Monthly The Message - Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (a.s.)
02
From the Editors Desk
03
Your Daily-Life Questions Answered
05
Divine Tests and Allahs Will in Human Guidance
06
The Hajj and Its Effects
09
The Farewell Hajj of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.)
18
The Great Historical Event of Ghadir-e-Khum
28
Statements of Imam Reza (A.S.) regarding the occurrence of

Ghaibat
33
Morality of Imam Muhammad Taqi al-Jawad (A.S.)
40
10
The Account of Shaqq al-Qamar and The Evening Star
44
11
Zamzam Water
47
12
The Strong Bondage between the Day of Arafah & Ashura
49
13
The Superior Outlook
52
Kids Corner
14
Islam is a religion of mercy & kindness to all
58
15
Imam Reza (A.S.): Fraternity & Equality
59
16
Young age of 9th Imam, Imam al-Jawad (A.S.)
59
17
Eid al-Adha
60
18
Eid al-Mubahila Day of victory of Islam
61
19
Eid -e- Ghadeer: A symbol of Succession
63
The Message
Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)
1. All good is contained in
three traits: looking, being
quiet and talking. If one
does not get admonished
when he sees things, he is
in error. Not thinking
when you are quiet equals
ignorance, and any talk in
which there is no remembrance of God is in vain.
2. There are two types of
remembrance: remembering God during times of
calamities, and even better is remembering God
when you are about to do
what God has forbidden.
This form of remembrance
will cause you to abandon
forbidden acts.
3. Even if I hit a believer's
nose with my sword in
order to make him my
enemy, he will not become my enemy. Also
even if I bestow the whole
universe to a hypocrite to
make him like me, he will
not like me. This is because of God's words that
were expressed by the
unschooled Prophet: O'

Ali! No believer will ever
become your enemy, and
no hypocrite will ever become your friend'.
4. Every breath of life has a
provision and every seed
has an eater.
5. Consult the friend before
adopting a course and the
neighbor before taking a
house.
6. Cover your friends flaw
that you have its like.
7. God loves beauty and
loves to see the traces of
His graces on the servants.
8. Struggling against vain
desires is the price of Paradise.
9. Faith is preserved by
piety, and destroyed by
greed.
10. Whenever you start to get
some blessings, do not
lose the rest of the blessings by not giving enough
thanks.

2
The Message
From The Editors Desk

and when our society becomes a
mixture of different sets of rules,
and the worldly people making
the laws, first find the ways to
break the laws, how can we
expect peace, justice and security
in such a society.
In the name of Allah, the

all mercy, the ever mercy.
Brothers and Sisters,
Salam Alaikum.
One of the blessings of Allah
(s.w.t.) for the human being is
peace & security. Our creator has
made systems so that people live
in peace & harmony and dont
create problems for others. But
human beings, due to their
authoritative nature, try to control
everything in any way possible. It
is Islam which keeps a check &
balance on its followers and has
suggested strict punishments for
those who create problems for
others. One of the examples is
that if someone tries to harass
people even by just brandishing a
weapon, he will be punished by
chopping off one of his arms and
one of his legs; a second offence
of similar nature would entitle the
second hand and leg to be
chopped off and third offence will
be punishable by death. If a
person takes away a stick of
match box without the permission
of its owner he cannot lead
prayers, as his adalat will be
nullified. With such strictness who
would dare to create problems for
any one in a society.
Our dear country Pakistan is also

passing through such situations.
Here people kill people on
different pretext, snatch belongings, kidnap for ransom, collect
illegal money.....! and all this
takes place right in front of those
who are responsible for peace &
harmony. Although operation
Zarb-e-Azb has been started and
some operations are in progress
in our own city as well, but thats
not enough. The root cause has
to be eradicated.
During last few days people have
started feeling what peace &
security means. There are people
who, from their childhood, had
not seen such peace & security
and feel quite different in this
peaceful environment. I hope its
not going to be a short break
rather it is going to be the norm
of our society. Security brings
confidence in many ways and as
the society flourishes, people start
living a normal life.
I would like to point to the main
But when we stop following Islam
The Message
reason for the situation which was

prevailing in our city. The political
parties, their leaders and followers were given open hand as they
had power in their hands and
could pressurize anyone anytime.
Politics is altogether a different
thing. It has been translated in a
negative manner in our country
and that is why all these problems
have been arising.
all sit together and watch

whatever is being aired. This is a
grave situation and something
has to be done. I have requested
my near & dear ones to remove
Pakistani cable channels from
their houses and
switch to
Islamic channels (after thorough
checking) as there are few
channels in the name of Islam/
Ahl-e-Bait (a.s.) but are actually
anti Islam/ Ahl-e-Bait (a.s.).
I highly recommend that a full

check should be kept on the
parties, their leaders and workers;
and educated & dignified people
should come in to rule the country
in place of corrupt people.
As far as ulema going on TV

Channels, specially in the holy
month of Ramzan, it is for passing
the message of Ahl-e-Bait (a.s.)
to others and not to the followers
of them. Its their duty to avail
any opportunity which comes in
their way to do this job.
On the other hand we have seen

our so called TV Channels going
out of control and are not ready
to realize their importance in the
society. They are working either
trying to get good ratings in order
to get advertisements or implement their hidden agendas. The
outcome is that, vulgar advertisements and dramas are being
made and there is no one to
check them or stop them. The
families, regardless religious or
non religious (but with some
cultural and moral values) also
bow down in front of the media
and the final outcome is that the
TV is always on in the mid of the
house, and is a centre of attraction; and regardless of its material
Those going to Hajj are requested

to remember that Hajj has
different aspects including ibadat,
complete submission, politics,
social, economical, educational,
moral and many more. Usually
only ibadat aspect is emphasized
and other aspects are neglected.
It is important to do some reading
before going for Hajj to benefit
more than what normal people
benefit. Iltemas e dua.
Long live Islam.
Long live Pakistan.
Editor,
Shabbir H. Maisami (Lakhani)
The Message
Your Daily-Life Questions Answered

Q.1: If a person gives me a
gift from which he has not
paid Khums, is it necessary for me to pay Khums
on it?
Ans.: Yes, You may offer it in

the said case.
Q.4. Is it permissible to
play ludo game without
the intention of gambling?
Ans.: If a person gives a gift

to a Shia Ithna Asheri, from
which Khums has not been
paid, one fifth of it is the
liability of the donor himself,
and one who gets the gift is
not required to pay anything.
Ans.: It is allowed as long as

it is not a gambling game nor
it involves betting.
Q.5: Is it compulsory for
us to keep relationship
with one who does not
want to talk and keep any
relation with us? Can we
leave him or not?
Q.2: If the bride does not

use the jewelry and other
items of Jahaiz for a whole
year after the marriage,
will Khums become wajib
on these things?
Ans.: You do not have to cut

off your relation and it is
sufficient to say Salam and
ask after his\her health when
you meet him\her. And if he
or she becomes sick, visit
them and if they need help,
then help them.
Ans.: The Jahaiz given by the

girl's parents is a gift to their
daughter and ruling of Ayatollah Sistani & Ayatollah Bashir
Najafi is that Khums is wajib
on gifts. Therefore Khums has
to be paid on items of Jahaiz
that were not used for one
year.
Q.6. Is it permissible to
close the eyes during
namaz?
Q.3. Suppose five persons

are buried at the same
night. Does one namaz-ewahshat for all of them
suffice?
Ans.: It is permissible, but

disliked (makruh).

5
The Message
Divine Tests and Allahs Will in

Human Guidance
By: Hojjat al-Islam Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani
Question: If Allah (s.w.t.) is

omniscient, why does He need
to test mankind?
used for such tests in Islamic

literature is fitnah (in this
sense this term denotes a
crucible). Fitnah literally
refers to the process of
smelting by which gold is
purified. In one hadith it is
said that people are tested
the way gold is tested. The
mettle of man is gold ore that
is purified in the crucible of
Divine tests and guidance. It
should be kept in mind
though, that in the course of
such tests, just as good
qualities reach their perfection
in the believers, bad qualities
also develop to the utmost in
disbelievers.
Answer:
As implied by the question,
because Allah (awj) is omniscient, the purpose of His tests
is not to unveil something
hitherto unknown. Rather, the
Quran and ahadith suggest
that these tests serve two
purposes. First, they comprise
a Divine precedent (sunnah
ilahiyyah) that is in turn based
on another Divine precedent
that can be termed universal
guidance. In particular, Allah
(awj) wishes that mankind, by
obeying the divine law (shariah) and struggling through
the various circumstances that
he encounters in life, will
blossom from potentiality to
actuality, and will thereby
attain the level of perfection
that has been intended for
him. One of the terms that is
The second purpose that

these tests serve is to awaken
man from his sleep of heedlessness. The Quran explains
that one of the purposes of
tragedy and disaster is to test
man and thereby jar him from
his stupor of heedlessness. In
a way, tragedy in mans life
The Message
serves the same purpose as

the ridges that are embossed
on some modern motorways
and highways that are meant
to wake drivers during the
monotony of highway driving
so they do not fall asleep at
the wheel.
concluded that Allah (s.w.t.)

has not desired the guidance
of all humanity?
Answer:
Allah (awj) has willed the
guidance of all His creatures.
For, after taking all the
[relevant] Qurànic verses
into consideration, the following points can be deduced:
There are, in reality, two

types of Divine will at play
here. One is called the
existential will (al-iradah altakwiniyyah) and the other is
called the legislative will (aliradah al-tashriiyyah). Allahs
(awj) existential will is that
through Divine tests, both
believers and disbelievers be
able to actualize their good
and bad potentials. On the
other hand, his legislative will
is that only good potentials be
actualized.
Allahs Will
Guidance
in
1. Divine guidance is divided

into existential (takwini) and
legislative (tashrii) guidance.
Existential guidance is the allencompassing guidance that
embraces the entire creation.
Allah (awj) has put all creatures in motion by ingraining
in their nature their inclination
for seeking perfection and
reaching their ultimate goal.
The
legislative
guidance,
which is more specific, is
exclusive to the bearers of
intellect and thought and
pertains to religious issues,
such as rightful doctrines and
the Divine oughts and oughtnots. The prophets and their
infallible successors serve as
the conduit for this latter
Human
Question: Considering the

verse of the Quran in Surah
32, verse 13 which reads,
Had We wished We would
have given every soul its
guidance, - can it not be
The Message
guidance. It is this guidance

that is an extra favour bestowed upon mankind, and
hence they enjoy both types
of guidance.
free being and can choose to

take the path of Divine
guidancethereby preparing
in himself the grounds for
further guidanceor he could
choose to take the opposite
direction, which leads to
disbelief
and
oppression.
What the verse in question
intends is that if Allah (awj)
had wished, He could have
created the human being
without free will. But Allah
(awj) chose to mould the
human being as a volitional
creature by the means of His
existential
and
legislative
guidance so that he would be
responsible for his actions and
distinguish truth from falsehood. It is in line with the
same Divine norm that if the
human being embarks on the
path of oppression and
disbelief, consequently he
would be deprived of Divine
guidance. But on the other
hand, by choosing to follow
the path of truth, the human
being earns the blessing of
further guidance.
2. There are many verses in

the Quràn which confirm the
free will of the human being,
such as, Indeed We have
guided him to the way, be he
grateful or ungrateful. This
ability to choose is a measure
of existential guidance from
Allah (awj), for the human
being cannot himself be the
source of his free will as it
would entail the problem of
circularity or infinite regress.
3. The entire creation is
founded on a framework of
causality, and the Divine norm
(sunnat Allah) requires that all
affairs be guided through the
causal matrix. In this vein, He
has provided the means of
guidance for all human
beings, by which they can
attain the ultimate goal of
their existence. So although
the human being has been
blessed by existential guidance, at the same time he is a

