Muhammad (P)– A Mercy to The Worlds

An Open Invitation to Islam

Written By Abidali Mohamedali based on a Lecture by Sheikh Mansour Leghaei

In this day and age, when the majority of ‘popular’ opinion is set other tenants of Islam and his position as a messenger. As he finished
against Islam and its tenants, and the media is set to underscore Islam his message, his uncle Abu Lahab, began ridiculing him, not allowing
as ‘terrorist’, it is the perfect opportunity to discuss and invite the the people to think independently about the message and therefore
masses to the REAL Islam. The Prophet in this regard was the most the gathering was to no avail.
perfect representative of the message of Islam and under worse cir-
Begin From Your Tribe
cumstances than those we are experiencing managed to bring out and
introduce to us the purest form of living our lives. It was at this point that Allah reveled to the Prophet (P): “Warn your
tribe of near kindred.” [26:214]. to this end, the Prophet invited 40 of
In the previous session, the pioneers of Islam were studied with proof
his near of kin for a dinner. Imam Ali (AS) was in charge of the cook-
that Imam Ali (AS) was the very first Muslim followed by the wife of
ing and as he narrates, the only meat that was available was leg of
the Prophet (P), Khadija. This paper and the following ones will dwell
lamb. The imam went to the prophet to inform him that the food will
more on the spread of Islam to the rest of humanity, focussing on the
not be enough for the number of people attending
utilisation of the living miracle of the Prophet
but the Prophet (P) told him that trust in Allah
(P), the Quran, in this important task.
and Allah will suffice. Imam cooked the lamb and
The First Public Proclamation served it on the night with some milk. The guests
complied with the Prophet (P), having seen the
Islam, like Christianity is a proselytising re- meagre amount of food, but the he asked them to
ligion, meaning that it is a religion in which eat to their fill. Amazingly, at the end of the night,
one of the primary paradigms is that it must after
be spread to those who do not have the guid- every- An open Invitation to Islam ………….1
ance if guidance has some to its adherents. It one
is for this reason that from the very begin- had Editorial………………………....…….. 2
ning of Islam and for the first three years, the eaten
Prophet was constantly inviting the people to Sadaqa for the Safety of Imam Al Asr
close to him, his family and close friends, in their (AJFS) ………………….………………. 4
private. Only people who were ready to hear fill,
and whose hearts were enlightened would there Viewpoint:- Everybody wants to be a
either come to the Prophet (P) themselves in was somebody ...……….…………………….5
private or would be brought to him in pri- still
vate. After three years, 40 people had em- some Ziarat Aale-Yaseen……………..……...6
braced Islam such that the prophet used to meat
hold congregational prayers in his house or re- Advice from the Imam of our time… 8
when the numbers grew, used to travel to the outskirts of Makkah, maining! Before the
and pray away from prying eyes. It was then, that Allah revealed to Prophet had an opportu- Prisoner of Golden chains …………….8
the Prophet: “Proclaim openly that which you are commanded, and nity to speak, Abu Lahab
turn away from the disbelievers. Truly We will suffice you against the again ridiculed the
scoffers.” [15:94,95]. Tafsir of Surah Muhammad…………10
Prophet saying that he
Upon the revelation of this ayah, the Prophet (P) proceeded to the must have done some sort Nuwwab al Arb’a.…………………..…12
mount of Safa, near Masjid-ul-Haraam and cried ..‫ﻳﺎ ﺻﺒﺎﺣﺎﻩ‬As was the of magic. The Prophet,
tradition to as a warning of impending attack on the city of Makkah. realising that the environ- Islamic Calender…..…………………. 12
Once the people had collected around, he asked them “If I told you ment was polluted de-
that there was an army behind these hills getting ready to attack the cided to postpone the DISCLAIMER AND CAUTION
city, would you believe me?” Having never heard a lie from the delivery of the message
The articles published in this paper are
mouth of the Prophet (P) replied to the affirmative. The Prophet (P) and asked his guests to
not the views of Al-Fajr or any particu-
then continued telling them that his position is like that of a warner in come the next night for lar Islamic centre but of the Author.
an army, who has gone foreword and is back to warn the army of another dinner.
Please handle with care as it contains
impending danger. He then continued that reminding them that all of names of Allah and His Prophet
The same thing with the
them shall taste death and after it talked about hell and heaven and
(Continued on page 2)
1
Editorial...
Salaam Alaykum!
The most beautiful months of the Is-
lamic calendar are upon us. The days of
these months are filled with blessing and
forgiveness and the gates of heaven are
flung open for all those who wish to
make it their abode. It is imperative that
we take advantage of these months not
only to pray and connect with Allah but
to change ourselves and prepare our-
selves for the holiest months of all-
Ramadhan.
In this fast paced world of information, it
is important to take a moment to focus,
to ponder, to think and to reflect not only
on our own lives but also those around
us. The Prophet (P) made use of every
single opportunity to tell people the
truth and we see today, some are so fo-
cused on the outward perceptions of
ourselves that sometimes some feel em-
barrassed at being Muslim or even em-
barrassed at the tenants of their faith.
This reflection, should refocus our efforts
on reality and abandon the intangible
and the illusions and shackles of this
world.
Islam, not only has introduced a robust
system of life to us, it has shown us a
clear way to cope up with this gift of life
so as to utilize it to its maximum poten-
tial. This is a recurring theme in this is-
sue of Al-Fajr and is discussed in numer-
ous perspectives. The cover story dis-
cusses the true value of the miracles of
the Prophet (P) and how he awoke the
minds of the community now and con-
tinues to do so to this age where the
irony of too much information is that
most are still living in ignorance.
We hope you benefit from this issue as
much if not more than we have benefited
from putting it together. If you have sug-
gestions, comments or would like to sub-
mit your viewpoint on any issue or even
request a soft copy of the magazine,
please email us at abidlim@gmail.com.
Wassalaam
Abidali Mohamedali - Editor
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 2
food happened the next night but this time,
after dinner the prophet (P) gave a short ser-
mon saying ““I invite you to two testimonies
