Lecture delivered by Brother Bashier Rahim on the occasion of 15 Sha'baan 1438 (11 May 2017) at the Ahlul Bait (a.s) Islamic Centre, Ottery, Cape Town

Transcription

1 LIFE IS MEANINGLESS WITHOUT IMAM MAHDI (A.S) Lecture delivered by Brother Bashier Rahim on the occasion of 15 Sha'baan 1438 (11 May 2017) at the Ahlul Bait (a.s) Islamic Centre, Ottery, Cape Town Have you ever thought about what is considered to be the most important or the best verse in the Quran and why it is considered to be so? There is a verse in the Quran which establishes the pristine Tauheed of Almighty Allah and gives details of the Attributes of Allah in the most sublime manner too and how the affairs of th e universe emanate from Almighty Allah's Authority. Sunni and Shia books have narrated what this verse is. In the narration of Imam Saadiq (a.s) he says that the great companion Abu Zar al-ghaffari once asked Prophet Muhammad (sawa): "Oh Messenger of Allah! What is the best of that which has been revealed to you? He said "The verse of the chair"...in other words "Ayatul Kursi". Imam Ali (a.s) also further elaborates on its importance by mentioning the virtues of Ayatul Kursi that were taught to him by the Prophet (sawa) and says: "I have not spent a single night since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah without reciting it." And hence it's also a highly recommended act for us to observe at night by reciting Ayatul Kursi before we sleep. The very first part of Ayatul Kursi says: "Allah! there is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-Subsisting" The first portion establishes Tauheed...that there is no god except Allah and immediately thereafter introduces us to one of the most important Attributes of Essence of Almighty Allah and that is "Al-Hayy" or the fact that Allah has life. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY LIFE? In discussions in Theology, the discussion on what do we mean by "Allah having life" is an interesting and fascinating one. 1 / 9

2 As early as grade 4 in our schooling system, learners are already formally taught the difference between "living" and "non-living" things. So a tree and the bird that sits in it would be classified as living while the soil in which the tree is planted would be classified as non-living. And human beings would be included in the category of living. This classification of living and non-living things essentially refer to the fact that the things that we call "living" things are called by that name due to the fact that their condition changes. On the other hand as long as non-living things exist, their condition does not change. The plant which is considered to have life, has a very low level of life. Its life is characterized by the ability to grow and to a very limited extent to move, like when it grows in the direction of the sunlight. But it certainly has life and it is well known that the Quran recognizes this when it says that Almighty Allah gives "life" to the earth after its "death". Animals are considered to have life which is on a higher level to a plant as in addition to growing and movement, they are able to respond to danger due to having willpower based upon a very limited level of understanding or intelligence. So an animal can respond to danger and can even be taught certain things like dogs are taught to sniff out drugs on the airport and monkeys are taught to do tricks in the circus. Or parrots can be taught to say certain words or sentences. A few years ago my son once went to play at a friend's house and returned and told us that his friend has a parrot...and went on to say "Dad, you must hear how the parrot swears!"...that gives you an idea about what happens in some households unfortunately. But animals do have a very basic level of understanding. Life characterized in a human being is on the level of a plant in that it grows, and it has will power too, but most importantly it has a more advanced level of understanding than animals in the form of its intellect through which it's able to innovate new things not known to man before and through which it can change its condition. This level of life is thus considered to be much higher but is still limited...and also there's a condition to saying that human beings enjoy life on a higher level than plants and animals in that a plant, by simply growing and bearing fruit lives up to its potential, and an animal lives up to its potential but human beings don't always live up to their potential. The human being has the power to limit his quality of life to being life of this world...and such a life is considered valueless as Almighty Allah says: "and the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment" (Surah Hadid Verse 20) Human life on this level is not much different to a plant or animal. 2 / 9

3 Once on a Friday afternoon, when we were about to leave work, someone who is not religious said to me while ushering in the weekend "now is the time for drinking and debauchery." Whereas others might have been thinking "now is the time to serve Allah more" as we have free time on the weekend. So human life is not always lived to its potential. But human life, is also characterized by death and the need to sleep at times. Whereas life in relation to Almighty Allah: - is a life not overtaken by death - is a life not overtaken by sleep - is a life not even overtaken by a nap - is a life that does not involve growth - is a life that does not resemble the limited knowledge of animals - is a life that does not resemble the limited knowledge of human beings - perfect understanding; - perfect will; and - perfect willpower Life for Allah is Real Life and thus "Al-Hayy" in Ayatul Kursi means Allah is Ever-Living. WHAT GIVES HUMAN LIFE MEANING? Human beings who consider themselves to have "life" don't always realize that lots of the time in reality they are dead! Their life is more vegetative in nature as their soul is too dependent on their bodies for understanding. Such people might have multiple degrees and doctorates and educational qualifications, but have no knowledge of something that is a mere half meter out of sight. Why is that so? Because their life does not reflect one that enjoys "guidance"...that's why they are considered to be dead in reality. In Surah An'am Verse 122 we read: "Is he who was dead (with ignorance and polytheism) and we gave him life (by Our guidance) and provided him with a light by which he walks among the people, as one whose likeness is in the darkness (of ignorance and polytheism) and he cannot come forth from them?" In this verse, a person who has been misguided and Allah has guided him thereafter, is resembled to a person who has been dead and He has given him life. 3 / 9