8
The Message
The Hajj and Its Effects

Edited excerpts from the book, Hajj - The Islamic Pilgrimage
By: Ayatollah Syed Muhammad Zia Abadi
The purpose of acts of

worship is to draw mans
attention to the privilege he
has in the universe. That
purpose is achieved by fully
recognizing the Creator of the
universe, having a spiritual
journey towards Him, shedding off of all kinds of material
pollutions from oneself, being
illuminated with Gods light,
and being absorbed in infinite
joy as a result of affinity with
God Who is Absolute Beauty
and Infinite Perfection.
This is the virtue of being

pious and detached from the
world, which is the outcome
of getting to know God and
mans full attention to a
metaphysical world.
Being a Servant of God is
Mans Dignity
The fact that God has assigned acts of worship for
human beings is a sign of
Gods grace towards man. By
calling man to His House and
by giving him the honor of
being called the servant of
Allah, God has made man
distinct from other creatures.
If human beings could only
understand what dignity this
title gives, they would ignore
all the worldly titles and would
not think of anything other
than qualifying for that title.
This requires belittling the

worldly pleasures against the
pleasure of affinity with God
hence being indifferent to
fortune and misfortune in the
world. In this relation, the
Holy Quran says:
So that you may not
grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant
at what He has given
you (1)
Impact of Worship on Soul

God-seekers believe that acts
of worship and religious duties
are different from one another
The Message
in terms of leaving a certain

impact on soul and its perfection. Some of them have the
quality of purification while
others adorn the soul; some
of them remove darkness
from the soul while others
illuminate mans soul.
short-tempered co-travelers,
sunburn, insufficient sleep,
performing rather unfamiliar
acts are not pleasant by the
norms of the superficial
intellect.
Hajj, the Assembly
Dispersed
Powers
Single Forum
For example, charity purifies

mans heart from the evil of
love for wealth. Observing
fast strengthens ones will and
power of resistance against
carnal desires, leading to piety
and immunity. The virtue of
prayer is to illuminate mans
soul with the light of the
heavens and the earth.
Nevertheless, Hajj has a
double purposeit has the
quality of purification and it is
ornament as well. They both
remove darkness of mammonism from heart and bring
about illumination of Gods
remembrance.
of
in
And proclaim among

men the pilgrimage; they
will come to you on foot
and on every lean camel,
coming from every remote
path, that they may witness advantages for them
and mention the Name of
Allah
during
stated
days.(2)
The
word
'advantages'
includes all virtues, both
physically and spiritually, of
the world and the Hereafter
indicating that the great
assembly of Muslim nations in
a single forum is like a sea
coming into existence as a
result of joining of small and
big rivers.
Almsgiving, being far from

ones family, having no ease
and comfort of ones home,
ones business and jobs,
tolerating the sufferings of a
trip, having to put up with
As a result of unity of opinion

and unanimity arising from
10
The Message
believing in one God and

being the followers of one
Book and one Prophet, all
Muslims stand in a single rank
facing Kiblah and go round a
center with a single aim.
Believers are brethren. Their

blood has equal value. They
are a single hand and power
against others. The promise
of each of them is like that of
all, hence binding.
Such unity of ideology and act

gives this assembly so much
power that it can remove
mountains, defeat the most
formidable opposition powers,
foil any treacherous plot, and
generate a life full of happiness, dignity, and supremacy
by
performing
heavenly
injunctions and consolidating
the pillars of social justice.
Hajj, Mans Ascension to

Heaven
Spiritual journey and affinity
with God are some of the
advantages of Hajj. The light
of Gods guidance illuminates
susceptible hearts, making
them detached from the earth
and attached to God.
By putting on Ihram, saying
Labbayk,
circumambulating
the House, offering sacrifice,
and doing other acts of
worship, mans heart goes
through a spiritual stage. Only
does God know how many
averted hearts have become
fond of Him in this Sacred
House and how many misled
men have become pious and
heavenly thanks to the
blessings of this holy place.
Beyond doubt, what can solve

problems of life is social
cooperation, which is materialized by creating understanding among nations. The most
important
factor
behind
understanding is the rightful
teachings of a religion, which
bridges the gaps, brings
hearts together, and makes
the black and white, Arabs
and non-Arabs, feel sympathy
for one another. In his
Farewell Hajj in Mina, the
Holy Prophet (saww) said:
The Holy Quran supports this

claim by saying:
11
The Message
directions. Whoever loves the

world will naturally abandon
the Hereafter. The world and
the Hereafter are like east and
west. The more you go
towards the east you will take
more distance from the
west.(5)
(The Holy House is)

blessed and a guidance for
the nations. (3)
Why should guardians of
spirituality be settled in a
desert?
Why should the offspring of
Prophet Ibrahim (as) be
settled in an uncultivated land
far from civilization? What is
the advisability? Is it because
they are the guardians of the
spirituality of human society,
keeper of prayer, Gods
remembrance, and secret of
servitude in the world? Must
their living environment be far
from luxury, which makes
man forget God, so as to be
able to keep remembrance of
God and the Hereafter alive in
mans heart? It is said:
A man of many desires will

not be a man of God. A
mammonist loses spiritual
values and his guidance has
no effect on human souls and
hearts.
Therefore, the offspring of
Ibrahim (as) and the spiritual
leaders must live in an
uncultivated land devoid of
luxury and physical pleasures.
They must choose to live near
the Sacred House and to think
of God and remember Him all
the time. Human hearts, too,
have naturally an inclination
towards their Lord hence
move to His House and its
guardians. Not only do they
avoid sparing everything for
this sake but also they sincerely offer their pure emotions and love for the House
The world and the Hereafter

are like rival wives; when you
please one, you will hurt the
other. (4)
Imam Ali (as) says:
The world and the Hereafter
are two incompatible enemies
and two roads in different
12
The Message
of God and the offspring of

Ibrahim (as), the most
honorable of whom is the
Holy Prophet (saww) and the
Imams (as).
The words poverty and sins

in
the
above-mentioned
sermon indicate that Hajj
brings about absolute independence and purification for
Ummah in a way that they
feel no need for alien nations
help and feel independent in
cultural, economic, military,
and administrative affairs. We
hope that theft, indecency,
hoarding, and injustice will
leave the society to change it
into a purified, rich one.
Hajj, Gods Right to Man &

Mans Gratefulness to Him
and pilgrimage to the
House is incumbent upon
men for the sake of Allah,
(upon) everyone who is
able to undertake the
journey to it (6)
This Quranic Verse reveals
Gods right to men. In the
same way that every benefactor has a right, and the
person who has been favored
tries to make up for his
benefactors beneficence and
pay a visit to his house to
express his thanks, it is the
duty of people to make
pilgrimage to Gods House to
offer their thanks to Him.
Ignoring Hajj Leads to

Weakness of the Religion
and
the
Unbelievers
Domination over Muslims
In view of the vital effects of
Hajj on the ummahs supremacy, if the Islamic governments ignore this important
religious duty, or if Hajj
becomes devoid of its content, its spiritual power will
diminish in the ummah in view
of the propaganda spread by
the enemies of Islam. Imam
Sadiq (as) says:
Hajj Removes Poverty and

Social Disobedience
Imam Ali (as) says: Hajj and
Umrah remove poverty and
cleanse sins. (7)
If people neglect Hajj, it

becomes obligatory upon the
13
The Message
leaders to force them to

perform it and if they need
money to go on Hajj, the
leaders will be required to
supply them with such money
from the public treasury. (8)
not be abandoned or weakened under any conditions.

According to traditions, no
charity can replace it.
I said to Imam Sadiq (as)
that
some
jurisprudents
remark that if a man performs
the Hajj rites once, he would
better give charity instead of
going on Hajj again. The
Imam (as) commented: They
are lying, for if they do so, the
Kaaba
will
be
forsaken
whereas Allah has made this
House
maintenance
for
people. (11)
Addressing to Imam Hasan

and Imam Husayn, Imam Ali
(as) says:
(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah
in mind in the matter of your
Lords House; the Kaaba. Do
not forsake it so long as you
live, because if it is abandoned, you will not be respited. (9)
Spending a Mountain of
Red Gold in the Sake of
God Does Not Equal Going
On Hajj
Imam Sadiq (as) says:

Thanks to our Shiite pilgrims,
Allah removes disaster from
the Shiites who do not perform it, but if all agree to
forsake Hajj, they will perish.(10)
The Holy Prophet has just

completed the Hajj rites when
a Bedouin came to him
saying,
No Charity Can Replace

Hajj
O Messenger of Allah, I left

home for Hajj but because of
an obstacle I failed to perform
its rites. I am a wealthy man.
Kindly give me an instruction
by which I get the reward of
Hajj.
Since Hajj plays an important

role in safeguarding the
religion and being a main
pillar of Islam and a factor for
reviving the ummah, it must
14
The Message
The Holy Prophet (saww)

turned his look at Mount AbuQubais and said: If you have
red gold as much as this
mountain and spend it for
Allahs sake, the reward of
such deed will not be as much
as that of the Hajj pilgrimage. (12)
needy, I dissuaded him. The

Imam (as) said: You will
become ill for one year for
what you have said.
Ammar said: For one year, I
became ill. (15)
The blessings of Hajj on all
people of the world
While elaborating on the
philosophy of Hajj, Imam
Ridha (as) said:
Neither Forsake Hajj Nor

Dissuade Others
Imam Baqir (as) says:
The benefits of Hajj cover

both east and west; those
who perform the Hajj rites
and those who do not whether they are businessmen,
shopkeepers, or poor. People
from all classes of societies
are blessed with the benefits
of Hajj. (16)
One who prefers a worldly

affair to going on Hajj will
realize that all the Hajj
pilgrims have returned home
with their heads shaven but
his needs have not been
fulfilled yet.(13)
Imam Sadiq (as) says:
Beware of delaying the Hajj
of your brother, for not only
will you be punished in the
Hereafter but also you will be
afflicted with tribulation in this
world. (14)
During the season of Hajj, the

leaders of the Islamic countries converge a forum based
on the unity of ideology,
compassion, love, purity, and
sincerity. So their resolution
for
implementing
laws,
dispensing social justice, and
safeguarding
the
human
rights, with no aim other than
Ishaq ibn Ammar reported:

I said to Imam Sadiq (as) that
a man consulted me on going
on Hajj but since he was
15
The Message
obeying Gods instructions and

pleasing Him will benefit all.
It is really surprising that the

power of the religion can hold
such great assembly in a
single time and place of the
ummah but the foreigners
negative propaganda and
destructive colonialist plots
cause such dispersion among
the ummah that they are
dispersed while being together. Such an outlook saddened
the Holy Prophet (saww)
fourteen centuries ago so
much that he expressed his
worries about the future of
the ummah in the Sacred
House and warned Muslims
against it among other bitter
events.
By gaining power and supremacy as a result of unity, the

Islamic countries can establish
good commercial and cultural
ties with other nations and
gradually make them familiar
with the heavenly teachings of
Islam. Because of the universal benefits of Hajj, the Holy
Quran and the traditions so
emphatically call people to
Hajj.
The Positive Effects
Hajj on the Ummah
of
All
the
afore-mentioned
benefits are some of the lifegiving effects of Hajj on the
society. Yet this great assembly is held every year but
Muslim nations face one
another with suspicion, fear
one another, and depart
without having created any
kind of understanding, getting
to know one another, and
without becoming aware of
the treacherous conspiracies
hatched for them from
outside.
The Holy Prophet Worries

about Hajj at the End of
the World
Abdullah ibn Abbas is quoted
as saying: I was with the Holy
Prophet (saww) in the Farewell Hajj. He took the gate of
the Kaaba with the hand and
while addressing to people, he
spoke of the future events.
On Hajj, the Holy Prophet
said: The rich will go to
Mecca for amusement, the
16
The Message
middle-class for business, and

the poor for showing off and
fame. At that time, people will
learn the Holy Quran for
purposes other than Allah,
recite it as song, and engage
in learning jurisprudence for
worldly benefits.(17)
Beyond doubt, the responsibility of us, Muslims, before God,

Islam, and the Holy Quran is
extremely great. Presenting a
distorted image of Islam and
introducing Hajj as useless are
sins subjected to punishment.
Notes:
We Have to Confess this

Bitter Fact
1. The Holy Quran; 57:23

We have to confess this bitter

fact and admit that the reason
of this weakness and decadence among Muslims despite
having such sublime program
is our failure to understand
the spirit and essence of the
heavenly teachings of Islam.

