into the atmosphere! In summary, from every point of view that we look at it, the Earth has been made subservient and submissive to man. It is interesting to note that after All h i describes the Earth as being subservient to mankind, He then commands man to walk through its valleys. We know that the word is the plural of the word which is in the meaning of flat terrain or raised ground. Thus, it is said that mankind should walk through the land and thus, he will find the ground to be so calm and stable that he is able to keep his balance will traversing. At the same time, it is mentioned that until a person does not travel through the land and does not strive, he will not be able to benefit from the blessings that the ground and the Earth have to offer. The word used in this verse (Verse 15) which is is also a word that is quite comprehensive and meaningful such that it can and does refer to all types of food that come from the ground whether it be animals, plants or minerals (salt, etc.,). However, we should know that all of these things are not the ultimate purpose for the creation of mankind - rather, these are all methods or techniques through with we reach to the or the ultimate raising up after we are dead on the Day of Judgement for the permanent life. [Verse 16] (16) Σ Σ ΩΤ ƒγ Ω ΜΞ ΩΤ ð Κς Σ Ρ ΨŠ Κς Ψ : Ω ϑð I ΘΩ Σ Ψ ςκ ƒ Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June ð Ψ µ µð Do you feel secure that the One in the heavens will not cause you to sink into the Earth when it is violently shaking? After mentioning the blessings and good tidings, we then move onto the warnings and admonitions of All h i when He has asks the people if we feel safe or secure that the One in the heavens would not cause us to sink down into the Earth when it begins its violent shaking? Surely if He i gives the command to the calm, peaceful, subservient Earth, then the ground would start to shake and tremble and turn itself like a wild animal. If he gives the command, then earthquakes would start which would form large holes in the Earth wherein the houses and cities would collapse into themselves and into these holes and other such frightful things would happen. It is possible that the words in this verse that state may be referring to the fact that All h i is able to give the

10 command to the Earth that it should open up and take all of us within Herself and that we should be moved from one place to another within the Earth such that not even the graves would be safe from this movement! The use of the term or the One who is in the heavens is in reference to the pure essence of All h i who controls all that is in the heavens not to mention all that is on the Earth. Some of the commentators of the Qur n have mentioned that this refers to the Angels of All h that are in the heavens and are responsible for carrying out His commands. [Verse 17] ð Τς Ω Σ ς ΩΩ ΩΤ _ΤΤ Ψ Ωš Ρ ς Ω ΩΨ Σÿ Κς Ψ : Ω ϑð I ΘΩ Σ Ψ Κς Κς (for All h i) is to have a glance at the previous generations! Therefore, in this verse under discussion we are told that those who lived before us disbelieved and belied the signs of All h i and His messengers, however, take a look at the punishment that All h i had promised them! All h i had destroyed one group of people through earthquakes; another group was annihilated through strong winds; and yet another group of people was removed from this Earth through a flood combined with winds and complete cities were removed and demolished. Their destruction is a lesson for all of us to learn. 1 [Verse 19] (17) Ξ ÿψϒωτ ΠςΜΞ ΘΩ ΣΡ Ψ Σÿ Ω &Ω π Ψπ ΩΤÿΩ ξœητπς Τ;ΗΤΤΩ ψσωτπ ΩΤ Ξ κϑð ς ΞΜ Ν Ω Ωÿ ψς ΩΚς Do you feel secure that the One in the heavens will not strike you with a sandstorm? You will soon know, with the coming of the torment, how serious Our warning was. All h i then says that it is not necessary that an earthquake should strike us, rather, He is able to command the winds to attack. Therefore, do we think that we would be safe from the power of All h i if He was to command the sky to strike the creations with fine rocks, burying us all in a pile of stones? He i continues by saying that soon shall we know how His warning and punishment is! It is very easy for a person who has seen fine sand being blown by the wind to understand the meaning of this verse since the word in this verse is in the meaning of a wind which makes small pieces of rock (sand) to move on their own, from one place to another place. People who understand this know that it is possible that at any time, their houses or the area where they live can be encompassed and buried over with these tiny rocks and sand or even a caravan that is in the middle of the desert on a trip can easy be buried! (19) ε κψ±ωτš Ψ> πω ΘΞΡ ΨŠ ΙΣΠς ΜΞ & Σ ΗΤΩ šθω Did they not see the birds above them, stretching out, and flapping their wings? No one keeps them up in the sky except the Beneficent (All h). He certainly watches over all things. They should look at the birds above them! The beginning verses of this S rah discussed the power and guardianship of All h i in relation to the seven heavens, stars and planets. However this verse centres around the discussion of the power of All h i in relation to one of the creations which looks small in relation to the universe, by asking the people that do they not see the birds (flying) above them, stretching and flapping their wings? 