which are light on your tongue to pronounce
but heavy in your Scale of deeds in the hereaf-
ter…They are: ‘I bear witness that there is no
deity but Allah and that I (Muhammad) am
the Messenger of Allah.’ Whoever amongst you
accepts my invitation first shall be my brother,
my heir and my successor.” Silence fell in the
room as no one responded. Then Imam Ali
(AS) stood up and responded to the call of the
Prophet (P) and the Prophet (P) declared him
to be his successor and heir. 90% of all histori-
ans including those of the Sunni sect have nar-
rated this hadith in this form save a couple
who have perverted only the very last, under-
lined portion such as Al-Tabari in his Tafseer
has perverted the narration by quoting: “shall
be so and so!” There could not be any clearer
example of zealotry and prejudice! Perhaps
Tabari had a valid excuse for this concealment
but in the contemporary world, the author of
the book “Hayaat Muhammad’, Dr. Haykal, de-
leted this portion of the narration of the life of
the Prophet (P) in the SECOND edition of his
book for reasons that seem that obvious. Aya-
tollah Amini in his book ‘Al-Ghadeer’ has elabo-
rated on this issue further and has proven that
that this hadith is valid except for this deliber-
ate concealing of the truth justified by some as
follows “All the narrators of this narration are
unanimously regarded trustworthy. Except
Abdul-Ghaffar ibn Qasem with whom some
scholars had concern because he was a Shi’a!”
The simple question is that if this hadith is not cussing the spread of Islam and the rise of the
authentic, why narrate all of it and leave the
very last and most sensitive portion? If this
even happened, the whole event happened, if
it id not, then why say ‘so and so’? Why per-
vert the hadith, let the analysts determine or
conclude its meaning.
The Influence of the Noble Quran in At- encing people). He then proceeded to ask the
traction to Islam
It is natural instincts of the human psyche that
if they have or they make something, the wish
to share it with all around them especially their
near and dear ones. In the same manner, when
the Prophet (P) received this exquisite and
powerful message, he could not help but share
it. Sometimes he did not have to even share it
for its radiance and power to be depicted! It is
very unfortunate, that many commentators
have doubted the authenticity of the Prophet
because he did not have other miracles (other
than the Quran) like the other divine Prophets.
There are several arguments against this but
there is a reason why we are concentrating on
this particular miracle, and that is because it is
living. No person today can prove that Jesus
made the born blind see again or supposedly
converted water to wine! If this were told to a
non believer, they would ridicule and laugh.
The Quran is a living miracle that has never
been challenged! Allah calls for the kuffar to
challenge it with a book like unto it, nay a part turn away, so they hear not…” The Prophet
like unto it, nay a verse like unto it and yet no
one to this date has succeeded! Allah says:
“But if you do it not, and you can never do it,
then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and
stones, prepared for the disbelievers.” [2:24]
Despite the accusations, the fact speak for
themselves, many historians have counted
hundreds of miracles attributable to the
Prophet. One historian has been quoted to
have said “Prophet Muhammad (P) had more
than 4400 miracles out of which about 3000 is
registered.” [al-Manaqeb vol.1 p.144]. Allama
Majlesi, in his book Bihar Ul-Anwaar mentions
over 300 miracles of the Prophet.
Examples of the People influenced by the
Quran
The miracle of the Quran is so powerful that,
not only are there numerous historical records
of its influence, but also to this date and in the
hearts of thousands of people the miracle of
Quran is still evident and continues to influ-
ence them. The following is a taste of how the
Quran has influenced some people either to
convert to Islam or at least have a softer ap-
proach to Islam in history and also consist of a
practical contemporary example.
1- Otba Bin Rabi’a (one of the chiefs of
Quraysh)
Being one of the leaders of Quraysh, Otba was
a staunch enemy of Islam and the Prophet (P).
The narration is such that one day he was sit-
ting with the other chiefs of Quraysh and dis-
Prophet (P). Being the uncle of the Prophet,
and knowing the Prophet (P) to be a level
headed person, he nominated himself to speak
to the Prophet on behalf of the leaders of
Quraysh. He went to the prophet and began by
telling him how much respect they had for him
(a common skill in psychology useful for influ-
Prophet whether his motivation was money, if
so then they would provide it, if the motivation
was fame, they would announce that he was
the chief of the tribe, or was it that he was in-
sane, even then they would provide the best
physician. He went on telling the Prophet how
he had divided the community and polarised
opinions which has a destructive effect on the
fabric of the society.
Once he had finished his ‘lecture’ the Prophet
(P) sought permission to talk and quoted the
first 37 ayaat of surah Fussilat (chapter 41)
: ‫ ﮐﺘﺎب‬.‫ ﺗﻨﺰﻳﻞ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬.‫ ﺣﻢ‬. ‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬
‫ ﻓﺎﻋﺮض اﮐﺜﺮهﻢ ﻓﻬﻢ ﻻ‬.‫ﻓﺼﻠﺖ ﺁﻳﺎﺗﻪ ﻗﺮﺁﻧﺎ ﻋﺮﺑﻴﺎ ﻟﻘﻮم ﻳﻌﻠﻤﻮن‬
..‫ﻳﺴﻤﻌﻮن‬
“In the Name of Allah, the Most gracious, the
Most Merciful. Ha-Meem. A revelation from
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book
whereof the Signs are explained in detail-a
Quran in Arabic for people who know. Giving
glad tidings and warning, but most of them
continued till verse 37 where Allah says:
“And among His signs are the night and the
day and the sun and the moon; do not make
obeisance to the sun nor to the moon; and
make obeisance to Allah Who created them,
if Him it is that you serve.” The Prophet (P)
read this verse and the verse after it (which
is a wajib Sajda) and went into sajda.
In the mean time, Otba who was so shocked
and awestruck ran away! He went back to
the leaders of Quraysh and asked them to
desist in fighting against the Prophet (P)
telling them that what Muhammad has is
neither prose nor poetry nor is he a magi-
cian but had some truth. If others fight him
and kill him then you have achieved what
you wanted and if he succeeds he is one of
you so be proud of him but declined to be
part of any offensive against Islam!
2. Walid Ibn Moghaira (one of the three
most eloquent Arabs):
Being a well known poet, and having heard
of the Prophet (P) and the Quran, Walid and
his colleagues wished to listen to this myste-
rious new ‘poetry’. They could not do this in