4. Collection of Waram; vol. 1
p.138
5. Tohaf ul-Uqool, p.147
7. Nahjul Balagha; sermon 109
8. al-Kafi; vol. 4 p.272
The Fault lies with us
9. Nahjul Balagha; Will No. 47
As a matter of fact, we have

not understood the essence of
Islam, accepted it wholeheartedly, or introduced the
attractive image of it to the
world. Yes, we have to admit
this fact humbly. Perhaps God
will forgive us for our confession. We are called Muslims
while our individual or social
ways of living do not conform
to the true essence of Islam.
10. Mustadrak ul-Wasail; Vol. 2

Section: Hajj p.4
11. Ilal ush-Sharaie; vol. 2 p.137
12. al-Kafi; vol. 4 p. 258
13. Men la Yahdhur, Chap. Hajj
16. Ilal ush-Sharaie; vol. 2 p.90
17. Tafsir al-Mizan; vol. 5 p.434

17
The Message
The Farewell Hajj of the Holy Prophet

(Peace be upon him & his Progeny)
By: Ayatollah Ja'far Subhani
Amongst the congregational

articles of worship of Islam
the ceremonies of Hajj are the
greatest and most magnificent
worship performed by the
Muslims, because the performance of these ceremonies
and that too once in a year is
the sublime manifestation of
unity and fellowship, a perfect
sign of freedom from belongings and place, a prominent
example of equality between
different classes, a source of
strengthening
relations
between Muslims etc. Now if
we Muslims make little use of
the opportunity afforded by
Hajj for our betterment and
convene this annual Islamic
congress (which can undoubtedly solve most of our social
problems and can bring about
far-reaching changes in our
lives) without deriving proper
benefit from it, it is not
because the law is defective
but the fault lies with the
Muslim leaders who do not,

make proper use of this grand
ceremony.
Since the day Prophet Ibrahim
(a.s.) had constructed the
Ka'bah and invited the monotheists to perform its
pilgrimage, this place has
always been the centre of
attraction, where tawaf was
done by the godly peoples
and every year groups of
pilgrims came from different
parts of Arabia and from all
corners of the world for the
pilgrimage of this House and
performed the ceremonies
taught by Prophet Ibrahim.
However, as a consequence of
the passage of time and also
because of the people of the
Hijaz being deprived of the
guidance of the Prophets, the
selfishness of Quraysh, and
the rule of idols over the Arab
world, the ceremonies of Hajj
fell prey to change and
alteration from the viewpoint
18
The Message
of time and place and lost

their real features. For these
reasons the Prophet was
ordered by Allah in the tenth
year of migration to participate in the Hajj ceremonies
personally so that he might
practically teach the people
their obligations and might
discard the old and unwanted
practices of this article of
worship and also instruct the
people about the limits of
'Arafah and Mina and tell
them about the time of
departure from those places.
As compared with its political
and social aspect, therefore,
this journey carried a greater
educational aspect.
The Prophet appointed Abu

Dujanah as his representative
in Madina and proceeded to
Makkah on the 28th of
Zeeqad taking with himself
sixty sacrificial animals. When
he reached Zil Hulayfah he
put on, at Masjid Shajarah,
ehram, which consisted of two
plain sheets of cloth, and
while putting on ehram he
recited
the
well-known
supplication,
which
commences with the word Labbayk (Here I am) which is a
reply to the call of Prophet
Ibrahim. He said Labbayk
every time he saw a rider or
arrived at a high or a low
spot. When he reached near
Makkah
he
discontinued
reciting Labbayk. He arrived in
Makkah on the 4th of Zilhajj
went straight to the Masjid alHaram entering there through
the gate of Bani Shaybah. He
was then glorifying Allah and
seeking blessings for Prophet
Ibrahim.
In the eleventh Islamic month

(Zeeqad) the Prophet got it
proclaimed in the city as well
as amongst the tribes that he
intended to perform the
pilgrimage of the Ka'bah that
year. This news inspired great
interest in the Muslim ummah.
Thousands of persons pitched
up tents in the outskirts of
Madina and awaited the
departure of the Prophet.[1]
During tawaf he stood opposite the Black stone. In the

first instance he performed its
19
The Message
istilam[2] and then went

round the Ka'bah seven times.
Thereafter he stood behind
Maqam-i Ibrahim and offered
tawaf prayers consisting of
two rak'ats. After offering the
prayers he commenced Sa'i
between Safa and Marwah.[3]
Then he turned to the pilgrims
and said: "Those who have
not brought sacrificial animals
with them should come out of
the state of ehram and all the
things which are unlawful for
them (during ehram) will
become lawful with taqseer
(shortening the hair and/or
cutting the nails). However, I
and others who have brought
sacrificial animals with us shall
remain in the condition of
ehram till we have slaughtered the animals in Mina.
times they said: "It is not

correct that we should be the
pilgrims of the House of Allah
and the drops of the water of
(ceremonial) washing should
be falling from our heads and
necks".[4]
The Prophet chanced to see
Hazrat Umar who was still in
the state of ehram and asked
him whether he had brought
any sacrificial animal with
him. He replied in the negative. Thereupon the Prophet
said: "Then why have you not
come out of ehram. He
replied: "I don't like that I
should come out of ehram
whereas you should continue
to remain in the same state".
The Prophet said "You will
stick to this belief not only
now, but till the day of your
death".
This thing weighed heavily on

some persons and their
excuse was that they did not
like that the Prophet should
continue to remain in ehram
whereas they should go out of
it, and the things which were
unlawful for him should
become lawful for them. At
The Prophet was displeased

on account of the doubt and
indecision of the people and
said: "If the future had been
as clear to me as the past,
and I had been aware of your
unjustified indecision and
doubt, I too would have come
20
The Message
for the pilgrimage of the

House of Allah without a
sacrificial animal just like
yourselves. However, I can't
help, because I have brought
the sacrificial animals with me
and according to the Command of Allah, "Till the
sacrificial (animal) reaches its
place", I must remain in the
state of ehram till I have
slaughtered those animals at
the sacrificial ground of Mina.
However, every person who
has not brought a sacrificial
animal with him should come
out of ehram and should
treat, whatever he has
already performed, to be
umrah and should, thereafter,
wear ehram for Hajj.[5]
brought with him the pieces

of cloth which he had collected from the people of
Najran the prescribed tribute.
While on his way he delegated
the command of the soldiers
to an officer of his and himself
hurried to Makkah. He met
the Prophet, who was extremely pleased to see him
and asked him: "How did you
make your intention?" He
replied: "At the time appropriate for ehram I put on ehram
with your intention and said
'O Allah! I too am putting on
ehram with the same intention with which Your Prophet
has put it on'. Then he
informed the Prophet about
the sacrificial animals which
he had brought with him. The
Prophet said: "The obligation
of both of us in this matter is
one and the same and we
must remain in the state of
ehram till the sacrificial
animals are slaughtered".
Then he ordered Ali to go
back to his soldiers and bring
them to Makkah. When Ali
rejoined his soldiers he found
Imam Ali (A.S.) Returns

From Yemen To Participate In Hajj Ceremonies
The Commander of the
Faithful became aware of the
Prophet's departure to perform Hajj. He also proceeded
to Makkah along with his
soldiers to perform Hajj and
took
thirty-four
sacrificial
animals with him. He also
21
The Message
that all the pieces of cloth,

which he had collected from
the people of Najran in
accordance with the agreement concluded on the day of
Mubahila, had been distributed amongst the soldiers
and they were wearing them
by way of ehram. Ali was very
much displeased on account
of this action which had been
taken by his representative
during his absence and said to
him: "Why did you distribute
the pieces of cloth amongst
the soldiers before I delivered
them to the Prophet?" He
replied: They insisted that I
should lend the pieces of cloth
to them and take back after
the Hajj ceremonies had been
performed". Ali said to him:
"You were not authorized to
do so". Then he took back the
pieces of cloth from them,
packed them and delivered
them to the Prophet in
Makkah.
them, went before the Prophet and expressed their annoyance at Ali's taking back
the pieces of cloth from them.
The Prophet asked one of his
companions to go to the
complainants and convey to
them his message: "Desist
from speaking ill of Ali. He is
dauntless in enforcing Divine
laws and is not a flatterer''.[6]
Hajj Ceremonies Begin
Ceremonies of Umrah came to
an end. The Prophet was not
inclined to stay in the house
of anyone during the interval
between the ceremonies of
Umrah and those of Hajj. He,
therefore, ordered his tent to
be pitched outside Makkah.
The 8th day of Zilhajj arrived.
The pilgrims of the House of
Allah proceeded on the same
day from Makkah to ''Arafah
so that they might perform
the ceremony of ''Arafah from
noon of 9th Zilhajj till the
sunset on that day.
People, for whom justice and

discipline is painful, and who
wish that events should
always take the turn liked by
On 8th Zilhajj, which is also

called the day of Tarwiyah
(the day of fetching water and
22
The Message
quenching thirst) the Prophet

proceeded to ''Arafah via Mina
and stayed in Mina till sunrise
on the 9th of the month. Then
he mounted his camel, left for
''Arafah and alighted at a
place called Numrah, where
his tent had been pitched.
Addressing
the
splendid
gathering there he delivered
his historical sermon while he
was mounted on the camel.
along with 100,000 persons,

and the victory of Islam over
blasphemy became decisive
and final. Thereafter, the
Prophet mounted his camel,
and delivered the historical
sermon, which was repeated
by one of his companions,
who had a loud voice, so that
those at a distance might also
come to know what the
Prophet was saying. On that
day he commenced his
sermon thus: "O people! Hear
my words, for it is possible
that I may not meet you at
this spot in future".
The Historical Sermon of

the Prophet at the Time of
the Farewell Hajj
On that day the land of
'Arafah witnessed a great and
splendid gathering, the like of
which had not till then been
seen by the people of the
Hijaz. The voice of monotheism and the slogans of the
worship of One Allah were
ringing in that land. The place
which had been, till only a
little time earlier, the residence of the polytheists and
idolaters became, forever, the
base for the worshippers of
One Allah. The Prophet
offered the noon and the
afternoon prayers in ''Arafah
"O people! Your blood and

property (honour and reputation[7]) are respectable for
one another, like this day and
this month, till the day on
which you meet Allah, and
every transgression in this
behalf is unlawful".
In order to be sure of the
desired impression of his
words on the people about
the respectability of the lives
and property of the Muslims
the Prophet asked Rabi'ah bin
Umayyah to ask them: "Which
23
The Message
month is this?" -All of them

replied: "It is a respectable
month and warfare during this
month is prohibited and
unlawful". Then the Prophet
said to Rabi'ah: "Tell them:
Allah has declared your blood
and property unlawful and
respectable for one another
like this month until you leave
this world." He again said to
Rabi'ah: "Ask them which land
is this?" - All of them replied:
"It is a respectable land and
bloodshed and transgression
in it is strictly prohibited". He
then said to Rabi'ah: "Tell
them your blood and property
are respectable like this land
and every sort of transgression in it is prohibited ".
Ignorance should be forgotten

and should not be avenged.
Even the blood of Ibn Rabi'ah
(a relative of the Prophet)
should be forgotten.
You will return to Allah soon
and in that world your good
and bad deeds will be
weighed. I tell you. One, to
whom something has been
entrusted, should return it to
its owner.
Yes, O people! You must
know that usury is strictly
prohibited in Islam. Those,
who have invested their
capital to earn interest can
take back their capital only.
They should neither oppress
nor be oppressed. And as
regards the interest which the
debtors of Abbas owed to him
before Islam the same has
lapsed and he has no right to
claim it.
Thereafter the Prophet said to

Rabi'ah: "Ask them which day
is this?"-They replied: "It is
the day of Hajj-i Akbar (the
Great Hajj)". The Prophet
said: "Tell them your blood
and property are respectable
like this day".[8]
"O people! Satan has lost

hope of his being worshipped
in your land. However, if you
follow him in small matters he
will be happy and pleased. So
do not follow Satan."
"Yes, O people! You should

know that the blood, which
was shed during the Days of
24
The Message
Making change[9] in the

sacred months (i.e. those
months in which warfare etc.
is unlawful) shows excessiveness of blasphemy, and those
unbelievers, who are not
acquainted with the sacred
months are misguided because of this change and
consequently a sacred month
becomes lawful in one year
and prohibited in another.
They think that by doing so
they change things made
lawful by Allah into unlawful
and vice versa.
too have rights over them.