2 These birds who have heavy bodies are in actuality going against the laws of gravity and have soared off the ground into the sky and with great ease maintain their flight for hours and sometimes weeks and months without end! They fly one behind the other in a fast, continuous path without facing the least bit of difficulties. [Verse 18] (18) Ξ κψ ΩΤ Ω ς ð ς ΩΤ ΞΨ ΩΤ Ψ Ω ÿψϒπς ð Πςϒς ŸΤΩ ς Ω Those who lived before them had also rejected Our warning, and how terrible was Our retribution! In reality, the above verse points to the fact that the punishment that the previous generations faced was not only limited to the chastisement on the Day of Judgement, rather, in this world too, they would face the punishment of All h i by way of the shaking of the Earth or the fast winds; and through these acts, He is able to bring their lives to a close. The best way to show that this is possible 1 The word used in this verse is in the meaning of denying or rejecting something and in this verse it is used as a sarcastic remark from All h in relation to the eventual end (of a community or people) who deny All h. It should be noted that the original word in this verse is just as the original word used in place of the word is where the at the end has been omitted and the Kasrah at the end is put in place of the dropped letter. 2 The word used in this verse is the plural of the word and thus, the verb and their attribute is mentioned in the plural as well where as some people have thought the word to be the singular which goes against that which is accepted by the scholars of the Language. 10 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

11 During flight, some of these birds simply keep their wings spread out () and thus it can be said that through some hidden force or energy, they are able to keep moving; there are other birds who are continuously flapping their wings (it is possible that the word in this verse is in reference to this). There are also other birds that flap their wings for some time and then keep them spread out and continue in this way. The fourth type of birds, are those which flap their wings for a period of time to build up speed and when they reach the desired pace, then they spread open their wings and then dive into the ocean of air that surrounds them! In summary, although we see that all birds fly, however, each one has its own method of flight. Who is it that created these birds in this way that with great ease, they are able to fly in the air? Who is it that has given this strength and power to the wings of these birds and has taught them the method of flight, especially in those difficult flights in which a group of birds travel from one location to another? Such a trip sometimes lasts months and may span thousands of kilometers by birds that are completely aware of the landscape and makeup of many different countries including the mountains, valleys, jungles, rivers which they must pass through in order to reach their destinations. Truly, who is it that has taught them all of this?? Therefore, in the end of this verse, we are told that no one keeps them up in the sky except the Beneficent All h i. He certainly watches over all things! It is He i who has left the various powers and energies at their disposal so that they can fly! Yes, it is All h i, the Merciful, whose general mercy covers all of His creations and even that which is necessary for the birds, is granted unto them. The Protector of the birds who are in the sky is the same Protector that guards the creations on the Earth and if He i ever decides that the birds are not permitted to fly, then their energy would be taken away and they would not find any place to rest not even the Earth. It is possible that the two words used in this verse of and or wings which are spread out and those which are constricted are referring to the various types of birds in existence, or it may refer to the various states that one single bird may go through during flight. 3 3 Seeing as how the word is used as an adjective to describe the birds and the word used in this verse is a verb of the present tense, it is possible that these have been used in this manner since the wings being straight is a monotonous program where as the opening and closing of the wings in flight is a In relation to the greatness of the world of birds and the amazing act of their flight, we have gone into more detail in Volume 11 of Tafs r Namunah, from pages 338 to 341 (under verse 79 of S rah al-nahl). In the following verse, this meaning is alluded to that the disbelievers have no power or strength in opposition to the power of All h (Glorified and Exalted is He). & Ξ ΗΤΩ šθω ψσ{σ Σ± ΩΤÿ [Verse 20] continuous motion (Pay attention to this point). sentence would remain incomplete. (Pay attention to this point) Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June Ξ ΜΞ Ξ Σ ΨΘ ψρ Πς βÿ Σ ΩΣ ΨϒΠς ΩϒΗΤΩ ΘΩ ςκ (20) ] Σ ΣΤ I ΠςΜΞ Ω Σ Ψ ΗΤς < Do you have any armies who will help you against the Beneficent (All h)? The disbelievers are certainly deceived (by satan). 