the open due to their status in the commu-
nity as idolaters. They used to secretly sneak
out in the dark to house of the Prophet, hide
and listen to the Prophet (P) reciting the
Quran which they enjoyed thoroughly. One
day, they bumped into each other each one
shocked by the presence of the other but yet
knowing why they were there! They de-
cided not to come any more lest the commu-
nity find out but the very next night they
bumped into each other again!
Walid could not stand the secrecy any
longer and one day when the Prophet (P)
was sitting next to Hijr-Ismail and reciting
the Quran to attract the ‘pilgrims’ asked the
Prophet (P) to read to him some of hi
‘poems’. The Prophet (P) replied that he had
no poems just the Quran! The Prophet began
the same surah Fussilat from the beginning
till the ayah 13 where Allah says “But if they
turn aside, then say: I have warned you of a
scourge like the scourge of Ad and Samood.”
Walid began shaking and in fear asked the
Prophet (P) to stop reading and walked
away. He went back to his friends and told
them that what he had heard was certainly greetings of the people of Paradise. Say:
the truth. Assalamu Alaykum,” replied the Prophet,
already creating a friendly atmosphere.
It is recorded that neither Otba nor Walid
As’ad then inquired about the message of
actually converted to Islam and only Allah
the Prophet (P) whereupon the Prophet re-
knows what became of them and their posi-
plied using selected verses from the Quran
tion in the hereafter.
“I invite people to worship only One God.
3. ‘Sally’ Respect your parents. Do not kill your chil-
dren. Do not usurp the property of the or-
An example of the power of the Quran hap- phans. Talk justly even if it were to be
pened much closer to home and very re- against your near of kin…” As’ad having
cently. In 2003, in the beginning of Ramad- heard this was so awed by the message that
han, Sheikh Mansour received a call from a asked the Prophet (P) how he could become
lady who for a few years had been inquiring a Muslim. The Prophet (P) told him of the
about Islam but was undecided and almost a shahadah and As’ad said: ‫ اﺷﻬﺪ ان ﻻ اﻟﻪ اﻻ‬:‫اﺳﻌﺪ‬
lost cause. The lady wished to speak to .‫اﷲ وﺣﺪﻩ ﻻ ﺷﺮﻳﮏ ﻟﻪ و اﻧﮏ رﺳﻮل اﷲ‬
Sheikh urgently, a request he readily agreed
to. When she came in, she immediately There exist in the life of the Prophet (P) hun-
wanted to become a Muslim! Upon inquiry, dreds of examples of this kind. The more
she narrated that she was at home and sud- prominent one being for instance the con-
denly felt like picking up the copy of the version of Umar bin Khattab who was once
proceeding to take maters in his own hands
Quran that was gifted to her. As she was
reading it she came across ayah 173 of surah and going to kill the Prophet (P). On his way
Nisaa where Allah says “So, as for those he was confronted by some people who sug-
who believed and did deeds of righteous- gested he solve problems in his own family
ness, He will give them their rewards-and first. Dumbfounded, he asked what that
more out of His Bounty. But as for those meant and was told that his own sister had
who refused His worship and were proud, become a Muslim! He immediately went to
He will punish them with a painful torment. his sister’s house where he heard her recit-
And they will not find for themselves be- ing the Quran. He charged in and violently
sides Allah any protector or helper.” She demanded that his sister give him what she
suddenly realized that he had just been was reading. She refused and Umar almost
given a choice of two paths, one that leads to began a fight with his brother in law. She
rewards and bliss and paradise and the finally conceded and read some of the verses
other full of hardship, pain and hell. The of surah Taha which influenced him to pro-
choice was simple! This lady took the warn- foundly that he converted to Islam.
ing of Allah seriously and made the change
Another prominent example is that of Ja’far
in her life. Hundreds of such stories exist to
Ibn Abu Talib, who was sent to Abyssinia
attest to the real, living miracle of the
and convinced the then king Najjashi of the
Prophet (P).
authenticity of Islam by quoting verses from
4- As’ad Ibn Zorarah (a friend of Otba from Surah Marium. It was that influence which
Yathrib (the former name of Madinah)) led to the protection the Muslims received
there. The Quran itself is the most powerful
It is narrated that As’ad, being from the and authentic source to introduce Islam and
community of the Khazraj was having some therefore should be utilised more often and
trouble with the Aws in Yathrib, and trav- introduced to the non-Muslims.
elled to Makkah to discuss the problem with
5. Attraction of the Jinn and other crea-
his friend Otba (seen above). Otba told
As’ad that he was in a major dilemma of his tures:
own with the problem of this new ‘Prophet’ It is an amazing fact that not only humans,
taking up all his energy and time. Since but jinn are also influenced by the words of
As’ad had travelled o far, he insisted that he the Almighty. Allah says in the Quran: “Say:
get an opportunity to meet this mysterious It has been revealed to me that a group of
man. Otba, knowing the power of the Quran jinn listened (to this Quran). They said: Ver-
flatly refused to allow him to do so. But on ily, we have heard a wonderful recitation.
insistence from As’ad conceded with the [72:1] Allah in describing the immense
condition that he put cotton in his ears so power of this book says in ayah 21 of Surah
that he cannot hear the Prophet (P) speak! Hashr “Had We sent down this Quran on a
As’ad obliged to his friends request and mountain, you would certainly have seen it
went to the Kaaba to perform his umra falling down, splitting asunder because of
whereupon he saw the Prophet again recit- the fear of Allah, and We sent forth these
ing verses from the Quran. Thinking the parables to men that they may reflect.” Our
idea of cotton in his ears was a ridicules hearts are not harder than the pieces of
idea, he decided after some deliberation to rocks! May Allah grant us the wisdom to
remove the cotton and speak to the Prophet recognise this tremendous miracle we hold
(P). “Good Morning”, he greeted the in our hands and appreciate is grandeur and
Prophet (P). “Allah has changed that to the splendour.
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 3
Sadaqah for the Safety of Imam Al Asr(AJFS)
In today's world of science and technology,
doctors have found solutions to numerous
diseases which were once considered as in-
curable and fatal. Inventions of sophisticated
devices and formulation of new life saving
drugs have helped them in their cause. Yet,
we find Muslims who say that a person's life
and sustenance can be increased and calami-