Your right is that they should
not admit anyone in the
house without your consent,
and should not be guilty of
something
unfair,
failing
which Allah has authorized
you to quit their beds and also
chastise them. In case,
however, they revert to the
path of truth, you should treat
them with kindness and love
and should provide them with
comfortable means of life".
I recommend to you on this
land that you should be kind
to your women, because you
hold them in trust from Allah
and they have become lawful
for you according to His laws.
It is necessary that the

arrangement of lawful and
sacred months should be
according to the days on
which Allah created the skies,
the earth, the moon and the
sun. In the eyes of Allah the
number of months is twelve
and out of these He has
declared four months to be
sacred. They are the months
of Zeeqad, Zilhajj and Muharram, which are consecutive,
and then the month of Rajab.
"Yes, O people! Hear my

words carefully and ponder
over them. I am leaving two
memorable things amongst
you - one of them is the Book
of Allah and the other is my
progeny (Itrat), that is family
(Ahlul-Bayt) and if you abide
by them you will never get
astray."[10]
"Yes, O people! Your women

have rights over you and you
25
The Message
"Yes, O people! Hear my

words and think over them.
Every Muslim is the brother of
another Muslim and all
Muslims of the world are
brothers of one another. And
anything out of the property
of the Muslims is not lawful
for a Muslim except when he
acquires it with an honest
intention." [11]
saying thrice: "O Allah! Be

witness to it", he brought the
sermon to an end.
The Prophet stayed in Arafah
on the ninth of Zilhajj till
sunset and before the sun
was hidden in the western
horizon and the atmosphere
became somewhat dark he
mounted his camel and spent
a part of the night in Muzdalifah, and the time between
dawn and sunrise in Mash'ar.
On the tenth day he proceeded to Mina and performed the ceremonies of
Rami-i Jamrah, sacrifice and
taqseer. Then he proceeded
to Makkah to perform other
ceremonies of Hajj and thus
he practically taught the same
to others. In the terminology
of Hadith and history this
historical journey is called
Hijjatul Wida' (the farewell
Hajj) and at times it is also
named Hajjul Balagh (Hajj of
the delivery of the message)
and Hajjul Islam (Hajj of
Islam). Each of these names
has some associations, which
are quite evident.
"Yes, O people! Those present

should communicate these
remarks to those who are
absent. After me there will be
no prophet and after you
Muslims there will be no
ummah.[12]
"O people! You should know
that I am announcing it today
that I have banned all the
ceremonies and beliefs of the
Age of Ignorance and am
informing you of their falsity".[13]
At this Juncture the Prophet
discontinued the sermon and
making a sign towards the sky
with his forefinger said: "O
Allah! I have communicated
your message". Then after
26
The Message
In the end it may be mentioned that it is commonly

known amongst the traditionalists that the Prophet
delivered this sermon on the
day of 'Arafah, but some of
them believe that this sermon
was delivered on the 10th day
of Zilhajj.[14]
5.
6.
References:
1. Seerah-i Halabi, vol. 3,
page 289.
2. Istilam means rubbing
one's hands with the
Black Stone before performing tawaf; the point
underlying it is that,
while constructing the
Ka'bah, Ibrahim stood on
it. Hence this stone has
acquired a peculiar honour.
3. Safa and Marwah are
the names of two hills
which are situated near
Masjidul Haram and Sa'i
means covering the distance between those
hills. Sa'i commences
from Safa and ends at
Marwah.
4. It is an allusion to sexual
intercourse and the
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
washing necessitated by
it, because one of the
things prohibited, while
one is in the state of
ehram, is sexual intercourse with a woman
and its prohibition ends
with Taqseer.
Biharul Anwar, vol. 21,
page 319.
page 385.
Khisal by Sheikh Saduq,
vol.2, page 84.
Seerah-i Ibn Hisham,
vol.2, p. 605.
The custodians of the
Ka'bah used to change
the sacred months after
taking money from those
people, who were keen
to wage war during
these months.
page 350
Seerah-i Ibn Hisham,
vol.2, page 605.
Khisal by Sheikh Saduq,
page 84.
page 405.
Tabaqat-i Ibn Sa'd, vol. 2,
page 184.

27
The Message
The Great Historical Event of

Ghadir-e-Khum
Madinah, where he and the
crowd of people reached a
place called Ghadir-e-Khum
(which is close to today's alJuhfah). It was a place where
people from different provinces used to greet each other
before taking different routes
for their homes.
The Farewell Pilgrimage

Ten years after the migration,
the Messenger of Allah (S)
ordered to his close followers
to call all the people in
different places to join him in
his last pilgrimage. On this
pilgrimage he taught them
how to perform the pilgrimage
in a correct and unified form.
This was first time that the
Muslims with this magnitude
gathered in one place in the
presence of their leader, the
Messenger of Allah (S). On his
way to Makkah, more than
70,000
people
followed
Prophet (S). On the fourth
day of Zilhajj more than
100,000 Muslims had entered
Makkah.
Revelation
Verse 5:67
of
Qur'anic
In this place, the following

verse of the Qur'an was
revealed:
"O Apostle! Deliver what has
been sent down to you from
your Lord; and if you don't do
it, you have not delivered His
message (at all); and Allah
will protect you from the
people ..." (Qur'an 5:67)
Date: The date of this event

was the 18th of Zilhajj of the
year 10 AH.
The last sentence in the

above verse indicates that the
Prophet (S) was mindful of
the reaction of his people in
delivering that message but
Allah informs him not to
Location: After completing

his last pilgrimage (HajjatulWada'), Prophet (S) was
leaving
Makkah
toward
28
The Message
worry, for He will protect His

Messenger from people.
seventy three times reminded

and warned people of their
deeds and future. Then he
gave them a long speech.
The Sermon
Upon receiving the verse, the
Prophet (S) stopped on that
place (the pond of Khum)
which was extremely hot.
Then he sent for all people
who have been ahead in the
way, to come back and waited
until all pilgrims who fell
behind, arrived and gathered.
He ordered Salman (R) to use
rocks and camel toolings to
make a pulpit (minbar) so he
could make his announcement. It was around noon
time in the first of the Fall,
and due to the extreme heat
in that valley, people were
wrapping their robes around
their feet and legs, and were
sitting around the pulpit, on
the hot rocks.
The following is a part of his

speech which has been widely
narrated by the Sunni traditionists:
Tradition of Thaqalayn
The Messenger of Allah (S)
declared: "It seems the time
approached when I shall be
called away (by Allah) and I
shall answer that call. I am
leaving for you two precious
things and if you adhere to
them both, you will never go
astray after me. They are:
The Book of Allah, and
My Progeny,
Ahlulbait.
i.e.
my
The two shall never separate

from each other until they
come to me by the Pool (of
Paradise)."
On this day the Messenger of

Allah (S) spent approximately
five hours in this place; three
hours of which he was on the
pulpit. He recited nearly one
hundred verses from The
Glorious Quran, and for
Acknowledgement
Authority
of
Then the Messenger of Allah

continued: "Do I not have
29
The Message
more right over the believers

than what they have over
themselves?"
following verse of the Qur'an

was revealed:
"Today I have perfected your
religion and completed my
favour upon you, and I was
satisfied that Islam be your
religion." (Qur'an 5:3)
People cried and answered:

"Yes, O' Messenger of God."
Wording of the Designation
The above verse clearly

indicates that Islam without
clearing up matter of leadership after Prophet (S) was not
complete, and completion of
religion was due to announcement of the Prophet's
immediate successor.
Then followed the key sentence denoting the clear

designation of 'Ali as the
leader of the Muslim ummah.
The Prophet (S) held up the
hand of 'Ali and said: "For
whoever I am his Leader
(mawla), 'Ali is his Leader
(mawla)."
Hassan b. Thabit's poetry
The Prophet (S) continued:

"O' God, love those who love
him, and be hostile to those
who are hostile to him."
Immediately after the Prophet's speech, Hassan b. Thabit,

the Companion and poet of
the Messenger of Allah (S),
asked for his permission to
compose a few verses of
poetry about Imam 'Ali (A) for
the audience. The Prophet (S)
said: "Say with the blessings
of Allah". Hassan stood up
and said: "O' people of
Quraysh. I follow with my
words what preceded and
witnessed by the Messenger
of Allah (S). He then com-
These were the key parts of

the speech of the Prophet (S).
There are also more detailed
versions of this sermon which
are recorded by many Sunni
authorities.
Revelation
Verse 5:3
of
Qur'anic
Immediately after the Prophet

(S) finished his speech, the
30
The Message
posed the following verses at

the scene:
After his speech, the Messenger of Allah (S) asked everybody to give the oath of
allegiance to 'Ali (A) and
congratulate
him. Among
those who did so was Hazrat
'Umar b. al-Khattab, who said:
"Well done Ibn Abi Talib!
Today you became the Leader
(mawla) of all believing men
and women."
He calls them, (on) the day of

Ghadir, their Prophet
In Khum so hear (and heed)
the Messenger's call,
He said: "Who is your guide
and leader?"
They said, and there was no
apparent blindness (clearly):
"Your God, our guide, and
you are our leader And you
won't find from among us, in
this, any disobedient,"
Number of Companions in
Ghadir Khum
Allah ordered His Prophet (S)
to inform the people of this
designation at a time of
crowded populous so that all
could become the narrators of
the tradition, while they
exceeded a hundred thousand. Narrated by Zayd b.
Arqam: Abu al-Tufayl said: "I
heard it from the Messenger
of Allah (S), and there was no
one (there) except that he
saw him with his eyes and
heard him with his ears."
He said to him: "Stand up O'

Ali, for I am
Pleased to announce you
Imam and guide after me
So whomever I was his
leader, then this is his leader
So be to him supporters in
truth and followers,"
There he prayed: "Allah! Be a
friend and guide to his
follower
Revelation of
Verse 70:1-3
And be, to the one who is Ali's

enemy, an enemy"
Qur'anic
Some Sunni commentators

further report that the first
Oath of Allegiance
31
The Message
three verses of the chapter of

al-Ma'arij
(70:1-3)
were
revealed when a dispute arose
after the Prophet [s] reached
Madinah. It is recorded that:
On the day of Ghadir the
Messenger of Allah summoned the people toward 'Ali
and said: "Ali is the mawla of
whom I am mawla." The news
spread quickly all over urban
and rural areas. When Harith
Ibn Nu'man al-Fahri came to
know of it, he rode his camel
and came to Madinah and
went to the Messenger of
Allah (S) and said to him:
"You commanded us to testify
that there is no deity but Allah
and that you are the Messenger of Allah. We obeyed you.
You ordered us to perform the
prayers five times a day and
we obeyed. You ordered us to
observe fasts during the
month of Ramadan and we
obeyed. Then you commanded us to offer pilgrimage
to Makkah and we obeyed.
But you are not satisfied with
all this and you raised your
cousin by your hand and
imposed him upon us as our
master by saying Àli is the

mawla of whom I am mawla.'
Is this imposition from Allah
or from you?"
The Prophet (S) said: "By
Allah who is the only deity!
This is from Allah, the Mighty
and the Glorious."
On hearing this Harith turned
back and proceeded towards
his she-camel saying: "O
Allah! If what Muhammad said
is correct then fling on us a
stone from the sky and
subject us to severe pain and
torture." He had not reached
his she-camel when Allah,
who is above all defects, flung
at him a stone which struck
him on his head, penetrated
his body and passed out
through his lower body and
left him dead. It was on this
occasion that Allah, the
exalted, caused to descend
the following verses: "A
questioner questioned about
the punishment to fall. For the
disbelievers there is nothing
to avert it, from Allah the Lord
of the Ascent." (70:1-3)
32
The Message
Statements of Imam Reza (A.S.) regarding

the occurrence of Ghaibat
Source: Shaykh Saduq, Kamaluddin wa Tamamun Nima Vol. 1
Perfection of Faith and Completion of Divine Favor
1 Imam Reza (a.s.) was

asked regarding the Qaim. He
replied: His person will not
be seen and his name will not
be pronounced.
abundant sorrowful men of

belief will be perplexed and
grievous at the loss of that
crystal spring. As if I see them
in their utmost despair, they
are being called by a call that
is heard from far away as it is
heard from the near, a call
that is a blessing for the
faithful and a curse for the
unbelievers.
2 Imam Ali bin Musa arReza (a.s.) said: Definitely,

there will occur the dumb,
catastrophic mischief, in which
every secret and close relation
will be dropped. That will
happen when the Shia will
miss my third descendant.
The dwellers of the heavens
and the earth, and every
worthy and merited man,
every contrite and sorrowful
person will cry for him.
3 Imam Ali bin Musa arReza said: One who does not
have piety does not have
religion and whosoever does
not have dissimulation (Taqayyah) does not have faith
and indeed the most honored
among you near Allah is the
one most pious of you.
May my parents be sacrificed

for the namesake of my
grandfather and my look-alike
and the look-alike of Musa the
son of Imran. He is dressed in
the garments of light, shining
with rays of illumination of
sanctity.
How
abundant
worthy men of faith and how
His Eminence was asked: Till

when does he have to observe Taqayyah? He replied:
Till the day of the appointed
hour and on that day is the
reappearance of our (Ahlul
Bayts) Qaim.
33
The Message
Thus whosoever abandons