4 In this verse, one point which has been alluded to is that the disbelievers have absolutely no power or help in the presence of All h i and we see this by Him questioning (a rhetorical question) the disbelievers if they possess armies who would be able to help them against the Beneficent All h i? Not only will they not be able to help the disbelievers in any way when they are faced with difficulties, rather if He wishes, He can actually have them be responsible for the punishment and destruction of the disbelievers. Is it not that the earth, water, wind, and fire have been put at our disposal and for us use and are the pillars of life? However, it is possible that All h can use these same things to destroy nations who are proud and haughty. Also, in our own present history, many examples can be seen in which people rose up against the most loyal and faithful super powers and the call for the death of their leaders was then raised! However, the disbelievers are prey to nothing more than pride and vanity. The curtains of arrogance and ignorance have been stretched over their hearts and they have not been given the permission to perceive and learn the outcome of the lessons that have been recorded on the pages of history. To be continued in the next issue of al-øaqq Newsletter 4 The word used in this verse is a joining particle while is the first subject of the nominal clause and is the second subject of the nominal clause. The particle is the predicate of the nominal clause and is the modifier while is the attribute for and this sentence is the predicate for the first subject (Al-Bay n F Ghar b al-i`r b al-qur n, Volume 2, Page 459). However it is better to state that is an explicative apposition for the phrase since without this section, the

12 Tawassul to the Ahlul Ba t c Compiled by Sr. Arifa Hudda I n our previous discussion on Struggle with the Self, we discussed the importance of Seeking Refuge with the Noble Qur n. Continuing on with this Jih d (struggle), we see that another stage in this inner battle is the Du` - supplication. In order to overcome the Nafs-e- Amm rah, we need to ask for help from All h i by means of the many different and special supplications that we have been taught. However, we must keep in mind that one of the conditions for the acceptance of our supplications is Tawassul to the Ahlul Ba t c. In fact, if one looks through Shaykh `Abb s al-qumm s (may All h be pleased with him) monumental work, Maf t hul Jin n, which has been translated into at least four languages, one would hardly find any Du` in which there is no form of Tawassul to the Ahlul Ba t c. The author of Was ilush Sh `a, Shaykh Hurr al-amul (may All h be pleased with him), in the section on Tawassul, has narrated approximately 70 a d th in which it is stated that the condition of acceptance of one s supplications is to employ Tawassul to the Ahlul Ba t c. The Noble Qur n even states in regards to Du` that one must bring a Was lah - or intermediary before one s prayers will be accepted. In S rah al-m idah (5), verse 35, we are told: I Ν ΣŸΞΗΤΩ Ω Ω ς ΤΤΨ Ω< Ψ ς ΜΞ Νϖ ΤΣ ΩΤΤŠ Ω ϑðω/ Ν ΣΤ ΠςΤ Ν Σ Ω ƒ φ ΤÿΨϒΠς ΩΘ ΣΤÿΚς Η;ΤΤΩΤÿ (35) φσ Ψ πτ ΣΤ Σ Πς Ω ς ΨΨ Ψ φττ O you who have true faith! Have consciousness of All h and seek a way to Him through a Was lah (intermediary) and struggle in His way so that maybe you will be successful. This verse of the Qur n is telling those of us who have consciousness of All h (Taqwa) that if we go to the house of All h i (with a request), then we must go with a Was lah; and if we want to achieve success and happiness from All h i both in this world and in the next world, then we must have a Was lah, and in order to get closer to All h, we need to employ a Was lah as well. In many narrations from the Ahlul Ba t c, we see them state that, meaning, We are the Was lah that the Qur n has commanded the believers to go through (meaning the Ahlul Ba t c). Ziy rat al-j miah which is the most authentic and comprehensive Ziy rat that we have, was taught to us by the 10 th Im m, `Al ibn Mu ammad al-naq a in response to a question that someone had posed to him. This Im m a was asked, How should the followers address you or perform your Ziy rat? In response, this comprehensive prayer was taught to the followers. The entire Ziy rat which is so perfect and eloquent can be divided into two main categories: (1) Attributes of a true Sh `a (the authentic followers of the Prophet e and Ahlul Ba t a) and (2) Attributes or qualities of the infallible immah c. In Ziy rat al-j miah, it says: The aim of this Ziy rat is to create a true bond between us and the Ahlul Ba t i. It is also one of the three things that Im m az-zam n (may All h hasten his return) strongly advised and recommended Sayyid Rusht that the people should recite during the period of occultation of the Im m (the other two things recommended were the recitation of Ziy rat ` shur, and Æal tul La l; and this entire event has been narrated in Maf t hul Jin n by Shaykh `Abb s al- Qumm ). Whoever desires All h must begin with you (Ahlul Ba t) and whoever acknowledges His unity accepts if from you. Whoever aims (to find, reach) Him, must turn to you. Every true believer s aim is life is to get closer to All h i and this should be our only goal while we are alive, and the way to do this is by going through the Ahlul Ba t c. In other words, we must use them as our Was lah (means) to get to All h i. In another place in the same Ziy rat, it says: This line simply means that if All h i wants to open the doors of blessings for someone, it is because of the bounties (barak h) of the Ahlul Ba t c, and if He wants to close the door of trails, tribulations and misfortunes for someone, then that too is by the blessings of the Ahlul Ba t 12 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