ties averted merely by giving alms.
Sadaqah is derived from the word Sadq i.e.
to be righteous, truthful, alms-giving. We
will focus our attention on its third meaning
i.e. alms-giving and discuss about it. While
going through the pages of history - which
are full of incidents about the benefits of
giving alms - one incident stands apart.
It is narrated that once Hazrat Isa (AS) was
passing by a house along with his compan-
ions. Celebrations were going on in that
house on the occasion of a marriage. Hazrat
Isa (AS) pointed out to his companions that
tomorrow, (the people of) this house will
aggrieved. On the morrow, the companions
of Hazrat Isa (AS) informed him that noth-
ing like what he had predicted had occurred
in that house. Hazrat Isa (AS) decided to
visit that house and find out the reason due
to which the calamity was averted. On in-
quiry, the newly married bride of the house
spoke about the events of the previous night.
She said that last night she had given bread
to a beggar who had come to their house.
After knowing this Hazrat Isa (AS) lifted the
bed and they saw that there was a snake
with a bread in its mouth. Hazrat Isa (AS)
showed them that the alms which was given
in the form of bread by the bride had saved
them from death.
The traditions of the infallibles (AS) too
speak about the advantages of giving alms.
Discussing all of them is beyond the scope of
this article. We will restrict our discussion in
reviewing only a few of them. It has been
narrated from Imam Baqir (AS) that giving
of alms prolongs one's life and saves a per-
son from seventy types of difficulties at the
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 4
time of death. (Man la Yahzorohul Faqih p himself, my family more than his family, my
34 H. No. 1729) descendants more than his own descendants
and myself more than his own self."
Imam Sadiq (AS) says, 'Allah will keep
away all the difficulties which descend from It is crystal clear from this tradition that a
the sky in the daytime, if one gives alms true Muslim is filled with the love of Holy
early in the morning. And Allah will keep Prophet (SAW) and his descendants and
away all the difficulties which will descend especially in the present age, with the love of
from the sky in the night, if one gives alms in our beloved master, Imam-Al-Asr (AJFS).
the early hours of night." (Ibid., H. No. 1733) Also we see a tradition from Imam Mahdi
(AJFS) who relates from his father, Imam
Imam Ali (AS) says, "In order to be exon-
Hasan al-Askari (AS) : "O my son know that
erated of your sins and be included under the
the hearts of the obedient and sincere people
grace and love of Allah, give alms and ob-
will turn to you as birds turn to their
serve the bonds of relationship." (Ghurarul
nests." (Kamaluddin, p. 448)
Hekam by Abdul Waahid Aamudi)
But, only verbal claim that we love the Holy
Prophet (SAW) and our Imam (AS) is no
A tradition from Holy Prophet (SAW) sum- proof. Rather, the proof of our love lies in
marises all the benefits of giving alms. He our behaviour, manners, dealings, etc. It is
(SAW) says, 'There is no god except Allah, but natural that a lover likes the safety and
giving alms saves a person from sickness, security of the one whom he loves. A person
plague, fire, drowning, falling and madness." can protect his beloved in two ways, directly
Then Holy Prophet (SAW) counted seventy or indirectly. Directly means himself protect-
difficulties from which a person can be ing and indirectly means by arranging some
saved by giving alms. (Man la Yahzorohul protection for the beloved. In our age where
Faqih, p 35, H. No. 1734) it is not possible for us to phys cally see
whether our beloved master. Imam Mahdi
Now that we are familiar with the benefits
(AJFS) is protected or not (because of the
and effects of giving alms, the question
barrier of occultation) there is no need to
which comes to our mind is , How can the
lose heart as we can always take the indirect
giving of alms by us be the cause of safety of
way i.e. giving alms for his safety. A tradi-
our last Imam, Imam-Al Asr (AJFS)? All hu-
tion from Ameerul Momineen Alt (a.s.) says
man relations, actions, etc. are based on the
(a.s.), "Giving alms dispels calamity."
natural instincts of love and attachment. This
attachment and love may be for worldly When we go through the books of history,
gains or for the hereafter. Islam, the last and we realize that the great scholars of Islam
the perfect religion of Allah in based on at- have devoted a lot of pages on this topic.
tachment. Thus we find in Quran:"And those One such scholar is Sayyed Ibne Ta'oos (RA).
who believe, love Allah the most." (1:165). He is one of the great Shiite personalities of
7th century Hijri. He writes in his will to his
The point to be noted here is that when a
son regarding the responsibilities towards
person shows interest or love towards some-
Imam (a.s.) that, "Give priority to Imam's
thing, then he will show his love and attach-
need before asking your request. Donate
ment for everything related to that particular
alms and charity for his glorious being be-
thing. We see in our daily lives that if a per-
fore you do for your own self or for your
son is interested in a particular field of family and offer supplications for him before
study, engineering for instance, he will not
remembering yours. In short, in all your
only be interested in the area of his speciali- good and recommended deeds, give priority
zation but he will also be interested in all to his pious and precious being because this
those areas which are attracts the attention of Imam (AS) towards
related to it. On the you and will increase his generosity and
basis of the above prin- kindness upon you."
ciple, we know that the
most esteemed and At this juncture, one question might intrigue
honoured from among you and that is, "Does Imam (AS), who is
the creatures, in front having all the blessings, knowledge and
of Allah, the Almighty, kindness of Allah need the alms of a few
are the Holy Prophet pennies given by us?"
(SAW) and the infalli- The answer is certainly not. But as we have
ble Imams (a.s.). We seen in the foregoing paragraphs, that when
see in a tradition from you love someone, that love should be mani-
the Holy Prophet fested in your behaviour, dealings and man-
(SAW) that he said, ners. By giving money in charity, we are
"The faith of no one is manifesting our love towards our Imam (AS)
acceptable to Allah and fulfilling the condition of the tradition of
except for him who
loves me more than (Continued on page 5)
(Continued from page 4)
the Holy Prophet (SAW) that says, "The
faith of no one is acceptable to Allah except that Imam (AS) himself has asked us to pray