Taqayyah before his reappearance is not from us. It
was asked: O son of Allahs
Messenger, from which of
Ahlul Bayt is the Qaim? He
replied: He is my fourth
descendant, the son of the
best of the maidservants. The
Almighty Allah would, through
him, purify the earth from
every kind of oppression and
remove every type of injustice
from it. He is the one in
whose birth the people would
doubt and he is the one who
would have an occultation
before his reappearance.
The caller would say: Know

that the Proof of Allah has
appeared near the House of
Allah, so follow him as truth is
with him, and that is the
meaning of the statement of
the Almighty Allah: If We
please, We should send down
upon them a sign from the
heaven so that their necks
should stoop to it.[1]
4 Dibil bin Ali Khuzai said: I
recited my long poem to my
master, Ali Ibne Musa Reza,
the beginning of which is:
And when he arises, the earth

shall be lit up with his effulgence. He would establish the
scales of justice among the
people so that no one may
oppress the other. He is the
one for whom the earth would
warp itself and he would not
throw a shadow. And he is the
one by whose name the caller
would call out from the sky
inviting people to the Imam
which all the people of the
earth would be able to hear.
Schools of verses empty of

recitations
And the House of revelation horrendously empty.
When I reached to my verse:
34
The rise of an Imam who

will definitely rise
And stand by the name of

Allah and His blessings
He will make distinction

between all rights and
wrongs
And will proffer requital

for charities and malevolence.
The Message
Imam Reza (a.s.) cried very

profusely and then raised his
head and said to me, O
Khuzai, the Blessed Spirit has
spoken on your tongue in
these two verses. Do you
know who this Imam is and
when he will rise? I said,
No, my master, except I
have heard that an Imam of
yours will rise and clean the
earth from mischief and will
fill up the earth with equity as
it will be full of oppression.
me through his forefathers

through Amirul Momineen
(a.s.) that the Messenger of
Allah (S) was asked, O
Messenger of Allah (S), when
is the Qaim from your progeny going to rise? He said, His
example is like the example of
the Hour: None but He shall
manifest it at its time. It will
be momentous in the heavens
and the earth. It will not come
on you but suddenly.[2]
There is another tradition of
Dibil which also we shall
mention here.
He said, O Dibil, the Imam

after me is my son, Muhammad; after Muhammad his
son, Ali; after Ali his son
Hasan; and after Hasan his
son, al-Hujja al-Qaim, the
Awaited during his occultation, the one obeyed in his
time of appearance. Even if
not more than one day should
remain from the world, Allah
will prolong that day so much
that he will rise and fill the
world with equity just as it will
be full of injustice.
5 Dibil bin Ali Khuzai came

to Imam Musa ar-Reza (a.s.)
in Merv and said to him: O
son of Allahs Messenger, I
have composed a panegyric in
your honor and I vowed that I
will not recite it to anyone
before you. The Imam said:
Recite it for me. And he
recited as follows:
Schools of verses empty of
recitations
And the House of revelation
horrendously empty.
As for when it will happen,

that is to describe its time,
and my father has narrated to
35
The Message
When I reached the verse:

Their property has
distributed to others
There is a tomb of a purified

personality in Baghdad
been
Whom Allah has given place

in the gardens of Paradise.
Their hands are empty of

their own wealth.
Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) said: O

Dibil, would it not be better if
you add the following two
verses at the end of your
panegyric?
Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) began to

weep and said: O Dibil you
have said the truth. When
Dibil reached to the verse:
Dibil said: Indeed, O son of

Allahs Messenger. The Imam
recited:
When they are being oppressed they stretch to the

enemies
And a tomb shall be made in

Tus by whose tragedy
Their hands which cannot

hold the bow.
The inner portion of the body

will be scorched.
Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) began to

rub his hands and then said:
By Allah my hands are tied.
And this will continue till the

resurrection till Allah sends a
Qaim
When Dibil reached to the

verse:
Through him would He

remove the calamities from
us.
Indeed I am fearful of the

world and the changing times
Thus I hope in peace and
security after my death.
Dibil asked: O son of Allahs

Messenger,
whose
tomb
would be made at Tus? The
Imam said: Mine. I would
soon move to Tus where my
tomb will become a place of
visitation for my Shias. Thus
Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) said: O

Dibil, May Allah keep you in
His protection till the Judgment Day. When Dibil recited
last verse of the panegyric:
36
The Message
one who visits me in my

isolation in Tus, he shall be
with me on the Judgment Day
and he shall get salvation.
robbers hummed the following verse of Dibil:

Their property has
distributed to others
After listening to the verses of

Dibil Imam Ali Reza (a.s.)
went home. A servant of the
Imam came to Dibil with a
hundred dinars minted in the
Imams name and said: The
Imam has sent these for your
traveling expenses. Dibil said:
I dont need it and neither did
I compose the panegyric for
monetary gain. But I beseech
the Imam to give me a cloth
he has worn so that it be a
blessing and honor for me.
been
Their hands are empty of

their own wealth.
Dibil asked him: Whose verse
is it? He replied: A person of
the Khuzai tribe, a person
called Dibil bin Ali.
Dibil said: I am the same Dibil
who has composed these
verses. That robber took Dibil
to his leader who was praying
on top of a mound and he
was from the Shias. When he
informed the leader he
himself came down to meet
Dibil. He asked: Are you Dibil?
Dibil said: Yes. He said: Recite
that panegyric. He recited it.
The robbers released all the
hostages and returned with
respect everything they had
looted.
The Imam sent a gown to

Dibil and also gave him the
dinars saying that he would
need them. Dibil took all the
things and departed along
with a caravan of Merv. When
the caravan camped at
Qauhan they were attacked
by robbers who looted everything and took the travelers
as hostages. Then they began
to divide the loot among
themselves. One of the
When Dibil reached Qom it

was announced that he would
recite the panegyric composed by him in the mosque.
A time was fixed and people
37
The Message
gathered in the Jame mosque.

Dibil mounted the pulpit and
presented
the
panegyric.
People gifted him in cash and
kind. When they came to
know that Dibil had a gown of
Imam Ali Reza (a.s.) they
offered a thousand dinars for
the same but he refused.
They said: Give us a piece
from this gown for a thousand
dinars. But Dibil refused and
he departed from Qom.
dinars that the Imam had

given. Dibil converted these
into 10000 dirhams. At that
time he remembered the
Imams statement that he
would need that money. Dibil
was also accompanied by a
maidservant who was seriously ill. The doctors said that her
right eye was lost, but it was
possible to cure the left eye.
Dibil was shocked and wept
much. Then he remembered
that he was having a piece of
that gown. In the early
evening Dibil rubbed that
piece of cloth against the
maids eyes and by the
morning next both her eyes
were cured and by the
blessings of Maula Abul Hasan
(a.s.) even the signs of
disease did not remain.
He has hardly left the Qom

area when a desert tribe
attacked and looted the
Imams gown also. Dibil came
back and demanded them to
return it, but they refused.
They asked for a ransom of
8000 dinars but Dibil refused.
At last when Dibil became
helpless he told them to give
only a piece from this gown.
So they gave him a piece of
gown and also gave him 8000
dinars.
6 Narrated to us Ahmad bin

Ziyad bin Jafar Hamadani
(r.a.): Narrated to us Ali bin
Ibrahim from his father from
Zayyan bin Salt that he said: I
asked ar-Reza (a.s.): Are you
the Sahibul Amr (Master of
Affair)? He replied: I am also
Sahibul Amr but not the
Dibil returned to his hometown but on the way dacoits

surrounded him and looted
everything he had. He was
left with only a hundred
38
The Message
Sahibul Amr who will fill the

earth with justice as it would
have been fraught with
tyranny and oppression. And
how can I be that person?
While you can see that I am
physically weak. Whereas the
Qaim is the one who at the
time of his reappearance will
be senior in age but have the
appearance of the youth.
Golden Words of Imam

Reza (A.S.)
His body shall be so strong

that if he catches hold of the
biggest tree of the earth he
shall be able to uproot it and
if he shouts between the
mountains, their stones will
roll down. The staff of Prophet Musa and the seal ring of
Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.) are
with him. He is my fourth
descendent. The Almighty
Allah will keep him in occultation as long as Divine wisdom
dictates. Then He will reveal
him so that he may fill the
earth with justice and equity
just as it would fraught with
injustice and oppression.
1. Surah Shuara 26:4
2. Surah Araaf 7:187
Only the believer who

takes admonishment can
enjoin the good and forbid
the evil. As for the possessor of whip and sword, he
cannot.
He who does not fear

Allah regarding little does
not fear him regarding
much.
One who is blessed with

plenty must spend generously on his family.
The rank of the eldest

brother is like that of father.
Among the habits of

Prophets is cleanliness.
The trustworthy do not

betray you but you trust
the traitor.
Surely Allah detests idle

talk, wasting money, and
excessive questioning.
Among the practices (of

the Prophet) is giving food
during marriage.

39
The Message
Morality of Imam Muhammad

Taqi al-Jawad (A.S.)
By: Hujjat al-Islam Husayn Ansariyan
Imam al-Jawad was unique in

terms of knowledge, forbearance, eloquence, devotion and
other moral virtues despite his
being underage. He had a
wonderful aptitude for answering scientific questions on
the spot. Like his purified
ancestors, Imam al-Jawad
paid much attention to
physical
appearance
and
cleanliness.
love for Ahl al-Bayt and I am

charged to pay tax to him.
Should you consider it advisable, kindly write to him to do
me a favor by canceling the
tax.
To
observe
dissimulation
aimed at preserving the life of
the ruler of Sistan, Imam alJawad said, I do not know
him!
A man of the tribe of BanuHanifah from the region of

Bost and Sistan has reported:
I said, May I be your ransom; as I have already said

he is a devotee of Ahl al-Bayt
and your writing to him will be
useful for me.
I came to know Imam alJawad when I was on my Hajj

to Mecca. It was the beginning of the reign of alMutasim, the Abbasid ruler.
We were sitting round a
tablecloth and while some of
the friends of the Abbasid
ruler were also present, I said
to the Imam, May I be your
ransom! Our governor has
Imam al-Jawad picked up a

piece of paper and wrote, In
the Name of Allah, the Allbeneficent, the All-merciful.
The holder of letter speaks
well of you. What is left of
your deeds is the good ones.
So be kind to your brethren
and know that you will be
taken to task by Allah for an
atoms weight of your deeds.
A Blessed Letter
40
The Message
The letter holder reports: The

news of the letter had
reached the governor of the
region, Husayn ibn Abdullah
Nayshapuri, before my arrival.
So before I reached Sistan, he
had come to the gate of city
to welcome me. I gave him
the letter. He kissed and put it
on his eyes, saying, What do
you need?
time, one of the neighbors

was brought to the Imam on
charge of theft. The Imam
said, Woe to you! Let him go.
He has not stolen the sheep.
The sheep is in such and such
mans house. Go and find it
there.
They went to the same house
finding the sheep there. They
arrested the owner of the
house, tore his clothes into
pieces and beat him up, but
he took an oath that he had
not stolen the sheep. They
brought him to the Imam who
asked, Why have you oppressed him? The sheep had
entered his house and this
man was not aware of it.
Then the Imam appeased him
and gave him an amount of
money to make up for his
clothes and beating.[140]
I said, I have been levied a

tax which I cannot afford to
pay. He ordered the tax to be
written off, saying, As long
as I am the governor of this
region, don't pay tax. He
then asked about my dependents. I gave him the number
of my dependents. So he
ordered a regular pension to
be given to me. After this
event, I did not pay tax as
long as I lived nor did he stop
sending me gifts until he
passed away.[139]
Dignity of Imam al-Jawad