13 c. Therefore, all things are because of the Ahlul Ba t c both the blessings that come about and misfortunes that are repelled from us. The concept of employing a Was lah as mentioned in the Noble Qur n is something that the Ahlul Ba t c themselves even resorted to! It has been narrated that when the Prophet e used to pray from the beginning of the night until the morning, he used to implore All h i through the person of Am r al-mo min n `Al ibn Ab lib c by saying, O All h! By the sake of `Al When the other immah c used to pray, they too would ask All h i through the five members who were part of the Ahlul Kis (Prophet Mu ammad, Im m `Al, Sayyidah F ßimah, Im m Øasan and Im m Øusain). Thus, the way of the Ahlul Ba t c was such that even they used to resort to Tawassul whenever they supplicated to All h i. It is very unfortunate to see many people these days ignorantly questioning or criticizing the aspect of Tawassul that we have in our beliefs or even trying to completely destroy it! Many people (both non-sh `a and even some so-called Sh `a ) state that the followers of the Ahlul Ba t c are performing Shirk (worshipping other than All h) when we pray to All h through one of the Infallible personalities! Ayatull h Tawakkul, a renowned and educated scholar in Qum who gives lectures on Akhl q and self-building presents a beautiful example in his most recent book called The Concept of Was lah which we mention below. He mentions that when we switch on a lamp in our house and get light from it, we know that the basis of this light is the electric company that is supplying the power; however there must be some way or means between the main source of power and the lamp - and this is the wire that serves as a connection between the two things. Without this connection (the wire from the lamp to the plug in the wall and the wires that stretch from the house to the power plant), we would not get the desired result as we have failed in providing one of the essential items needed to illuminate our house. Similarly, in order to get our needs from All h i, the main source we need the Ahlul Ba t c as a means or way to serve as a connection between us and All h i. Thus, we must know that the One fulfilling our desires and answering our prayers is none other than the Almighty Creator i, but we need to ask Him through the Ahlul Ba t c. The Sh `a are very fortunate to have these great personalities to pray through and it is unfortunate if we do not take advantage of them. Ayatull h Maz her mentions in his book, Struggle with the Self (Jih d ba Nafs), that there is a narration from the Noble Prophet ethat states, In your life, you have many opportunities and chances and you have this mercy of Tawassul therefore be careful and make the most use of it. In addition, make use of your youth, because there are many people who will regret their state while in the grave, barzakh and Qiy mat that they were a Sh `a of the Ahlul Ba t however they did not make use of the concept of Tawassul that was given to them. One other way which is one of the best methods of using Was lah to the Ahlul Ba t is to recite Du` al-tawassul, with full understanding and sincerely asking All h i through these fourteen noble personalities. It is especially recommended to be recited on Tuesday nights, but can be recited at any time one has any difficulty or desire that one needs fulfilled. It is sufficient for us to mention that this Du` is commonly referred to as, The Du` for quick fulfillment of legitimate desires and in this supplication, after we mention each Im m and their status and rank in the sight of All h i, we say:. O our chief, O our master. Surely we turn towards you, seek your intercession and advocacy (Tawassul) before All h. We put before you, our open needs. O intimate friend of All h, stand by us when All h sits in judgement over us. In conclusion, it can be seen that if one wants good in this world and in the next world; has prayers he needs accepted; wants help in the grave and on the Day of Judgement and basically anything at all we must perform Tawassul to the Holy Ma` m n. There are also other noble personalities in history who were not among the 14 infallibles but even Tawassul to them is accepted by All h i. For example, Sayyidah Za nab, Ab l Fadhl `Abb s - his mother Ummul Ban n, Sayyidah F ßimah Ma` mah, and others. :( Im m Ja`far ibn Mu ammad as-æ diq (peace be upon him) has said: Every invocation sought from All h, the Almighty and the Glorious, is barred by the sky unless it is coupled with prayers upon Mu ammad and the progeny of Mu ammad. Us l al-k f, vol 2, pg 493 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June

