Issue 1, Vol.

2, Number 1 - Friday, 6th February, 2015

Sayyid Hassan
Nasrallah lashes
out at Israel

Editors: Syed Yasir Abbas & Dr. Ameer Ali Badami

Constructive contemplation

Constructive
contemplation
followed by appropriate action
can salvage the human being
for a very long time.
One of the inspiring dictums
narrated from Imam al-Sadiq
(a) reads:
An hours contemplation is
better than a years worship.
If one reflects on the transient
and passing nature of this
world, and how people after
enjoying a good number of
years have eventually to
depart and emigrate to their
graves, he may overhaul
himself and change his
attitude and prepare for the
next world. Reflection of how
ones past has ruined ones
present, how one can derive
the utmost from the limited
opportunity of his life, what
is the best intention for every
action and worship? are some
keys that can open perpetual
doors of happiness and
salvation. That worship that is
directed
by
constructive
contemplation & accompanied
by attention would abundantly
reap spiritual benefits. In sharp
contrast, excessive worship
without a strong foundation
and base is remote from its
very purpose.
-Muhammad Khalfan

Page 4

Message of Ayatullah
Khamenei (dz) to the
Youth in Europe and
North America

Page 3

Page 2

The Awakening
One can either love Allah
or love the world
- Martyr Baqir al-Sadr (ra)

Published in: Bangalore, Complimentary Copy

The Four Books of Hadith

The Four Books, known in Arabic as or , are the four
main collections of hadith which, after the Qur'an, form the basis of Shi'a beliefs
and practices. The Four Books are al-Kafi, Tahdhib al-ahkam, Al-Istibsar fi ma
ikhtalaf min al-akhbar and Man la yahduruh al-faqih.
1) Al-Kafi: Al-Kafi was compiled by Abu Jafar Muhammad b. Ya'qub Kulayni (d.
329 AH) during the Minor Occultation period. It contains 16,000 hadith which are
divided into the three general sections of usul, furu, and rawdah. Usul contains
hadith related to beliefs, furu contains hadith concerning fiqh, and rawdah
contains hadith pertaining to akhlaq and morality.
2) Man la yahduruh al-Faqih: This work was compiled by al-Shaykh al-Saduq,
Abu Jafar Muhammad b. 'Ali b. al-Husayn b. Babawayh al-Qummi (d. 381/991).
It contains 6,000 hadith related to fiqh and practical rulings - all of which al-Saduq
deemed as authentic and used as the basis for his fatwas.
3) Tahdhib al-Ahkam: This hadith collection was compiled by Shaykh al-Taifah
Abu Jafar Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Tusi (d. 460/1067). The hadith it contains
are also mainly related to fiqh. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi compiled this work by the order
of al-Shaykh al-Mufid as a commentary to al-Mufids al-Muqni'ah. In it, al-Tusi
discusses rulings of fiqh ranging from taharah to diyat. The order of the book's
content is the same as that of al-Shaykh al-Mufid's al-Muqni'ah. It contains 393
chapters and a total of 13,590 hadith. There is a section on mashikhah at the end of
this book which includes al-Tusis chain of authorities for the sources he used.
4) Al-Istibsar fi ma ikhtalaf min al-akhbar: This hadith collection was compiled
by al-Shaykh al-Tusi after Tahdhib al-ahkam in response to requests from some of
his students. It consists of 5,511 hadith. In this work he has collected only those
hadith relating to fiqh which apparently contradict each other. Like other fiqh
references, the categorization of topics in this book begins with taharah and ends
with diyat. Under each topic, he first mentions the hadith he regards as authentic,
then mentions the ones that apparently contradict them, and finally, attempts to
harmonize them.
Reference: Modir Shanehchi, Tarikh-i Hadith

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Page 2: Muslim Ummah

The Awakening, Issue 1, Vol. 2, Number 1

The recent events in France and similar ones in some other Western
countries have convinced me to directly talk to you about them. I am
addressing you, [the youth], not because I overlook your parents,
rather it is because the future of your nations and countries will be in
your hands; and also I find that the sense of quest for truth is more
vigorous and attentive in your hearts.
I dont address your politicians and statesmen either in this writing
because I believe that they have consciously separated the route of
politics from the path of righteousness and truth.
I would like to talk to you about Islam, particularly the image that is
presented to you as Islam. Many attempts have been made over the
past two decades, almost since the disintegration of the Soviet Union,
to place this great religion in the seat of a horrifying enemy.
The provocation of a feeling of horror and hatred and
its utilization has unfortunately a long record in the
political history of the West.
Here, I dont want to deal with the different phobias
with which the Western nations have thus far been
indoctrinated. A cursory review of recent critical
studies of history would bring home to you the fact
that the Western governments insincere and
hypocritical treatment of other nations and cultures
has been censured in new historiographies.
The histories of the United States and Europe are
ashamed of slavery, embarrassed by the colonial
period and chagrined at the oppression of people of
color and non-Christians. Your researchers and
historians are deeply ashamed of the bloodsheds
wrought in the name of religion between the
Catholics and Protestants or in the name of nationality
and ethnicity during the First and Second World
Wars. This approach is admirable.
By mentioning a fraction of this long list, I dont want
to reproach history; rather I would like you to ask
your intellectuals as to why the public conscience in
the West awakens and comes to its senses after a
delay of several decades or centuries. Why should the
revision of collective conscience apply to the distant
past and not to the current problems? Why is it that
attempts are made to prevent public awareness
regarding an important issue such as the treatment of
Islamic culture and thought?