After the martyrdom of Imam
al-Ridha (a.s.), people kept on
blaming Mamun, the Abbasid
ruler. Wishing to acquit
himself of the crime, he left
Khorasan for Baghdad and
Protecting the Oppressed

Ali ibn Jarir has reported: I
was in the presence of Imam
al-Jawad when a sheep of the
house was missing. At this
41
The Message
wrote a letter to Imam alJawad (a.s.) inviting him to

Baghdad with much honor.
The Imam set off for Baghdad, but before seeing the
Imam, Mamun went hunting.
On his way, he came across a
group of children who were
standing on the way. Imam
al-Jawad too was standing
there. Observing the pomp of
Mamun, the children dispersed off. However, the
Imam did not move from his
place! He was standing in his
place with the utmost degree
of calm and dignity until
Mamun came near to him. He
was amazed to see the child.
Drawing the reins of the
horse, Mamun asked, Why
did not you clear the way like
other children? The Imam
replied, O Caliph! The road
was not narrow nor had I
committed anything wrong to
escape from you! I dont think
you will punish anyone
without having committed
anything wrong. Mamun was
even more surprised when he
heard these words.
The boys beauty had attracted him so he asked,

What is your name, boy?
The Imam said, My name is
Muhammad. He asked, Who
is your father? The Imam
said, Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha.
When Mamun heard of the
childs descent, he was no
more surprised and was
ashamed of hearing the name
of the Imam whom he had
martyred! He sent greeting to
the pure soul of the Imam
and went away.
When he went back to
wilderness, he caught sight of
a francolin and let a falcon go
after it. The falcon disappeared for sometime but
when it returned, it had a
small fish still living in its
beak. Mamun was surprised
to see it; he took the fish in
his hand and returned to the
same place where he had
seen Imam al-Jawad. Again
the children ran away but the
Imam did not move from his
place. Mamun said, Muhammad: What is it in my hand?
Through inspiration, the Imam
42
The Message
said, Allah has created seas;

clouds rise up from seas;
small fish come up with
clouds; kings falcons hunt
them; the kings take them in
their hands and test the
Household of the Prophet!
Mamun was surprised more to
hear this, saying, You are
truly the son of al-Ridha! Such
wonderful acts are possible
only by the son of that
honorable man.[141]
Mamun had to call Mukhariq,

a music performer who had a
sweet voice and played violin.
Mukhariq said to Mamun, O
Leader of the Faithful! If you
wish al-Jawad to have a
desire of the world, my voice
will suffice it. Mukhariq sat
face to face with the Imam
and started singing. He sang
in a way that all the people of
the house gathered round
him. Then, he started playing
violin. He did so for one hour
but Imam al-Jawad looked
neither at right side not left
side. Finally the Imam raised
his head saying, Fear Allah,
O you long-bearded man! At
this moment the violin fell
from the hands of the music
performer and he enjoyed it
no more until he died.[142]
Mamuns Trickery
Mamun played every trick to
make Imam al-Jawad as
worldly and sensual as
himself. However he failed in
his plot until he gave her
daughter in marriage to the
Imam. On the wedding night,
he ordered a hundred slavegirls who were the most
beautiful to hold a chalice
each in their hands to welcome the Imam in the bridal
chamber with much pomp and
glory. The slave-girls did as
they had been ordered but
Imam al-Jawad paid no
attention to them.
Notes:
[139] Al-Kafi: 5/111, H. 6
[140] Bihar al-Anwar, 47/50, H. 22
[141] Bihar al-Anwar:
Chapter: 5, H. 6
91/5,
[142] Bihar al-Anwar: 61/50,

Chapter: 26, H. 37

43
The Message
The Account of Shaqq al-Qamar and

The Evening Star
By: Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba'i
Is the miracle of shaqq alqamar (halving of the moon)

in agreement with the Quran
and traditions [akhbr]? Can it
be sanctioned by the laws of
human logic and reason even
though the size of the moon is
in no way analogous to the
size of the Holy Prophets (S)
handi.e. the container and
the contained are entirely
disproportionate?
the moon was split into two

halves at the gesture of the
Holy Prophet (S) and this is
also what the Noble Quran
indicates.
In the first verse of Srat alQamar, for which the Srat
was named, the Quran
states:
The hour (of Judgment)
drew close and the moon
was cleft in two. [1]
The story of shaqq al-qamar is

a trustworthy reality, the truth
of which has been verified by
the Quran and traditions.
Even so, the narrations that
cite this occurrence vary.
Because each of these narrations is a single tradition
[khabar-e whid]they each
have a single transmitterand
are thus undependable, we
cannot rely on and discuss the
qualities that are cited in each
of them.
This is a miracle performed by

the Holy Prophet (S) at the
request of some who denied
his prophethood and wanted a
miracle as proof. It is selfevident that after we accept
the feasibility of miracles by
the prophets we cannot deny
a specific miracle performed
by them especially after the
Holy Quranwhich is itself a
miracleverifies its occurrence.
That which can be extracted

from them all together is that
Essentially, there are no

rational explanations against
44
The Message
miracles except mere unlikelihood. There may, of course,

be causes for events beyond
those we know of that can
produce unusual events.
Other critics state that the

verse indicates the severance
of the moon from the sun
which is confirmed by modern
science and that this is one of
the miracles of the Quran
that it made this known
centuries before this theory
was posited.
Response to the critics of

shaqq al-qamar
Some critics say that the
cleaving of the moon which is
indicated in the Quranic verse
is something that will occur on
the Day of Resurrection when
the natural world is destroyed
and is not something that was
done by the hand of the Holy
Prophet (S).
This view is philologically

incorrect because when an
object is detached from
another in this manner the
words ishtiqq or infisl are
used not inshiqq which
means to be made into two
halves.
The next verse negates this

presumption. The Almighty
Lord declares:
Still other detractors maintain

that if such an event had
transpired surely non-Islamic
historians would have recorded it.
And if they (the idolaters)

see a sign (shaqq alqamar) they say it is incessant sorcery. [2]
One should bear in mind that

narrative history is always
being written in accordance
with the desires of contemporary powers and every story
or event that contradicts the
fancies of those powers will
be hidden or completely
forgotten. As we can see in
It is clear that if the first verse

signified the destruction on
the Day of Resurrection, the
disregard of the idolaters and
attribution of this event to
sorcery would be meaningless.
45
The Message
ancient histories there is no

trace of the stories of the
great prophets such as
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
(a)
whereas
religiously
speaking there is no doubt
about the miracles performed
by these prophets.
regions are not visible in the

area of glorious Mecca.
Did the Evening Star
descend upon the house of
Al (a)?!
Does the story that the
Evening Star descended upon
the roof of Imm Al ibn Ab
Tlibs (a) house have verified
evidence?!
It was Abraham who did not

burn in the fires of Nimrod,
Moses who had the miracle of
the cane, the shining hand,
and many more, and Jesus
who brought the dead to life.
Finally, when the Islamic
invitation of Prophet Muhammad (S) appeared, it was
against the wishes of all world
powers.
This story is cited in several

narrations; however, they are
neither widely transmitted
[mutawtir] nor are their
sources certain [qat alsudr]. Hence, they are not
scientifically reliable. [3]
Notes:
Besides, there are many hours

of difference in the rising and
setting of the moon between
Meccawhere the shaqq alqamar occurredand Europe
with all its historians. The
celestial phenomenon that
manifested for a short while in
Mecca would not be seen
from faraway western horizons such as Rome and
Athens just as short-lived
celestial events in such
1. Srat al-Qamar 54:1

2. Srat al-Qamar 54:2
3. Extracted from Sm-e Islm
Imam Muhammad
Baqir (a.s.) said:
The scholar who derives
benefit from his knowledge is better than
70,000 devotees.
46
The Message
Zamzam Water
Source: www.almujtaba.com
What's cooled, refreshing and

will quench your thirst in the
hot, Arabian desert? If you
answered (name your best
soft drink), you're wrong.
Hajira (s.a.), the wife of

Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), and
her baby Prophet Ismail (a.s.)
with water in the hot, dry
valley they were in.
Zamzam is the name of the

well that provides the water
to billions of people, have
thirstily drunk from throughout history, especially during
the Hajj pilgrimage.
In her desperate search for

water, Hajira (s.a.) ran seven
times back and forth in the
scorching heat between the
two hills of Safa and Marwa to
provide for her baby who was
dying of thirst. Today, this
same act is a necessary rite of
Hajj all Muslims, mothers and
fathers, must complete.
It is linked to some of the

most important personalities
in world history: the Prophets
Ibrahim and Ismail (a.s.) and
Muhammad (s.a.w.w.), as
well as Ismail's mother Hajira
(s.a.).
Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) settled

his family there as part of
God's mission for him. The
first thing Hajira had to do
then was to look for water in
the area. She was searching
for it while watching at her
son and would run whenever
she could not see Ismail
(a.s.). Allah saw her effort
and miraculously blessed the
spot with a water spring.
The Zamzam well is located in

Makkah, which is the heart of
the Hajj pilgrimage. Standing
only a few meters east of the
Kaaba, the well is 35 meters
deep and topped by an
elegant dome.
How the Zamzam came
into being?
The appearance of the

Zamzam began the settlement
of the Makkan valley, where
All traditions agree that Allah

created the well to provide
47
The Message
the descendants of Prophet

Ismail populated the area.
Prophet said: "The best water

on the face of the earth is the
water of Zamzam; it is a kind
of food and a healing from
sickness."
But as time passed, Prophet

Ibrahim and Ismail's monotheistic message, which
once dominated the region,
began taking a backseat to
pagan, polytheistic beliefs.
More recently, in the last few

decades,
scientists
have
collected samples of Zamzam
water and they have found
certain peculiarities that make
the water healthier, like a
higher level of calcium.
Nonetheless, the well of

Zamzam retained its importance in later generations.
The grandfather of the
Prophet, Abdul Muttalib, was
honored with the responsibility of taking care of the well
and the pilgrims to Makkah.
Apart from its ability to serve

as satisfying food and drink,
Zamzam
water's
health
benefits are also commended.
The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) said it
was a healing from sickness.
This is why pilgrims to Makkah to this day collect it in
bottles to bring for relatives
and friends back home who
are ill.
Zamzam water: the power

drink & a cure for sickness
One of the miracles of Zamzam water is its ability to
satisfy both thirst and hunger.
One of the Companions of the
Prophet said that before
Islam, the water was called
"Shabbaa'ah" or satisfying. It
was filling and helped them
nourish their families.
The Prophet (peace and

blessings be upon him & his
family) used to carry Zamzam
water in pitchers and water
skins back to Madinah. He
used to sprinkle it over the
sick and make them drink it.
After Islam, this powerful

ability to quench thirst and fill
stomachs
remained.
The

48
The Message
The Strong Bondage between the

Day of Arafah & Ashura
Source: www.hujjat.org
Of the nights in a year, there

are seven nights mark as a
grandeur and majesty nights.
These
are
Shab-e-Qadr
(Night of power), Shab-eMeraj (Night of Ascension),
Shab-e-Barat
(Night
of
deliverance), Shab-e-Arafah
(Great gathering), 15th of
Shaban and the nights of
two Eid (Eid-ul-Fitr and EidUl-Adha). However, the night
of Arafah has great political as
well as religious significant.
Adam and Eve were united at

the mount of Arafat, prayed
together, asking for forgiveness and got married by
archangel Gabriel. Arafat is a
site for prayer, supplication
and repentance but also
acquiring proper recognition
of God. Arafat which is marifat
means recognition
This is a day for those present
on the plains of Arafah, who
stand/sit in two piece of
clothes, in scorching heat and
ponder over just two facts, to
whom they belong and where
they are going
What is Arafat?
Arafat is a mountain or a
granite hill, east of Mecca. It
is also known as the Mount of
Mercy (Jabal ar-Rahmah). The
level area surrounding the hill
is called the plains of Arafah.
Arafat literally means Knowledge and Science. Arafat is
the place where according to
the Islamic narrations, the
repentance of Adam was
accepted by Allah (s.w.t.)
after his fall from heaven,
Millions of Muslims converge