14 Selections from Thaw b al- A`m l wa `Iq b al-a`m l Compiled by Ab Ja`far Mu ammad ibn `Al ibn Babawaih al-qumm known as Shaykh as- ad q Selected and Translated by Saleem Bhimji who goes to sleep full while his believing brother is still hungry that, O my Angels! I make you bear witness in relation to this servant of Mine that I had commanded him (to feed the poor), however, he has disobeyed Me and has obeyed someone other than Me and has reserved his deeds for that other person (other than Me) and thus, by My Nobility and My Greatness I will never forgive this person. Punishment for Not Forming Straight Lines Behind the Im m of the Æal t al-jam `at 1. Im m Ja`far ibn Mu ammad as- diq a said that the Prophet of All h e said, O People! Straighten the lines (of your Æal t) and stand together with your shoulders touching one another with no gap between yourselves. Do not be separated in the lines (of the prayers) such that through this action All h separates your hearts (from one another). Surely I can see you behind me (and how your lines are formed). Punishment for Not Performing the Æal t 1. Im m Ja far ibn Mu ammad as- diq a relates from his forefathers from Jabir that the Prophet of All h e said, There is no difference between Kufr and Isl m, except for not performing the Æal t. Punishment for Not Going to Æal t al-jumu`ah 1. Im m Mu ammad ibn `Al al- B qir a said: The person who does not attend Æal t al-jumu`ah three times in a row without (a valid) excuse, will have his spiritual heart sealed by All h. 2. Im m Mu ammad ibn `Al al-b qir a has said: The Æal t al-jumu`ah is an obligatory Æal t and to gather (for it) with the Im m (of the Æal t) is obligatory. So then whichever man does not attend Jumu`ah three times would have abandoned three obligatory acts; and no one abandons three obligatory acts without a reason except a hypocrite (Al-Munafiq), and whoever does not attend the (Æal t) al-jam `at and the gathering of the believers due to not being inclined to such gatherings (and prays on his own) will have no Æal t (his Æal t will have no worth or meaning to it). Punishment for a Believer who goes to Sleep on a full Stomach while his Brother in the Faith goes to Sleep Hungry 1. Im m `Al ibn al-øusain Za n al-` bid n a has said: All h, The Glorious and Noble has said to the person 2. Im m Ja far ibn Mu ammad as- diq a has narrated the that Prophet of All h (blessings of All h be upon him and his progeny) has said, All h, the Glorious and Noble has said The person who goes to sleep on a full stomache while his Muslim brother has remained hungry does not have true faith in Me. Punishment for a not assisting a Believer when he has being spoken bad about behind his back 1. Im m Mu ammad al-b qir a has said: The person who hears his believing brother is being spoken bad about behind his back and assists and helps him (by standing up for him and his character), All h will help and assist that person both in the World and the Next Life and the person who hears his believing brother being spoken bad about and does not help him and does not try to defend him while he has the ability to help and assist him (by standing up for his rights), All h will make this person lower and humiliate this person in the World and the Next Life. Punishment for Taking Part in Killing a Muslim or being Pleased with that Act Taking Place 1. Im m al-b qir a or Im m as-æ diq a has said, A person once came to the Messenger of All h and asked him, O Messenger of All h! We found someone inside the Masjid Juhaynah who had been killed. The Prophet stood up and went to the Masjid and the people too, who had heard this news, also made their way to the Masjid. The Prophet then asked, Who has killed this person? The reply was given that, O Messenger of All h! We do not know who killed this person! The Prophet replied, There is a dead Muslim amongst the Muslims however no one knows who killed him! I swear by All h who raised me up as a Prophet that if all of the inhabitants of the Heavens and the Earth were to join together to kill a Muslim or were even pleased at such a thing happening, then without doubt, All h would throw all of these people into the hell fire. To be continued in the next issue of al-øaqq Newsletter 14 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

15 The Spiritual Pharmacy We present Part VI in the series of continuing articles on supplications for all times and places. Selected and Translated by Saleem Bhimji Supplication to Help Repay ones Debts - from Prophet `Is a A person once complained to Prophet `Is ibn Mariam a that he could not repay his debts to which the Prophet told him to recite this supplication:.. Prophet `Is a then told him, Even if your debts were to equal an amount of gold that could fill the world, All h i will fulfill your debts for you. Another Supplication to Help Repay Ones Debts It has been narrated from `Ay sh from `Abdull h ibn San n that he was in the presence of Im m Ja`far as- Æ diq a and the Im m told him, Should I teach you a supplication through which if you recite it, All h i will repay your debts for you and will change your state to something better? The companion replied, I am surely in need of such a supplication. The Im m told him, After Æal t al-fajr, recite the following supplication... Supplication to Increase Ones Wealth from Im m az-zam n (may All h hasten his return) Mull h Mu ammad Æ diq `Ir q was in great difficulties and in an extremely bad shape economically and there was no help coming to him from any direction. One evening in his sleep, he met Im m al-øujjah (may All h hasten his return) and he told the Im m of his situation. The Im m replied to him that he should go to see Sayyid Mu ammad Sulß n b d and act accordingly: 1. After Æal t al-fajr, he should place his hands on his chest and say the following seventy (70) times: 2. He should also always recite this supplication:. Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June After every Æal t al-fajr, he should recite this supplication:.. Two Short Supplications to be Read at the time of War to be Victorious over the Enemies These two supplications should be continuously recited in the battlefront to be victorious over the enemy troops: To be continued in the next issue of al-øaqq Newsletter