4 So human life without guidance is basically death in reality. Or one can say human life without guidance is meaningless in reality. Tonight we commemorate the birth anniversary of the Imam of Our Time, Hazrat Wali Asr, al-hujjat al-mahdi (a.s), may our souls and our parents souls be sacrificed for him. We commemorate the birth anniversary of the one who is the hope of humanity and aspiration of all the Prophets (a.s). We commemorate the birth anniversary of the one who is the conclusion of honorable representatives of Almighty Allah on earth. What does Imam Mahdi (a.s) have to do with our discussion so far? We said guidance gives our life meaning and gives it a different dimension - and that guidance from Almighty Allah comes to us through Imam Mahdi (a.s)...that's the system ordained by Allah and that's how guidance reaches us to give our life meaning. That's not a loose connection to our topic of the meaning of life but a deep connection with the meaning of life. In Surah Sajdah Verse 24 we read: "And We made among them Imams who guide by Our Command." It's the Imam's responsibility to guide, but its not any guidance that comes to us from the Imam but the guidance is specified and defined to be: "by Our Command" An interesting point to note that our souls that are in need of this guidance is also from the very same "Command of Allah." "The soul is from the Command of my Lord" (Surah Israa Verse 85) Imam al-mahdi (a.s) is the means through whom we receive our initial "wake-up" call...yes - he gives us a wake-up call. WHERE CAN HUMAN LIFE REACH? Now if we respond to this guidance, then life for us moves away from living like a plant or animal and it moves to becoming something very different. Whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and is a believer, We shall certainly give him to live a goodly pure life" (Surah Nahl Verse 97) This verse guarantees that a certain group of people - irrespective of gender - will achieve "hayaatan tayyibah". 4 / 9

5 According to the great Muffassir Allamah Tabatabai, this "hayaatan tayyibah" is a completely new life and reality. Externally you still look the very same, but internally such a person has a brand new life. Now remember what we said about life when it comes to Almighty Allah? A person who has "Hayaatan Tayyibah" starts to have glimpses of such life. In which way does this occur? Firstly his understanding of things goes far beyond this worldly life into spiritual world. Through Imam Mahdi (a.s) such a person receives implicit messages and is able to understand deeper meanings of things. Even in our daily life, sometimes you say one thing and others only understand the one thing you said. But deeply perceptive people understand that your statement was loaded with hidden meaning. For the person who has a superficial understanding of things, they will often say you did not explain yourself clearly - and perhaps in their case it is correct, but others don't need such explanation as they can see far beyond what meets the eye. In the Hadith al Qudsi of Qurbun nawafil, Almighty Allah says: "None of My servants can seek closeness to me by that which is dearer to Me than things that I have made obligatory on him (ie wajibat). Then, with the performance of nawafil (the recommended acts), he continuously attains closeness/proximity to Me so that I love him. When I love him, I will be the ear with which he hears, the eyes with which he sees, and the hand with which he strikes. If he calls Me, I will answer his call, and if he makes a request, I will grant it." If Allah becomes the ears by which we hear and the eyes by which we see, then there will be no limit to understanding! Secondly a person who has "hayaatan tayyibah" - his power will increase tremendously as he "strikes by the Hand of Allah." And Quran says of such people: "and you (O Muhammad) did not throw when you did throw, but Allah threw" (Surah Anfal Verse 17) Suddenly you are able to do things that those who live the life of a plant or animal cannot do! And thirdly a person who has "hayaatan tayyibah" will have a stronger will power and determination. This is the very thing many of us lack and the reason we achieve little in life - we have weak will power as we don't enjoy "hayatan tayyibah". 5 / 9

6 In Hadith Qudsi we learn how Allah says: "My servant, obey Me. I will make you an example of Myself. I am alive and will never die; and so I make you alive and never die. I am rich and never become poor; and I make you become rich and never poor. Whatever I want I say "Be" and it is, so I make you in the way that whatever you want you also say "Be" and there it will be. HOW DOES ONE ACHIEVE THIS "HAYATAN TAYYIBAH"? As we quoted early: Whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and is a believer" Everyone wants a silver bullet or that one thikr that they can do to miraculously achieve this "hayaatan tayyibah". But unlike many are led to believe or even sometimes fooled, there's no silver bullet - if there is one then it's this - focus on righteous deeds with sound belief and stay away from sin. Consciously apply this in our daily life. In our Youth Camp this year in a workshop on Practical Tips to Self Building, Mowlana Aftab Haider quoted the great mystic Ayatullah Behjat saying that "just staying away from sin will cause you to reach very far." Let us do our wajibat each day in the best manner and be disciplined to do it on time. Salaah that is performed at the beginning of its time - this is an example of a righteous deed that has its own spiritual secrets attached to it. Sheikh Ali Shomali quotes Allamah Tabatabai to have quoted his teacher who was a great mystic, namely Ayatullah Qadi Tabatabai to have often said something unusual in this regard. Listen carefully to this statement. He use to say: "If one performs his prayers on time and does not achieve spiritual positions, he can curse me." Why would someone risk saying like that? Risk being cursed by the whole of mankind? Because the righteous deed coupled with sound belief is guaranteed by Almighty Allah to result in "hayaatan tayyibah." WHAT IS THE BEST OF DEEDS? And then if you want to achieve "hayaatan tayyibah" you should also ensure you are involved in doing the best of deeds. What are the best of deeds? The narrations state: "Afzal ul A'mal intizarul faraj" which means "the best of deeds is to wait 6 / 9