on the plains of Arafah for
Wuquf (waiting) all afternoon
for sunset. It is a vivid representation in all of humanity
gathering at the end of Time.
It is the day of reckoning
where all pilgrims are repenting, supplicating, with hands
high. Arafat is the place,
where Prophet Muhammad
49
The Message
(s.a.w.w.) gave his last

sermon 14 centuries ago by
proclaiming the equality of
mankind, justice and freedom
for all in an eloquent Human
Rights manifesto.
and his lordship is all about

and how dare one commit any
sins. The most trembling state
of this dua comes, when he
utters the statements, whereby he says O Allah, if you do
fulfill this one desire of mine,
then all other needs which
have fulfilled is of no benefit
to me, and whatever you
have not given me will not do
any damage to me. And that
one desire is that you relieve
my neck from the fire of Hell.
This part of Dua-e-Arafah,
tells us that whether my
worldly desires are fulfilled or
not, it wont make any difference if at the end I cannot
free myself from the fire of
hell.
The plain of Arafat is the high

point of the Hajj and Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.w.) has
said Arafat is the Hajj. While
Imam Hussain (a.s.) inscribe
an excellent supplication of
Arafah, which is one of the
famous in the Shiite Annals.
Thirty days separate Arafah
and Ashura. There exist many
similarities and strong bondage between these two days
as regard to the message.
One clear link is that both of
these days have a direct
association with Imam Hussein (a.s.). The day of Arafah
is all about journey into the
ocean of Gnosticism, which
presents in the supplication
and recommended to be
recited on the day of Arafah.
Arafat is awe-inspiring great

gathering you see millions
shedding tears to gain salvation, seek Allahs forgiveness
(istighfar) and repentance
(Tawbah) and making a firm
resolution to avoid making the
same mistakes. However, Hajj
pilgrims ought to ponder on
why the Prophets grandson
Imam Hussain (a.s.) cut short
If one takes a journey

through this supplication with
understanding and pondering
will realize what divine lord
50
The Message
the Hajj pilgrimage to leave

the plains of Arafat for the
plains of Karbala in Iraq. The
pilgrims should contemplate
this wise action that saved the
sacred land of Mecca from
being sullied with wanton
bloodshed that assassin who
had come in the garb of
pilgrims intended, and how
Abrahams great descendant
foiled their plot in order to
preserve the sanctity of the
Hajj and the Holy Kaba. This
leads me to talk about Ashura, which falls exactly thirty
days after the Great Sacrifice
of Prophet Abraham of his son
Ishmael. A month after the
10th of Zilhajj is the Day of
Ashura and the name of
Imam Hussain (a.s.) and
Karbala are associated with
the virtue of sacrifice.
infant when the spring of Zam

Zam miraculously gushed out
and second time
when
Archangel Gabriel by Gods
command replaced him with a
ram. According to the Quran a
verse was revealed immediately to console Abraham
say O, Abraham! Of course
thou hast faithfully fulfilled the
dream, thou art of the truthful
ones, but verily it is an open
test, we have substituted it
with a Greater sacrifice. We
have transferred it to later
generation {Quran 37:105108}. Hence, the honor was
destined for Ishmaels descendants, Imam Hussain, Ali
Asgher and other martyrs of
Karbala who were martyred in
the state of thirst on the
banks of the river Euphrates.
It was on the 10th Muharram
known as Ashura, 61 AH that
Imam Hussein became a
martyr under the most tragic
and dreadful conditions ever
chronicled in the annals of the
civilized world. A nefarious
ruler, Yazid, son of Muawiyah,
carried the atrocious acts.
The Day of Ashura

One of the Hajj rituals centers
on the prophet Abraham test
to sacrifice his son, which is
known
as
the
Greatest
Sacrifice
Zibhe
Azeem.
However, Ishmael was saved
twice, once when he was an
51
The Message
The Superior Outlook

By: Dr. Mohammed Maisami
religion as well as the logic

will tell us that going extreme
towards either side is not
appreciated by our role
models -the Holy Prophet
saww, & his progeny- & our
Holy book Quran. One must
earn bread & fulfill his economic & social responsibilities
as well as the religious
responsibilities.
Bismillah Al Rehman Al Rahim
As we read in the previous

article (The Bigger Picture),
we began to distinguish two
different systems and discussed few key differences
between the two. A system of
trade and business made and
designed by humans and a
system with a similar purpose
created by Allah (SWT). We
also mentioned that none of
the two systems oppose each
other and their major differences are in their basic
structure & benefits they offer.
Two sides of the same

coin
So what is the secret of
earning benefits from both
sides? For this one must
understand that the universe
is a creation of Allah SWT, a
very small part of it which we
all live on the earth- is also a
part of his creation. When he
created human beings & sent
them on earth then he also
created a system for them
through which they would be
able to enjoy their living on
the earth from a social and
materialistic point of view. For
that every human being is
A shallow look into this matter

may lead us to think that we
must select one of the two &
leave the other one. However,
a deeper insight and understanding of religion will tell us
that It is the art of integrating the two systems and the
art of maintaining a balance
between them that is required
to gain profit from the two
systems at the same time." A
reasonable
knowledge
of
52
The Message
created in a way that he

needs another fellow human
to answer some of his needs.
These needs may not only be
materialistic, but they also
include spiritual needs. The
need for Food, clothing,
healthcare, parents, spouse,
teacher etc are all created by
Allah SWT, and he made us
dependent on each other.
Even in daily prayers, if one
prays Jamaat- which is the
recommended form of prayerhe will be dependent on an
Imam to lead prayers. Therefore, the Joys of this world
are hidden in fulfilling these
responsibilities and duties
towards one another. This
dependence
and
reward
system is created for our
peaceful survival on the earth.
Same as the system of day
and night and rain and wind
etc., that are all pleasurable
and beneficial at the same
time.
verses of Holy Quran that

guides us about the ethics of
these relationships. Many
Ahadith tell us about our
behavior towards each other
in a society.
Based on these needs and
necessities, we realize the
need of different smaller
subsystems aimed towards
giving us maximum benefits in
limited time of our lifespan.
Furthermore,
creating
a
system ensures the quality of
the output & many other
aspects of it that would be
difficult to monitor otherwise.
Extremes
Now after a brief introduction
to the philosophy of the social
system, we must realize two
important points, it is very
easy to indulge deeply in the
worldly affairs and to forget
the creator of this world. It is
also not very difficult to leave
the world & its responsibilities
& falsely adopt monasticism.
Therefore, no one will argue

about this interrelated relationship
among
human
beings. There are many
An example would be of a
person who buys a car with
the purpose of providing for a
53
The Message
road trip. Once he purchases

the car he gets so busy in
cleaning,
decorating
and
driving it around the city that
he completely forgets the
actual purpose for which he
had bought the car. The
opposite would be the person
who keeps driving towards his
goal without maintaining his
car and ends up losing his
mean of transport.
learning, in their student life.

They knew what they were
there for and their mission
was to prepare for a better
and a comparatively longer
professional life.
On the other hand, the not so
smart students did not have a
goal. They would get indulged
in the different activities and
events at the cost of losing
the bigger picture. These
different activities would limit
their educational growth and
obscure their vision.
A Familiar Experience
Another example was observed by me in the time I
studied in medical school. We
had many facilities in medical
school such as, the cafeteria,
the sports room and library.
Many events would be held on
different occasions as well.
Three groups of students
were observed in this regard.
The smart students knew that
they must take benefit from
these facilities in the way of
their education. For them the
activities of the sports room,
cafeteria, as well as library
and classroom, etc., were all
aimed to attain a perfect
mindset for their studies and
There was a third group that

had a mission and a goal of
studying but they would get
distracted very fast. They
would be influenced very
easily towards both sides by
the members of the two
groups on different occasions,
time to time. The differences
between these three groups
were clearly prominent in
terms of their level of stress
and performance in the
exams. This difference was
also clearly evident throughout their professional life.
54
The Message
youth is spent wandering

around without a purpose or
wasting time in aimless
activities.
A believers outlook
Considering the two examples
it can be said that a strong
believer of Allah SWT sees
this world as a farm. He
acknowledges
that
the
product of this farm will be
needed by him in the hereafter, and so he works very
hard in this farm. He knows
his goal and sees himself as
an employee of Allah. He is on
a mission from the very first
day. He will enjoy the worldly
activities and all the blessings
of Allah, without losing the
bigger picture. He will take
part in every system in this
world to accomplish his bigger
mission and to get energy and
strength to perform in the
path of Allah SWT.
After a while, they begin to

see the economic system of
the world-which itself is a
means for a greater purposeas the only place where they
could perform, show themselves, and have a useful
identification.
Furthermore,
the
competition
that
is
associated with this narrow
minded and limited outlook
and the rules and regulations
of this materialistic world
starts to limit their spiritual
growth. As time passes, many
start to realize that their
presence in this system is not
gaining their satisfaction, and
if fortunate enough, they
slowly realize their true
purpose of life by the time
they are old and physically
weak.
An Inferior Outlook
The sad truth is that humans
are not able to realize the fact
that they are actually on a
mission or even if they do,
then some of them become
distracted from their goals.
With the result, a major part
of their life and especially the
Thus, by now we can see that

it is not the materialistic
aspect and the arbitrary
system of this world that is
wrong or at fault, but it is the
55
The Message
wrong understanding and lack

of awareness that leads us
towards the smaller and
inferior aims in life.
this workshop, in order to

become successful in the
permanent life (concept of
Imaan). Living in this world,
by the rules and regulation set
by Allah SWT, is considered
by him as an honorable duty
(concept of Taqwa). The life
of those who disobey Allah
seem purposeless to him (just
like how the good students in
the medical school didnt
appreciate those with a nonserious
attitude
towards
studies).
Earning bread
appears as a duty assigned by
Allah SWT, and not as a sole
purpose of this life. Consequently education is no longer
considered as a training camp
for becoming a bread earner
but it is considered as a task
given by Allah SWT, to seek
his nearness in this world and
the hereafter (concept of Ilm
and Marefat).
The Improved Outlook

Chapter 51 verse 56:
I did not create the jinn
and the humans except that
they may worship Me.
A servant of Allah is a wise

man who looks at this world
as a workshop. All the works
that are done in this workshop
are directed towards worshipping of Allah SWT. The only
reason he works in this
workshop is because he has
been ordered by his creator to
do so. The intention of
earning, learning, socializing,
or any other activity is to gain
nearness to Allah SWT.
A servant of Allah (also known
as Momin) does not consider
the religion as a collection of
rituals that must be performed every now and then
but he considers them as
method, rules and regulations
by which one must work in
The hardships that are

present in this world seem like
challenges of any other
workplace and they will be
dealt with, staying within the
limits set by Allah SWT
56
The Message
(concept of Sabr). With this

outlook, just like we dont risk
our jobs, we wont risk our
duty towards Allah SWT. Our
priorities will be set towards
obeying Allah SWT and
seeking his satisfaction by
performing according to his
rules in this world.
who are illuminated, perceive

and comprehend beyond the
limits of material.
This worlds systems (created
with the help of science,
technology, etc.,) are formed
to make living in this world
simple and less time consuming. One must remember his
real purpose of creation and
strive towards the greater aim
which is nothing but worshipping Allah (SWT). The time
that is saved by utilizing the
systems of this world, if spent
in further consumption of the
worldly products and running
after more luxuries, is a time
that is wasted in something
we are not assigned for by
Allah SWT. But if the same
time that is saved by using
these systems and other
blessings of Allah, is spent
further in gaining Allah SWTs
nearness and the knowledge
of his religion, then this will
give us the ultimately desired
profit from both the systems,
InshaAllah.
Therefore, when the time of

receiving rewards will come,
the small benefits of this
worldly system will not appeal
us at the cost of polluting our
income by Haram, and the
real valuable award will be
asked and expected from
Allah SWT only (the concept
of Dua and Tawakkul). All
these vaguely understood
concepts will become crystal
clear and will seem very
practical in this worldly life.
The Time That Is Saved
There is a need to change the
outlook and to have a bigger
view of this world. Those who
are narrow minded and short
sighted
cannot
perceive
beyond the boundaries of
their five senses, but those