You know well that humiliation and spreading hatred

and illusionary fear of the other have been the
common base of all those oppressive profiteers. Now, I
would like you to ask yourself why the old policy of
spreading phobia and hatred has targeted Islam and
Muslims with an unprecedented intensity. Why does
the power structure in the world want Islamic thought
to be marginalized and remain latent? What concepts
and values in Islam disturb the programs of the super
powers and what interests are safeguarded in the
shadow of distorting the image of Islam? Hence, my
first request is: Study and research the incentives behind
this widespread tarnishing of the image of Islam.
My second request is that in reaction to the flood of
prejudgments and disinformation campaigns, try to
gain a direct and firsthand knowledge of this religion.
The right logic requires that you understand the nature
and essence of what they are frightening you about and
want you to keep away from.
I dont insist that you accept my reading or any other
reading of Islam. What I want to say is: Dont allow this
dynamic and effective reality in todays world to be
introduced to you through resentments and prejudices.
Dont allow them to hypocritically introduce their own
recruited terrorists as representatives of Islam.
Receive knowledge of Islam from its primary and
original sources. Gain information about Islam through
the Quran of Islam and his humane, ethical doctrines.
Continued at Page 3

The Awakening, Issue 1, Vol. 2, Number 1

... Continued from Page 2
Have you ever received the message
of Islam from any sources other than
the media?
Have you ever asked yourself how
and on the basis of which values has
Islam established the greatest
scientific and intellectual civilization
of the world and raised the most
distinguished
scientists
and
intellectuals
throughout
several
centuries?
I would like you not to allow the
derogatory and offensive imagebuildings to create an emotional gulf
between you and the reality, taking
away the possibility of an impartial
judgment from you.
Today, the communication media
have removed the geographical
borders. Hence, dont allow them to
besiege you within fabricated and
mental borders.
Although no one can individually fill
the created gaps, each one of you can
construct a bridge of thought and
fairness over the gaps to illuminate
yourself and your surrounding
environment.
While this preplanned challenge
between Islam and you, the youth, is
undesirable, it can raise new
questions in your curious and
inquiring minds. Attempts to find
answers to these questions will
provide you with an appropriate
opportunity to discover new truths.
Therefore,
dont
miss
the
opportunity to gain proper, correct
and unbiased understanding of Islam
so that hopefully, due to your sense
of responsibility toward the truth,
future generations would write the
history of this current interaction
between Islam and the West with a
clearer
conscience
and
lesser
resentment.
Sayyid Ali Khamenei
21st January, 2015

Page 3: Muslim Ummah

Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah lashes out at Israel in a

speech on 30th Jan, 2015.
Hezbullah chief Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah
during televised speech commemorating the
Resistance's Martyrs in Quneitra:
I salute the families of the martyrs and thank
all those who offered their condolences to us. I
dedicate a special thanks to the fighters in the
resistance who were up to the responsibility of
the Quneitra attack.
I salute the supporters of the resistance, who stood by us the moment
the Quneitra strike took place. It is our duty, as we commemorate the
martyrs of the resistance, to salute the martyrs of the Lebanese army,
who were killed in Ras Baalbek as they were defending the Bekaa
against takfiri terrorists, who prove everyday that they are serving the
Israeli agenda.
I salute the resistance martyrs of the Quneitra attack... Israel believes
that it can threaten all armies and governments in the region whenever
it pleases and without being deterred.
Israel is taking advantage of the divisions in the region and the
complete absence of the stances of the Arab countries, especially the
so-called Arab League. There is no such thing as an Arab League or an
independent Arab stance when it comes to Israel. Arab positions and
arms are available when it comes to Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. Given
this reality in the region, the Quneitra airstrike took place on Jan. 18.
An Israeli helicopter targeted two civilian vehicles transporting our
seven brothers in the area. Our brothers in Quneitra were killed in a
clear assassination, in a decision taken by Israel.
Israel was surprised when Hezbullah announced the name of its
martyrs within a short time of the strike. Thousands of members of alNusra Front are present along the border with Israel in the occupied
Golan Heights. Netanyahu is not at all concerned by the presence of alNusra on Israel's border. Israel however felt threatened by six
Hezbullah members and an Iranian general passing through Quneitra.
Israel immediately anticipated a Hezbullah retaliation to the Quneitra
assassination and therefore took all precautions. We took no hesitation
in making the decision that Israel should be punished for its crime in
Qunietra.
We prepared ourselves for the worst case scenario when we took that
decision.The resistance carried out its Shebaa operation in broad
daylight in spite of the fact that Israel was at its highest level of
preparation.Israel did not claim responsibility for the Quneitra attack,
but Hezbullah claimed responsibility for the Shebaa operation soon
after it took place. I salute the fighters who carried out the Shebaa
Farms operation...
Israel must understand that the resistance cannot be deterred. If Israel
is banking that we fear war, then I tell it that we do not fear war and
we will not hesitate in waging it if it is imposed on us. We do not want
a war, but we do not fear it. The resistance no longer cares about rules
of engagement and we do not recognize them in confronting the
enemy. We have the right to confront the enemy at any time, place, or
manner.
From now on, if any member of Hezbullah is assassinated, then we
will blame it on Israel and reserve the right to respond to it whenever
and however we choose.