16 Benefits of the Recitation of Tasb of F ßimah az-zahr d Translated by Arifa Hudda Different Physical Forms of the Tasb h The Tasb h that F ßimah (peace be upon her) Used It has been narrated in the famous book, Mak rimul Akhl q, that Sayyidah F ßimah d used to have a Tasb which was made of woolen thread that had 100 knots tied in it and she used to perform the dhikr of All h with it. When Sayyiduna Øamzah l the dear uncle of the Prophet e was martyred in the battle of Uhud, the dirt from his grave was used to make the first ever beads that were used in the Tasb. When Im m Øusain ibn `Al a was martyred, the people took the dirt from around the grave of the Im m a to make the Tasb beads, since it has been mentioned that in the dirt and Turbah of Im m al-øusain a, there are great merits and blessings. Im m Ja`far ibn Mu ammad as-æ diq a has said, The (first) Tasb was made of blue thread and had 34 beads on it and that was the Tasb of our mother F ßimah az-zahr d. Then when Øamzah was killed, the Tasb was formed using the dirt of his grave and with that, after every Æal t, the Tasb was recited (by all). Merits of Reciting the Tasb with the Turbah (Dirt) of the grave of Im m Øusain (peace be upon him) Im m Ja`far ibn Mu ammad as-æ diq a was asked in relation to making the Tasb with the turbah (dirt) of two particular places and which one was better the dirt around the grave of Sayyiduna Øamzah m or Im m Øusain ibn `Al a? The Im m a replied, As for the Tasb whose beads are made from the dirt of Im m al- Øusain s a grave, before one does Tasb with it, the beads itself perform the Tasb. The Signs of a Sh `a It has been narrated from the book, Rawdhatul W i`dh n, that Im m M s ibn Ja`far al-k dhim a has said, Our Sh `a are not needless from four things: 1) A Mohr (Sajdagah) upon when they recite their Æal t (perform the Sajdah on). 2) A ring that they wear on their (right) hand. 3) A toothbrush (misw k) which they use to brush their teeth with (before the Æal t). 4) A Tasb of 33 beads made from the dirt around the grave of Im m Øusain (peace be upon him), and every time they do dhikr with it, All h i writes forty thaw b (rewards) for each bead recited with it. If one recites in a state of negligence or unintentionally (not with full concentration or attentiveness to the Tasb and the meaning of each dhikr we recite) then All h i writes twenty goodness for the person. A Guide for the Angels There is a narration that states that, Whenever the H rul `A n see angels who are going towards the Earth for some work, they see that they use the Tasb which has been made with the dirt of the grave of Im m al-øusain (peace be upon him) to find their way around the Earth. To be continued in the next issue of al-øaqq Newsletter MORALS OF THE MASUMEEN A new Activity Book for young Muslim boys and girls aged seven and up! This 48 page activity book includes the following: Information on each of the fourteen Masumeen. Fourteen short stories one about each of the Masumeen - with a moral that young Muslims can learn from. Puzzles and other activities for young children to work through. Fourteen ad th one from each of the Masumeen - in `Arabic and English. All this and much, much more! To order, send $7.00 by cheque or money order (payable to Arifa Hudda) [Canadian [ orders payable in Canadian Dollars, all other countries $5.00 US Dollars - add $1.00 CDN per copy for S&H within Canada, $2.00 USD outside of Canada] to the below address. Bulk orders for Mad ris and Schools are requested to contact the mailing address, al-mubin@al mubin@al-mubin.org mubin.org or arifahudda@rogers.com for special pricing. Arifa Hudda 37 Vanier Drive - Suite 1008 Kitchener, Ontario Canada, N2C 2P6 al-mubin@al mubin@al-mubin.org mubin.org 16 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

17 Statement from the Office of the Grand Marja` yatull h al-`u m al-ø jj as-sayyid `Al al-øusain as-s st n regarding the Recent Events in `Ir q n In the Name of All h, the Beneficient, the Merciful Ω Σ Ψ Σ < Ω ΙΣΡ Σ Ω Ω ψρ ς Ω Ω ϑðσ/ Ω ΩκΩ ΩΤ Ν ΣΤ Ω Τ γστ Ω And say: Work; so All h will see your work and (so will) His Messenger and the believers (Holy Qur n 9:105) To our dear fellow countrymen in `Ir q, As-Sal m `Ala kum. I n these crucial times and the absence of a central authority to govern the country - leading to widespread anarchy and breakdown in law and order, we urge the active participation of our pious brethrens everywhere, including those living the unfolding events in our beloved `Ir q, to fill the current vacuum with suitable and devout people. The believers should cooperate in resorting law and order by establishing councils for each province and district whereby well-known spiritual figures and committed older members of the community, heads of tribes and others can assist in organizing