for him who loves me more than him-
self......." And also we have to keep this point need of our invocations. It (reciting invoca-
in mind that Imam-Al-Asr (AJFS) himself
says, "Pray more for my early reappearance. towards him.
Indeed, in it there is salvation for you."
We find that there are many supplications
which have been narrated by our Imams
(AS) to pray for Imam Mahdi (AJFS) in the
Everybody wants to be a somebody
Is there any person in this world who does-
n’t like to be recognized for what they are
and what they do? Unfortunately, people are
often judged by their looks, their family,
their clothes, and the people they mix with.
There is so much emphasis on the external
superficial parts of a person that the person
himself is usually left feeling lonely (even in
a crowd), misunderstood (even though peo-
ple say they love him), and perhaps even
spending most of his life concentrating on
developing these external parts of himself so
as to be accepted; whereas in reality he
knows that the real him is something very
different.
How many people leave this world without
ever having been appreciated for their real
selves, without ever having discovered who
they really are and what they are capable of
doing? What a waste! And the thing is that
we live our lives making sure that the way
we dress, the place we live, the people we
mix with, and even the food we eat are
“right.” Somewhere along the line we forget
to ask ourselves what we like to wear, what
we like to eat, what we like!
Now comes Ramadan! In Ramadan life
comes back to basics. We concentrate on
remembering Allah the Most High, on fast-
ing and thus coming to terms with our
weaknesses, on reading the Qur’an so as to
be aware of the guidance of Allah to help us
achieve success in this life and the next, and
on giving to others instead of thinking about
what we are going to get.
In Ramadan we have to live our lives feeling Special Olympics is a great chance for peo-
hungry and yet still get on with our daily
routine and work. We get to appreciate how succeed at different things in life. It repre-
the poor people feel every day of their lives. sents the stamina, determination, and cour-
We learn how much strength we actually
have inside because we manage to keep go- life, and the positive and hopeful attitude
ing. We may surprise ourselves with the
depth of our perception when we read
Qur’an and contemplate the meanings. We
learn what it feels like to give to someone
who appreciates what you have done—and their faces. I felt, as I watched the film, that
so you have the desire to give more.
Really it is up to us how good we feel in life.
time of occultation. For more details about this lies in a tradition from Imam Sadiq (AS)
invocations refer to the book of Mafateeh-ul- who says 'If a person is not near and cannot
Jinan by Shaykh Abbas Qummi. We also see send his gifts to us, then he should give it to
our pious Shias. He will get the same reward
for his early reappearance though he is in no of giving it to us..." (Man la yahzorohul
faqih)
tion) is a sign and manifestation of our love
In the end we pray to Allah, the Almighty,
to increase our grace and provide us oppor-
Now, after understanding why alms should tunities so that we can manifest our love
be given for the safety of Imam (AS), the towards Imam al-Muntazar al-Mahdi (AS)
question which arises is "What should we do by giving alms for his safety and performing
with money collected as alms? " The reply to only those deeds which bring us closer
As we live our lives we get feelings that and courage of many of the participants:
serve as indicators telling us whether we are people who had exerted great effort and
close to the truth or far away. Some people achieved.
describe these feelings as a sense of tranquil-
Here are some quotes from this memorable
ity when you do what is right, and a sense of
film. At the end of the film, a young lady
anxiety when you do something that is
who won an award said, “So here I am! Who
wrong. Have you ever helped a person in
would have thought that so many of my
need and felt bad?
dreams would come true! I’m not a hero, I
I don’t think so! Because most people will just like running.”
say they felt “good” after doing a noble ac-
Someone else said, “Let me win, and I if I
tion. Likewise when you sacrifice something
cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
for someone else, you feel good; when you
Another person said, “The courageous spirit,
tell the truth, you feel relieved; and when
the generous heart is what really matters.”
you pray sincerely, your heart feels at home.
So the message is that we should all take
So it is possible to know ourselves and to
every opportunity that life presents us with
understand the context of our lives despite
to develop ourselves. And I don’t mean just
the pressures around us and the misconcep-
developing the superficial qualities or mak-
tions people adopt. I had a friend who told
ing more money, but to search our souls and
me that if you help somebody, you can
find our potential and then dedicate our
never be a nobody. Those words stayed with
lives to being the best person we can be. A
me and I have adopted them as a motto in
very important part of that is reaching out to
my life. I know from experience that when-
others. When we try to help someone—even
ever I have felt bad about myself, my life, or
a stranger—our hearts feel uplifted and our
the situation I find myself in, I go out and do
insight deepens. When we do such things
something for someone else and, inevitably,
with the intention to please the Creator, an-
I feel better.
gels will accompany us on our way through
I saw a film a few weeks ago that really life and our feelings of mercy and kindness
touched my heart. It made me think about will emanate from our countenance, words,
the worth of every single living person; it tone of voice, and actions until we put our-
was about the Special Olympics. When I saw selves in the position of being eligible to
the people who work with those who are receive the guidance and forgiveness of Al-
suffering from all kinds of handicaps I felt lah whose mercy is apparent everywhere we
like I was witnessing the real courage and look.
spiritual potential that lies in all of us, but
too often lies dormant for want of use. The
ple to discover themselves and how they can
age that should mark our journey through
that should encompass all that we try to do.
The people who help out at such events
revel in the general atmosphere of courage,
dignity, and hope, and you can see it on
the helpers were so very fortunate to be tak-
ing part in such an event. I envied the hope
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 5
Ziarat Aal-E-Yaseen
Introduction:

Ziarat Aal-e-Yaseen is another important Ziarat of Imam-e-Zaman(a.s.). It is actually a Hadith Qudsi (direct saying of Allah(swt)) as re-
ported in Mafatih-al-Jinnan. It is the first Ziarat in Mafatih about Imam-e-Zaman(a.s.) (located some pages before Duaa Nudbeh). According
to the traditions, "Aal-e-Yaseen" is equivalent to "Aal-e-Muhammad (AS)" and is the correct pronunciation (Qira'at) of verse 37:130 of the
Holy Quran. Beside its superb beauty, one of the interesting points about this Duaa is that, in it, we confess all the central beliefs one by one.
Lack of any of these elements makes one a disbeliever. It is advisable that it be recited once a day to affirm once pledge to the Imam (AJFS)
and also to affirm ones faith in Islam.

Peace be upon (the) progeny of Yaseen.

Peace be upon you, O the caller of Allah and place of manifestation of

His signs.

Peace be upon you, O the door of Allah and the devout one of His relig-
ion.

Peace be upon you, O the vicegerent of Allah and the helper of His truth.

Peace be upon you, O the proof of Allah and the Guide of His intention.

Peace be upon you, O the reciter of Allah's book and its interpreter.

Peace be upon you in your night and in your day.

Peace be upon you, O the remnant of Allah on His earth.

Peace be upon you, O the covenant of Allah, which He took it and He

fastened it.

Peace be upon you, O the promise of Allah which He guaranteed it.

Peace by upon you, O the manifested flag and the one who is filled with
knowledge and the help and the far-reaching mercy a promise which is
not a lie.

Peace be upon you while you are standing

Peace be upon you while you are sitting.

Peace be upon you when you are reading and explaining

Peace be upon you when you are praying and supplicating.

Peace be upon you when you are bowing and prostrating.

Peace be upon you when you are saying "There is no God except Allah'
and (when) you are saying 'Allah is greater (than what He is described).'

Peace be upon you when you are praising (Allah) and seeking forgive-
ness.

Peace be upon you when you enter the morning and the evening.

Peace be upon you in the night when it envelops and the day when it
becomes manifest. Peacebe upon you, O the leader, the protected one.

Peace be upon you, O the prior hoped one.

Peace be upon you by the collections of the salutations.

I call you as a witness, O my Master, certainly I testify that there is no

god except Allah, He is alone, there is no partner with Him.

Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 6

And indeed I testify that Mohammad is His servant and His Apostle;

There is no beloved except him and his progeny.

And I call you as a witness, O my Master certainly Ali, the commander of

the believers, is His proof.

And Hasan is His proof. And Husayn is His proof.

And Ali, son of Husayn is His proof.

And Muhammad, son of Ali is His proof.

And Ja'far, son of Mohammad is His proof.

And Moosa, son of Ja'far is His proof.

And Ali, son of Moosa is His proof.

And Muhammad, son of Ali is His proof.

And Ali, son of Mohammad is His proof.

And Hasan, son of Ali is His proof.

And I testify that indeed you are the proof of Allah.

All of you, the first and the last.

And surely your return is a truth, there is no doubt in it.

The day when belief of none will benefit himself who previously

did not believe or acquired a goodness through his belief. And indeed
death is a truth.

And indeed Naakir and Nakeer is a truth. And I testify that indeed the
scattering (stage of Qiyamat) is a truth and the raising is a truth.

And indeed the bridge (over hell) is a truth and the watching place is a
truth.

And the balance is a truth and the gathering is a truth

And the accounting (of deeds) is a truth and the Paradise

and the hell is a truth. And the promise (of reward) and the threat (of the
punishment) in them is a truth.

O my Master, one who opposes you is unlucky. And one who obeys you is
lucky.

And I am a friend for you, acquitted from your enemy. Then testify what-
ever I made you a witness upon it.

So the truth is whatever you are satisfied with. And the untrue is whatever
you are angry with. And the goodness is whatever you ordered. And the
evil is whatever you have prohibited from.

So lam abeliever in Allah, He alone, there is no partner with Him.

And (I am a believer) in His Apostle and in the commander of the believ-

ers.

And in you O my Master, the first among you and the last among you.
And my help is intended for you. And my love is purely for you. Amen!
Amen ! (Accept! Accept!)

Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 7

Words of Advice from the Imam of our time (AJTFS) H. Farhoodi

Undoubtedly, the most important benefit that can ever be gained
from ever having the honour to meet with our present Imam, Imam
Mahdi (AJTFS) is to attain as much spiritual information that we can
from his fountain of knowledge, in order to advance in our spiritual
journey to the highest levels possible.
Thus if that blessed day ever arrives when a true devotee of Imam
Mahdi (AJTFS) has the honour of meeting with him, they should try
and gain as much spiritual guidance and elevation from him as possi-
ble.
•Firstly- He kept emphasising that ‘O Sayyed, read the Holy Qur’an
as much as you can and may God’s wrath be upon those who seek
to fabricate the Qur’an and ahadith.
•Put an Aqiq (carnelian) gem, with the names of the 14 ma’sumin
(infallibles) written on it, under the tongue of the deceased.
•Be kind and dutiful to your parents and respect them. And if they
have passed away, show your love to them by spending in charity
for them.

Ayatollah Najafi Mar’ashi, one of the late marja taqlid’s1 has been •Visit the shrines of the infallible Imams and pious people as much
quoted as saying: A knowledgeable sayyed reported that he had be- as you can.
gun his journey on foot to visit the grave of Hazrat Sayyed Muham-
mad, the son of Imam Hadi (a.s), whose shrine is locate near the city •Respect the Saadaat (descendents of the Prophet of Islam (P)) as
of Samira, in Iraq. His description of the journey is as follows: much as possible.
‘I was losing my way to shrine. The heat of the sun was intense and •Never stop performing Salat’ul-layl (night prayers) and consider it
I felt that I would soon be dying of thirst. I suddenly collapsed on as one of the greatest acts of worship. It is a shame that the educated
the ground and felt unconscious. I didn’t know where I was, and
people, the ones that consider themselves as our devotees aren’t
when I finally opened my eyes, I found my head resting upon the
consistent with their Salat’ul-layl.
knees of another person, who was pouring water down my throat. I
drank thirstily from that water, which was the sweetest and most •Always recite Tasbih of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA), and perform
refreshing water I had ever drunk. The man then opened up his bread ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s) from near and far.
sack and handed me a few pieces of bread to eat. “O Sayyed, wash
your body in this spring so that your body can cool down”, he told •Read Hazrat Fatima Zahra’s (AS) khutba (speech), which she gave
me. in the Prophet’s Mosque, and also the khutba of Imam Ali (AS) and
the khutba of Hazrat
“But there’s no water here”, I replied. “Otherwise I wouldn’t feel
Zeinab (AS) in the court of
thirsty and fall unconscious.”
Yazid.
He then replied back by gesturing towards a nice flowing stream,
At that moment we had
which was only about 2-3 metres away from me. My mind was sud-
reached the entrance to the
denly full of questions. I kept asking myself that how come I never
shrine, when all of a sudden
saw this stream when I was so close to dying from thirst.
that Hazrat had disappeared
The man surprised me even further by asking “O Sayyed, where are from my sight and I was left
you planning to go?” standing there alone, con-
templating on the words of
“To visit the holy shrine of Sayyed Muhammad”, I replied. “Here is wisdom that I had just been
his shrine”, he said as he pointed towards Sayyed Muhammad’s taught.2
shrine, whilst it should’ve been miles away.
May Allah (SWT) hasten the
As we walked together towards the shrine, I realised that this man reappearance of our present
was no other than Hazrat Baqiyatallah (ATFS) and thus I have kept in Imam (AJFS) and guide us to
mind the words of advice and guidance he taught me, which are the be his true followers and
following: devotees, Inshallah.