Page 4: Spirituality

The Awakening, Issue 1, Vol. 2, Number 1

One can either love Allah or love the world

- Martyr Baqir al-Sadr (ra)

Ayatullah Martyr Baqir al-Sadr

(ra), during the final days of his
last Ramadhan, gave a powerful
speech to Religious Scholars.
This speech is translated in the
book "Trends of History in the
Qur'an" by the same author.
Some experts follow:
"One can either love Allah or love the world. But both the
loves cannot be contained in one heart. Let us submit our
hearts to test. Let us examine our hearts to see whether the
love of Allah or the love of this world prevails over them.
If the love of Allah prevails over our hearts, let us make it
deeper. If, Allah forbid, the love of this world prevails, let
us try to save ourselves from this dreadful malady."
"Every love which occupies the centre of the heart of a
person is of either of the two kinds. We call the perfect
love the double grade love and the love which is not so
perfect, the single grade love. To begin with, (single grade)
love becomes the basis of man's sentiments, feelings,
emotions and desires. After attending to his job or
immediate need, man soon returns to his object of love,
because love occupies the centre of his thoughts, feelings
and sentiments."
"In the case of double grade love, man's entire attention is
drawn by the object of his love and nothing can divert his
attention from it. He is never inattentive to the thought of
his beloved". "Both these kinds of love are found in the
case of the noble love of Allah. Single grade love appears
in the hearts of the pious believers whose hearts are free
from the impurities of the base affairs of this world. As
soon as they are free from their immediate engagements,
they return to the question which is the object of their
love."
"As for double grade love, it is found in the hearts of the
Prophets and Imams. You all know Imam Ali ibn Abi
Talib (as), in the vicinity of whose tomb we live (Najaf).
This great man has said "I never saw a thing but I saw Allah
before it, after it and along with it". (Qablahu, wa ba'dahu wa
ma'ahu)."
"In fact, this was because love of Allah occupied his great
heart and conscience in such a way that it concealed
everything else from him. Even when he saw human
beings, he saw Allah. When he looked at Allah's bounties,
he remembered Him. This bond with Allah was always
present before his eyes, for it was Allah alone whom he
truly loved and to whom his hopes and aspirations were
directed. He never allowed anyone to divert his attention
from Allah".
"Love of the world also reaches the stage where man does
not see anything but the world before it, after it and along
with it. Whatever he does, he does it for some wordly gain.

He cannot devote himself to pious deeds for more than a

few days. This is double grade love of the world. Imam
Sadiq (as) has said, "This world is like sea water. The more one
drinks of it, the more one gets thirsty."
"It was love of Allah that was the basis of Imam Ali's (as)
courage and bravery. His courage was not that of a
ferocious beast. It was the courage produced by the faith
and love of Allah. He was over 60 when he fought against
the Khwarij and in a single engagement killed 4000 of them.
He was also at the height of bravery in regard to being
patient and not pressing his rightful claim. He kept quiet
when he was required by Allah to overlook his right. At that
time, he was in the prime of his life. His conscience was
aflame with the fire of youth. But Islam had told him to
keep quiet and be patient, despite the violation of his
rights."
"After all what is this world of ours? It is a collection of
imaginery and fictional things. Harun-al-Rashid's world
was very imposing. We curse him day and night. We say
that we are better, more pious and more God-fearing than
Harun was. Has the world of Harun-al-Rashid been offered
to us and have we rejected it? If not, how can we claim to be
more pious than him. The world offered to us is not that of
Harun. It is much less limited and comparably insignificant.
It is transient and shorter and not as vast and extensive as
that of Harun. For the sake of this world, he imprisoned
Imam Musa-e-Kazim (as). Are we sure that if we get that
world, we would not throw the Imam into prison? Have we
tested ourselves and put this question to ourselves? Has the
world of Harun ever been offered to us so that we know we
are more pious?"
"In our world, there can be no truth except that of Allah's
good pleasure. Had the Imam worked for worldly gains, he
would have been the most miserable person. Yet when he
worked for Allah, he said on his deathbed "By the God of the
Ka'aba, I am a successful person". This world is not for the
students of theology. A student looking for this world can
get neither this world nor the next. Therefore, it is
incumbent upon us, as students, to confine our efforts to
seeking the next world for this world has no value to us".
"We should think any moment as possible for our death. At
the time of his death, my father was not as old as I was . My
brother died at a younger age than I did. I have now
completed the span of my lifetime."
"We ask Allah to purify our hearts, and to brighten them
with faith. May He turn our mind more towards seeking
His pleasure and fill or hearts with His love, His fear and
belief in Him. May he help us according to the teachings of
his book, Ameen."

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