the affairs of the country and restore law and order to each area. The main priority of such councils has to be the withdrawing of all weapons from the hands of the general public. The sight of armed men still terrifies everyone, because weapons in the hands of irresponsible people who do not adhere to religious or moral values, is indeed a great danger to society. The Supreme Marja`iyya in Najaf have ordered all its Wakils (Representatives) throughout `Ir q to implement this matter urgently before it is too late. It is everyone s responsibility with no room for excuses, no matter what the circumstances are. The Marja`, His Eminence Sayyid as-s st n (may he live long) is closely monitoring the situation from the south to the north and the centre of Iraq. Sunnis and Sh `as, `Arabs or others are all equal in His Eminence s eyes. He believes in the security of each and every `Iraq citizen, whoever they and their anxiety is his anxiety. The Marja`iyyah therefore underlines the following issues: 1) Reject any foreign rule in `Ir q. Emphasis is also made by his Eminence that he will not interfere in the type of government the `Ir qi people wish to choose to govern the country, highlighting that `Ir q is a Muslim country that draws its tenets, laws, values and education from Isl m where Muslims and non-muslims, whatever their religion may be, can live in peace and security. The new government must therefore recognize this point. His Eminence also points to the history of Sh `a scholars in `Ir q, which, since the beginning of the last century has been confronting invading powers. Sh `a scholars and their sons were at the forefront of freedom fighters who faced the invading British forces, despite the fact that they also endured the Ottoman invasion. 2) The Supreme Marja`iyyah is by no means whatsoever, looking to establish itself as a political authority in `Ir q. 3) Implement the principle of enjoining good and forbidding evil for this is the criterion in Isl mic Law that safeguards Muslim society from going astray. 4) The Supreme Marja`iyyah always transcends political parties and groups. It safeguards the interests of religion and guides those who distance themselves form the Marja`iyyah to the right path. 5) One must be careful that former government staff and others who have tortured and persecuted people do not creep back into government posts. 6) The coalition forces should be totally responsible for the insecurity in `Ir q and for allowing looting and ransacking to take place everywhere. 7) To activate the infrastructure of the country after the necessary repairs especially hospitals, medical centres, water and electricity generating plants, communication centres and other important services and needs such as food and medicine required by the general population, inside as well as outside of `Ir q. Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June

18 8) Caring for religious, scientific and historical `Ir q heritage and guarding religious sites, mas jid, museums, public and private libraries and manuscript centres from abusers and looters. If only one tank had guarded the national museum and public libraries and manuscript centres as it guarded the oil ministry - there would have been no arson or looting there. 9) Prohibiting acts of violence no matter what the motives may be, especially on the basis of difference in religion or faith because one of the intrinsic values of the Supreme Marja`iyyah, particularly during such trying and decisive times is to safeguard brotherly relationships and harmony amongst Muslims. We have also seen how the Supreme Marja`iyyah in Najaf has personally contributed to the construction of Sh `a and Sunni mas jid alike. 10) Just and reliable Wakils (representatives) must convene Friday prayers in all areas in accordance with Sharia` standards and invite everyone to abandon violence and discord and search for secret prison sites and detentions centres and return all looted goods, and volunteer to serve society while relying on All h, the Almighty, for victory and support. The Supreme Marja`iyyah conveys its gratitude to the tribesmen and devout youth who sincerely volunteered to converge on Najaf from the north, south and central `Ir q - offering to protect their Marja`iyyah and their great Øawza (Isl mic Seminary) from irresponsible and reckless people. However, there remains many new and ongoing threats to the Mar ja` in Najaf; as witnessed when the sanctity of the Mausoleum of Am r al-mo min n `Al ibn Ab lib (peace be upon him) was violated by the use of weapons inside and the shedding of blood on its doorstep. We ask All h Almighty to support the devout ones to do good work. Praise be to All h, Lord of the worlds. The Liaison Office of Grand Ayatull h S st n London 15 Safar 1424 (18 April 2003). Sites of His Eminence Grand Marja` yatull h al-`u m al-ø jj as-sayyid `Al al-øusain as-s st n on the InterNet: / / Books of the Grand Marja` in English can be purchased from the Isl mic Humanitarian Service. Please see our website or write to us for more details including titles and pricing. International Women s Day Program CONTRIBUTED BY THE U.M.W.C. EDMONTON CHAPTER O n Saturday, October 26 th, 2002, the United Muslim Women of Canada (U.M.W.C.), Edmonton Chapter held an International Women s Day Program, in honour of Sayyidah F ßimah