Prisoner of Golden Chains by Ali Al Samail

One day, I heard that somewhere, far away
from here, people were imprisoned, then
raped, tortured and dragged around on
leashes like animals without any justifica-
tion. I felt pain and anger, but I knew I could
change nothing, so I told the pain to go
away, and told the anger to shut up.
The next day, I heard that a group of kids,
somewhere far away from here, were
stopped at a checkpoint on their way to
school. Well-trained soldiers could only
communicate with these kids by pointing
guns at them, so the kids had to sit on the
sidewalk and have their class right there. It
made me want to cry, but I told the tears to
go back.
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 8
On another day, I saw photos of a family
who lived far away from here. They were
sitting on a beach, enjoying an outing, when
suddenly they were attacked, their bodies
were torn to pieces, their heads were cut
from their bodies…all except one little girls,
who cried endlessly, because she was hold-
ing in her arms her baby twin brother,
whose lives had been stolen even before
they had properly begun. I jumped up, I
turned away from the screen, I shook my
head, I wanted some way out- but I sat
down again, because there was nothing I
could do.
On yet another day, I saw that somewhere,
far away, little children had no food to eat
and no clean water to drink. They were sick-
dying- their bellies inflated as if to point out
some sick irony in their plight. They came
from a place whose earth was rich, but even
their piece of earth had been raped, and
only they had been left on it to rot. But this
time, there were no tears, no anger and no
pain. I didn’t want to drown in my own
helplessness. I didn’t want to choke on my
own weakness, this time, I didn’t want to
leave any room in my heart for the suffering
someone else was going through.
This time, I changed the channel before the
pictures had their effect on me, this time, I
ignore that newspaper article, this time, I
(Continued on page 9)
Prisoner of Golden Chains Contd.
switched on my Play station, this time I
turned up my music, this time, I give in to
the pleasurable distractions designed to
make me forget, so that those dying kids
would rot even out of my memory. This time
I followed the mirage that pulled me from
reality and took me to a hollow daydream.
This time, I closed my eyes to the world
around me, unaware that soon cruelty would
knock on my door and take me from the day-
dream and into my worst nightmare. This
time, I killed my conscience, and became a
zombie- walking and talking, but rotting
with the stench of
death……………………………………………
…………………………………
Then the world shook again.
I was shocked back into life. Why did I not
care that my equal in humanity was being
slaughtered, simply because it was out of my My tears can change the world, my pain can
sight? Why did I care more for how many
dollars I saved that week than for how many planet, my love and compassion can over-
children died in some corner of the Earth? come the greed and ha-
How could I see people consumed and pil- tred that divide the
laged by fire, but myself take a tentative step world into oppressor
back, afraid that even a small spark of that and oppressed.
fire may land at my feet? Why did I so much
My freedom must come
love to be deceived, why did love so much to
from within, but soar to
stay in my cocoon and fear whatever came
the world without, and
from outside of it? Why could I not sift
carry with it those
through the lies to see the truth? Why was I
around me and those
so weak, why was I a prisoner of golden
who will come after me.
chains?
My voice must be heard
If I stand alone I will change nothing. and my burning desire
for justice must not be
If everyone stands together, we can change
put out. The volume of
anything.
tragedy must not bury
Yet, everyone cannot stand together, unless I me in a heap of despair, the blatancy of the
myself stand up- the frustrating paradox did oppression must not make me doubt the
have a solution. truth, the off-hand reporting of death counts
must not dull my sensitivity. My conscience
must not die, for then…the world will die.
move the blind hearts that strangle this

Forgiveness in Islam
In many verses while using different modes Allah loves the doers of good (to others) (3:! Muslims who violated the Holy prophet's
of expression, the Holy Qur'an has recom- 34)." order in the Battle of Uhud thus leading to
mended moral issues to us and praised the the defeat of the Moslems. People expected
With more deliberation into the meaning of
prophets for possessing such merits as pa- the Holy Prophet to strongly punish those
the divine verses, we realize that Allah Al-
tience, adherence to promises, forgiveness, violators; however, the following holy verse
mighty enjoins on His prophets pardon and
modesty and good manners. was revealed:
connivance.
Forgiveness is an attribute which has re- "...forgive them therefore and ask forgiveness
Allah recommends him to observe good be-
ceived due attention in Islam and which has for them, and take counsel with them in the
haviour while guiding the people, and keeps
been extensively discussed in the Holy affair ... (3:159)"
him away from getting involved with igno-
Qur'an, and ahadith (Islamic traditions).
rant elements. To make His "Messenger" In addition to calling on people to forgive,
Forgiveness signifies overlooking the offence completely successful, Allah warns him our religious leaders have always been the
and sin of a person who has purposefully or against paying heed to satanic temptations, eminent pardoners in the world, and barring
mistakenly done you wrong, such as insult- which are the biggest barrier before man in them, no one is capable of such an extent of
ing you by his words, beating you up or ex- performing good deeds. To save His messen- forgiveness.
acting your property. Ignoring all these is- ger, Allah commands him to seek refuge in
The Messenger of Allah said: "The best deed
sues and not committing this wrong is called Him.
before Allah is to pardon a person who has
"forgiveness".
It becomes evident that granting pardon to wronged you , to show affection for relatives
Forgiveness is of two types: an oppressor and abstaining from taking who have broken ties with you, and to act
vengeance are not so simple tasks. Man generously towards a person who has de-
1. We forgive someone when we are unable prived you ". Thereafter he recited the follow-
needs a greater spiritual power with which
to take vengeance. This kind of pardon is, ing holy verses: "Turn to forgiveness and
to kill his carnal desires and sense of venge-
in fact, tantamount to patience and for- enjoin good and turn aside from ignorant (7;
ance, and to grant "Pardon" while he has the
bearance and not to forgiveness. In other 199) ".
ability to take revenge. For this reason, Allah
words, it is a kind of helplessness and de- Almighty introduces "the restraint of anger"
bility, a kind of tolerance. Imam Ali (A.S), Commander of the Faithful,
as one of the attribute pertains to people who in his testament addressed to Malik el Ashtar
2. We forgive someone when we have the suppress their anger and forgive others. stated: "Fill your heart to the brim with
power to take revenge. The forgiveness Hence Allah Almighty command: mercy, kindness, and affection towards your
desired by Islam and its leaders relates to subjects. Never act like a voracious 'animal'
his kind. "Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you towards them, availing yourself of tearing
deal with them gently, and had you been them apart, for they are your brothers-in
In the Holy Qur'an Allah has proclaimed the rough, hardhearted, they would certainly
faith or your equals in creation. So grant
following:"Turn to forgiveness and enjoin have dispersed from around you; pardon them the same degree of pardon and forgive-
good and turn aside from the ignorant them therefore and ask pardon, for them, and ness that you hope Allah will grant you, for,
(7:199)". "And if a false imputation from the take counsel with them in the affair: so when
you are above them, and he who appointed
Shaitan afflict you, seek refuge in Allah; you have decided, then place your trust in you is above you and Allah is above him
surely He is Hearing, Knowing (7:200)". Allah; surely Allah loves those who trust who gave you this position".
"Those who spend (benevolently) in ease as (3:159)".
well as in straightness, and those who re- The Imam also said: "The most deserving
strain (their) anger and pardon men; and This Holy verse has been revealed about few (Continued on page 11)