7 for the relief or reprieve" - it's to work hard to be counted among those who did the groundwork for the return of our Beloved Imam Mahdi (a.s). But where are we regarding this important task? Do we even realize that the mission of Imam Mahdi (a.s) is a reality and not a fairy tale? Have we really pondered upon Surah Asr when Almighty Allah takes an oath: "By time" The oaths that Almighty Allah takes is in relation to various realities that we accept. One such reality is the concept of time. But this oath "by time" has more meaning to it. It's also an oath that Almighty Allah takes in relation to that glorious era when Imam Mahdi (a.s) will rule the world - that era is beyond any doubt one of the greatest realities that we moving towards each day. And thus Imam Mahdi (a.s) is also called Hazrat Wali Asr (a.s) - the Guardian of Time. But in relation to time: "Surely man is in loss" Because our time is spent in everything that makes us strengthen our plant life and animal type of life - while little time is dedicated to achieving "hayaatan tayyibah" Let us really ponder upon where does the narration "Afzal ul A'mal intizarul faraj" feature in our life. When we contemplate "life" as a reality in relation to Almighty Allah, we see that an amazing consequence of such life is that it is the only One we can truly rely and depend on! Reliability is a consequence of the quality of one's life. "And rely on the Ever Living One Who never dies" (Surah Furqaan Verse 25). How reliable and dependable are we? How much heat can we take for Imam Mahdi (a.s)? - we get tired before we even start an activity - we promise to do something and then don't deliver - we find all sorts of ways to get out of doing something for Imam Mahdi (a.s) - when we faced with a challenge in relation to doing something for Imam Mahdi (a.s) then our minds go blank and we can't find a solution and simply "pass the buck" 7 / 9

8 Imam Mahdi (a.s) requires reliable soldiers for his mission. What is the characteristics of a soldier? A soldier is not just someone in the battlefield. But a soldier is: - someone loyal - someone who is duty bound - always believes he has a job to do - someone who constantly offers selfless sacrifice - someone who follows orders from leadership - someone who has clear priorities in his life The narrations speak volumes about the soldiers of Imam Mahdi (a.s), but if I can summarize it in one word then it is that they are truly "devoted" to him. These are the one's who qualify to be included in the 313 soldiers of Imam Mahdi (a.s) - are we maybe one of them? Why not? The soldiers of Imam Mahdi (a.s) are from across the globe. What prevents us who are sitting in this gathering from being one of the 313 trusted/reliable soldiers of Imam Mahdi (a.s). So when we go to sleep at night, and recite Ayatul Kursi - let us pause for a moment when we say Allah is "the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting" and do a self assessment of our day or muhasabah and ask ourselves: "what activities was I involved in today? The activities that serve my animalistic needs and reduce my life to that level or activities which propels me in the direction of "hayaatan tayyibah" and being a dependable and reliable soldier of Imam Mahdi (a.s)." The world needs us! The world is suffering from: - war - famine - drought - illegal occupation - poverty cause by merciless capitalism - disease - corruption - violent crime - forced migration The world needs us! It's the soldiers of Imam Mahdi (a.s) that strike fear in the hearts of the hypocrites. 8 / 9

9 From the terrorists that are annihilated by the army of Mahdi (a.s) to people of Yemen who have sacrificed by their millions - as soldiers of Mahdi (a.s) who never surrender. The world expects us to do something. Tonight is 15th Shabaan - in terms of the narrations considered one of the most auspicious nights after the night of Qadr. Matters of sustenance, life and death and welfare of people are said to be determined on a night like tonight. It's a night of spiritual hope - don't let our program end here - keep it alive as much as we can with seeking forgiveness of Almighty Allah, reading Ziyarat of Imam Husayn (a.s), doing Salaat of Jafar Tayyar, connecting with Our Beloved Imam Mahdi (a.s) through Dua Nudba, etc. And tonight as we celebrate the birth of the Awaited Saviour, we renew our devotion and allegiance to our Imam who is the hope of humanity and so on this most auspicious occasion I extend my congratulations to Our Living Imam (a.s), his pious representatives being the Religious Authorities across the world and to all of you. 9 / 9