57
The Message
advised the man to be even

more kinder and more
helpful to his mother than
he had ever been.
Kids
Corner
When Zakariyya returned

home, he was there even
more than before for his
mother. He listened to her
and was kind to her and ever
ready to help her. He gave
her food and drink with his
own hands. He washed her
clothes and kept the house
tidy. And when he was free
he would sit and chat with
her and cheer her up. His
mother was very surprised
and asked Zakariyya what
had made him become so
kind towards her. Zakariyya
explained that his Imam, our
6th Imam (a.s.), had told him
to act in this way. His
mother wanted to know what
else the religion of Islam
had taught her son. Zakariyya sat with his mother to
tell her all about the teachings of Islam and when he
had finished, his mother
became a Muslim too.
Islam is a Religion of
mercy & kindness to all
During the time of our 6th
Imam, there lived a young
man called Zakariyya who
had converted from Christianity to Islam. When
Zakariyya went to Hajj, he
stopped at Madinah to visit
Imam Ja'far Sadiq (a.s.). On
meeting the Imam (a.s.),
Zakariyya asked him how he
should behave towards his
father, mother and other
family members who were
still Christians. Imam (a.s.)
replied that Islam is a
religion of mercy and kindness to all that has been
created by Allah. Also Islam
holds the rights of parents
very highly. Imam (a.s.) then
58
The Message
Imam Reza (A.S.):

Fraternity & Equality
Reza (A.S.) asked that the

whole company should have
dinner at one table. His
Holiness Imam Reza (A.S.)
practically combated against
the superiority of race and
colour in connexion with the
distinction of the human
beings. The Holy Imam Reza
(A.S.) tried to revive the
Islamic precepts of fraternity and equality in the
Muslim community.
Dear kids, the eighth Shiite

Holy Imam was born on 11th
Zeeqad 148 AH in the holy
city of Madina. He was
divinely entitled Àl-Reza"
(meaning that Allah Almighty and His Holy Messenger
(S) were deeply pleased with
him). On this joyous occasion
we extend our heartiest
greetings to Imam e Zamana
(ATF), our righteous ulema
and to the Muslim World.

Young age of 9th Imam,
Imam al-Jawad (A.S.)
Quoting a witness from

"Balkh", in his famous work
entitled "Kafi", the famous
scholar "Kulayni" relates the
following: "On the way to
"Khorasan" I was among the
attendants of His Holiness
Imam Reza (A.S.). At dinner,
Imam Reza (A.S.) invited all
his men around him and
asked them to have dinner
with him. There were a few
negro servants among those
men. Declaring that they
were all of the same flesh
and blood, the Holy Imam
Imam al-Jawad (A.S.) the

Ninth Holy Imam from the
progeny of holy Prophet
Muhammad (S.), was born on
10th of Rajab, in the year
195 A.H. in the holy city of
Madina and was martyred in
Baghdad in the year 220
A.H., on the 29th of Zeeqad.
Imam al-Jawad (A.S.) had an
uncle called Ali Ibne Jafar,
who was a very knowledgeable, pious old man. Whenever
he went to the mosque,
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The Message
people would surround him

and ask him questions.
old man fit and capable for

the leadership of the
Ummah, but considered the
child capable for it. Therefore they should all obey his
(Imam Taqis)) commands.
One day Imam Taqi (A.S.)

arrived at the mosque. When
his uncle who was sitting in
the middle of a large group
of people saw him, he immediately got up and kissed the
hand of Imam Taqi (A.S.).

Eid al-Adha
Eid Al-Adha is second in the
series of Eid festivals that
Muslims celebrate across the
world. In Pakistan, the animal
used most often for sacrifice is the goat - which is
why the occasion is spoken of
in Urdu language as Bakrid or
Eid-e-Qurban.
Imam Taqi (A.S.) asked his

uncle to sit down, to which
his uncle replied that he
could not sit while Imam
Taqi (A.S.) was standing.
When Ali Ibne Jafar returned among his friends,
after Imam Taqi (A.S.) had
left, his friends told him
that it was wrong for him to
show so much respect to
that child Imam Taqi (A.S.)
as he was an old man and the
uncle of the child.
On this day, Muslims sacrifice animals which have been

deemed Halal, or fit for
sacrifice. They not only eat
the meat themselves but
distribute it amongst their
neighbors, relatives, and the
poor and hungry.
Ali Ibne Jafar replied that

he was showing respect to
the child because of who he
was. He continued that
Imamate is an office and a
station from Allah, and Allah
(SWT) did not deem him an
It is celebrated on the 10th

day of the month of Zilhajj
(the twelfth month) of the
lunar Islamic calendar, after
60
The Message
Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to

Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The
underlying flavor is the spirit
of sacrifice or Qurbani,
commemorating
Prophet
Abrahams great act of faith
many centuries ago. Almighty
Allah put Abraham (a.s.) to a
most difficult trial, the
details of which are described in the Holy Quran.
During this day, men, women,
and children are expected to
dress in their finest clothing.
For the millions at Hajj, it is
a big day. On this day, the
pilgrims reach the grounds of
Mina where they sacrifice an
animal after stoning of the
Jamart (three columns that
are named as Jamart). It
was here that Abraham (a.s.)
is believed to have sacrificed
his son Ishmael (a.s.). The
pilgrims then shave their
heads.
verished Muslim is left

without
sacrificial
food
during this day. Coming
immediately after the Day of
Arafah, Eid Al-Adha gives
concrete realization to what
the Muslim community ethic
means in practice.

Eid al-Mubahila
Day of victory of Islam
"But whoever disputes with
you in this matter after
what has come to you of
knowledge, then say: come
let us call our sons and your
sons and our women and your
women and ourselves and
yourselves, and then let us
invoke the curse of God on
the liars." (Holy Quran 3:61)
This Quranic verse refers to
the famous event of Mubahila (which means invoking the
curse of Allah upon the liar)
which took place in the year
10 A.H. against the Christians of Najran.
The charitable instincts of

the Muslim community are
demonstrated during Eid AlAdha by the concerted
effort to see that no impo-
A deputation of 60 Christians of Najran headed by
61
The Message
Abdul Masih their chief

monk priest came and
discussed with the Holy
Prophet (S) the personality
of Prophet Jesus (A). The
Holy Prophet (S) told them
not to deify Jesus for he
was only a mortal created by
God, and not God Himself.
Then they asked who the
father of Jesus was. By this,
they thought that since he
was born without a father
the Holy Prophet (S) would
helplessly accept Jesus'
father being God himself. In
reply to this question was
revealed the verse: Verily,
similitude of Jesus with God
is as the similitude of Adam;
He created him out of dust
then He said unto him: Be,
and he became.
return to their place and

would have the Mubahila the
next day.
Early next morning the Holy
Prophet (S) sent Salman alFarsi (R) to the open place
that was fixed outside the
city for the historic event
to erect a small shelter for
himself and those he intended to take along with
him for the contest.
At the appointed hour, the
Christians witnessed the
Holy Prophet (S) entering
the field with Imam Hussain
(A) in his lap, Imam Hasan
(A) holding his finger, and
walking beside him Lady
Fatima (A) followed by Imam
Ali (A). The Holy Prophet (S)
on reaching the appointed
spot stationed himself with
his daughter, her two sons
and her husband, raising his
hands towards the heaven
said: Lord these are the
People of my House.
When the Christians did not

agree to this line of reasoning, the top-mentioned verse
was revealed enjoining upon
the Holy Prophet (S) to call
the Christians to Mubahila.
To this the Christians
agreed. They wanted to
The Chief Monk on knowing

that the baby in the lap of
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The Message
the Holy Prophet (S) was his

young grandson Hussain (A),
the child walking holding the
Prophet (S)s hand was his
first grandson Hasan (A),
the Lady behind him was his
only daughter Fatima (A) and
the one who followed the
Lady was his son in law,
addressed the huge crowd
of the people who had
gathered on the spot, saying:
seeched the Holy Prophet

(S) to give up the idea of
the agreed Mubahila and
requested for themselves to
be allowed to continue their
faith, offering to pay Jizya'.
Eid -e- Ghadeer: A

symbol of Succession
The 18th of Zilhajj marks
the symbolic occasion of
Eid-e-Ghadeer
on
the
Islamic calendar. To this
day, we recognise the date
as being a day of change and
progression on the path
towards the further spread
of Islam. The events that
took their course on that
day led to Imam Ali (A)
becoming the successor to
Prophet Muhammad (S) as
the leader of the Muslim
believers of the time. Below
is a brief summary of the
events that unfolded on that
one significant day.
By God, I see the faces

which, if they pray to God
for mountains to move from
their places, the mountains
will immediately move! O
believers in the Jesus of
Nazareth, I will tell you the
truth that should ye fail to
enter into some agreement
with Muhammad (S) and if
these souls whom Muhammad (S) has brought with
him, curse you, ye will be
wiped out of existence to
the last day of the life of
the earth!
The Holy Prophet alongside

around a hundred thousands
of his followers arrived at a
place by the name of Ghadir
The people readily agreed to

the advice counseled by
their Leader. They be-
63
The Message
Khum,
halfway
between
Mecca and Medina. They
were on route to Medina
after completing the Hajj
pilgrimage for that year of
10 AH. The group was
brought to a standstill
whilst Allah revealed a verse
to the Holy Prophet to
declare Imam Ali as his
successor. Showing no signs
of questioning, the Holy
Prophet followed up by
instantly mounting his pulpit.
and declared, O men and

women! Allah is my mawla. I
am the mawla of the faithfuls. I have a clear authority
over their souls, and of
whomsoever I am the mawla,
Ali is his mawla. O Allah!
Love him who loves Ali, hate
him who hates Ali.
This great declaration on
the Holy Prophets part was
greeted with an honourable
vow of allegiance from all
who were observing. Male
followers
shook
hands,
whilst women placed their
palms in water to show their
own respective allegiance
towards the man who they
now knew would be their
next leader.
He started his sermon off

by asking his followers, Have
I conveyed the commands of
Allah to you? They replied
as a sole unit, Yes. Following
on, the Holy Prophet asked,
Do I wield authority over
your souls more than you
do? Once again, as a group,
his followers replied, Certainly it is so, O messenger
of Allah. With no doubt in
his mind, the Holy Prophet
asked Imam Ali to come up.
He held his hands high above
the rest, and brought him
high enough for all to see,
This declaration resulted in

another verse being revealed in the Holy Quran. It
was revealed in Maidah, 5:3,
This day I have perfected
for you, your religion, and
have completed my favour on
you, and have chosen for you
Islam, as religion.
64

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (a.s.)

From the Editors Desk

Your Daily-Life Questions Answered

Divine Tests and Allahs Will in Human Guidance

The Hajj and Its Effects

The Farewell Hajj of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.)

The Great Historical Event of Ghadir-e-Khum

Statements of Imam Reza (A.S.) regarding the occurrence of

Morality of Imam Muhammad Taqi al-Jawad (A.S.)

The Account of Shaqq al-Qamar and The Evening Star

The Strong Bondage between the Day of Arafah & Ashura

The Superior Outlook

Islam is a religion of mercy & kindness to all

Imam Reza (A.S.): Fraternity & Equality

Young age of 9th Imam, Imam al-Jawad (A.S.)

Eid al-Mubahila Day of victory of Islam

Eid -e- Ghadeer: A symbol of Succession

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

unschooled Prophet: O'

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

From The Editors Desk

In the name of Allah, the

Our dear country Pakistan is also

But when we stop following Islam

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

reason for the situation which was

all sit together and watch

I highly recommend that a full

As far as ulema going on TV

On the other hand we have seen

Those going to Hajj are requested

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

Your Daily-Life Questions Answered

Ans.: Yes, You may offer it in

Ans.: If a person gives a gift

Ans.: It is allowed as long as

Q.2: If the bride does not

Ans.: You do not have to cut

Ans.: The Jahaiz given by the

Q.3. Suppose five persons

Ans.: It is permissible, but

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

Divine Tests and Allahs Will in

Question: If Allah (s.w.t.) is

used for such tests in Islamic

The second purpose that

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

serves the same purpose as

concluded that Allah (s.w.t.)

There are, in reality, two

1. Divine guidance is divided

Question: Considering the

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

guidance. It is this guidance

free being and can choose to

2. There are many verses in

Zeeqad & Zilhajj 1436 AH

The Hajj and Its Effects

The purpose of acts of

This is the virtue of being