az-zahr (peace be upon her). Not only did we want to remember this remarkable role model, but we also wanted to provide the women of our community with a healthy promotional activity: to focus on healthy diets and to maintain a balanced lifestyle. We had a variety of programs and speakers, including a Mun j t and speech on Sayyidah F ßimah az-zahr (peace be upon her). There was an educational Isl mic Tic-Tac- Toe for the young girls, and after three games, they still wanted more! There were two youths from our community that attended the short vacation course in Iran during the summer. They shared their enlightening experiences with us through speeches by each of them, as well as a Power Point presentation. Our highlight was a registered dietician with a local hospital who educated us about healthy eating and ways to reduce cholesterol. Because she was of our culture (i.e. Gujarati speaking) and was aware and familiar with the types of foods that we eat, many people felt comfortable discussing diet and health issues with her. The dietician, in association with a nurse from our community, presented information on diet, nutrition regarding cholesterol and heart disease, as well as some statistics on male vs. female and the increased incidence and rate of cholesterol in these times. They both provided reasonable solutions to help reduce the bad cholesterol in the blood and increase the good, and in turn, focus on healthy eating and a better lifestyle. A question and answer session, as well as cholesterol testing by the nurse for those who wished it, followed the presentations. We had a large number of people attend, varying in ages from young to old, and it was enjoyed by everyone. Over all, it was a huge success! For more information on this event held, please contact the UMWC Edmonton Chapter Secretary, Mansura Alidina at her address of malidina@hotmail.com. 18 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003

19 SELECTION OF BOOKS IN STOCK AT THE ISLAMIC HUMANITARIAN SERVICE All prices include Shipping & Handling Charges. Canadian orders or orders shipped within Canada, please remit funds in Canadian Dollars. All other countries in US Dollars please. Islamic Humanitarian Service ATTENTION : BOOK SALES 81 Hollinger Crescent Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2K 2Y8 ihs@primus.ca 1. The Role of Ayesha in the History of Isl m (3 volumes), by Sayyid Murtada `Askari - $ Enlightening Commentary of the Holy Qur n (8 Volumes Printed to date) - $15.00 PER VOLUME 17. Nahjul Bal gha [Arabic & English] 2 Volumes, by Am r al-mo min n `Al ibn Ab lib (peace be upon him) - $ Holy Qur n [Translation and Commentary, by S.V. M r A mad `Al and Ayatullah Pooya] NEW EDITION - $ Prolegomena to the Qur an, by yatull h al- U m Sayyid Ab al-q sim al-kh - $ Simplified Islamic Laws for Youth and Young Adults according to the rulings of Ayatull h as-s st n - $ Bundle of Flowers: Traditions from the Ahlul Ba t - $8.00 We have these and over 300 titles in stock please check our website for the complete list or write to the above address for our Complete Price Catalogue. 3. Al-Maqtal (An account of the Killing of Im m al- Øusayn) of Abi Makhnaf - $ History of Islamic Philosophy, compiled by Oliver Leaman and Syed Hosein Nasr (2 Volumes) - $ Tuhaf al-uq l : Masterpieces of the Intellects, by Shaykh Fahd al-hilli - $ Mishkat al-anw r - $ A Restatement of the History of Isl m and the Muslims, by Sayyed A.A. Razwy - $ Al-Amaali, by Shaykh al-mufid - $ Women in Isl m: A New Perspective, by Sayyid Mostafa al-qazwini and Fatma Saleh - $ The Life of Mu ammad the Prophet (peace be upon him), by the late `All mah Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi - $ Me`raj: The Night Ascension, by Mullah Mu ammad Faidh al-k sh n - $ Secrets of the Hajj, by Ayatull h al-`u m al-ø jj Shaykh Øusain Maz her - $ Istikhara: Seeking the Best from All h (Glorified and Exalted is He), by Mu ammad B qir Haideri - $ A Divine Perspective on Rights Commentary on Ris latul Øuq q, by Qudratull h Mashayekhi - $ Manifestations of the All Merciful Commentary of the Daily Du s of the Month of Rama h n (Part I), by Ab Mu ammad Zainul `Abid n - $ Kit b al-mo min [The Book of the Believer], by Shaykh Ahw z - $7.00 A POEM ABOUT The Øij b You look at me and call me oppressed, Simply because of the way I m dressed, You know me not for what is inside, You judge the clothing I wear with pride, My body is not for your eyes to hold, You must speak to my mind, not my feminine mould, I m an individual. I m no man s slave, It s All h s pleasure that I only crave, I have a voice so I will be heard, For in my heart I carry His word, O ye women, wrap close your cloak, So you won t be bothered by ignorant folk. Man doesn t tell me to dress this way, It s a law from God that I obey, Oppressed is something I m truly not, For liberation is what I ve got, It was given to me many years ago, With the right to prosper, the right to grow, I can climb mountains or cross the seas, Expand my mind in all degrees, For God Himself gave us liberty, When He sent Isl m, to you and me! Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June

20 Edutainment [Education through Entertainment] Corner Answers in the Next Issue of al-øaqq Newsletter 20 Al-Øaqq Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 1 & 2 January June 2003