Al–
Surah Muhammad Verses 1-8 Presented by Sh. Mansour Leghaei written by Abidali Mohamedali
Surah Muhammad is the 47th Surah of the
holy Quran and is so named as the name of
the Prophet (P) appears in the second ayah
of the surah. It is also referred to as ‘Suratul
Kitaal’ or the surah of fighting as the main
concepts expounded in this surah are in
regards to fighting and war. In this day and
age, when the concept of Jihad has been so
perverted by the mass media and some ig-
norant Muslims, that it is imperative that
people are made aware of the very essence
of this marvelous ideology and understand
its limitations and rules. The perfect place to‘humanitarian aid’ in order to earn the
start this study is no other place than the
Quran itself.
Some narrow minded, shallow Muslims
with little knowledge have taken the other
extreme view that jihad is mere self purifica-
tion. In their attempt at seeming ‘moderate’
misconstrue the essence of Jihad in order to
please the non-Muslims, in their actions,
they abandon seeking the pleasure of Allah!
Merits of Its Recitation
Imam Sadiq (AS) has said “Whoever recites
this surah will never become doubtful about
his religion; Allah would never test him
with poverty or fear of a tyrant government.
He will always be protected against Kufr
and Shirk until he dies. When he dies, Allah
will appoint a thousand angels to pray for
him constantly in his grave with him being
the exclusive recipient of the rewards until
they take him to a secure place with the
Almighty on the Day of Judgment. He will
be in the amnesty and protection of Allah
and His Prophet (P).” Many discover their Here Allah clearly mentions that belief and
true faith when they have to give anything
for the sake of Allah (SWT) and the bigger
the sacrifice the more clear the contrast be- with the belief in the Almighty that they
tween the hypocrites and the true believers cannot be separated. The believers will have
becomes. The recitation of this surah will
strengthen faith so that one can never be-
come a hypocrite.
Tafsir/T’aweel
Allah in the first few ayaat of this surah, lays
the groundwork to discuss the topic of jihad.
Allah says:
(As for) those who disbelieve and turn away
from Allah's way, He shall render their
works ineffective.
In this world there are two broad categories
of people those who are sincere, may they be
knowledgeable or ignorant of the truth.
These are the ones who, when confronted
with the truth are submissive and accepting
of it. The second category are the kaafir
(from the root ka-fa-ra meaning to conceal
or cover), who when they are confronted
with the truth, reject it or cover it. They cre-
ate obstacles for the truth to be heard by the
faithful people, who perhaps may be igno-
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 10
rant. The ‘kaafir’ media has created a culture
of fear against Islam, so as to deter the
masses, who by in large are faithful, from
accessing the Truth about the reality of this
world and of Islam. The strategy is to turn
away the people from Islam before they
even have an opportunity to gain the truth.
The background of this ayah originates from
the time in the history of the Muslims
whereby they were engaged in multiple
battles. Abu Sufyan, slaughtered numerous
camels and distributed the meat as
hearts of the people so they could fight for
him. The uncanny parallels drawn by this
hypocritical action of his are apparent and
rampant in today’s world. In Africa, hun-
dreds of ‘humanitarian’ organizations give
conditional aid to the needy procuring their
own interests and perverted goals of intro-
ducing their form of ‘democracy’ and
‘civilization’. Although it is a trait of every
human feel indebted for any assistance he
may receive, it is the responsibility of the
giver to be sincere. Even though a disbe-
liever may give charity, the intention of his
giving can never be sincere as the most sin-
cere intention is that only for the sake of the
Almighty, all they do is waste their money
and effort. Allah then continues on to say:
And (as for) those who believe and do good,
and believe in what has been revealed to
Muhammad, and it is the very truth from
their Lord, He will remove their evil from
them and improve their condition.
action are not the only vessels of salvation,
but the Belif in the Prophet is so interwoven
َ ‫ َآ ﱠﻔ َﺮ‬has 2
two special rewards, the first ‘ ’‫ﻋ ْﻨ ُﻬ ْﻢ‬
meanings, the first being that Allah
the sins they have committed as non
tent, while the second and more preferred
meaning is that Allah makes an obstacle or
covering between the person and his sin
such that he no longer gets associated with
it. Most scholars believe that, sins are only
dismantled or covered such that there is no
effect of that sin, but it does still exist. The
second reward is that ‫ﺢ ﺑَﺎَﻟ ُﻬ ْﻢ‬ ْ ‫ َوَأ‬meaning that
َ ‫ﺻَﻠ‬
Allah will make their important affairs good
or others have suggested that it means that
Allah will make their heart responsive to the
truth and therefore good. Allah gives the
reason as to why this is so:
That is because those who disbelieve follow
falsehood, and have given them their dow-
ries, taking (them) in marriage, not fornicat-
ing nor taking them for paramours in secret;
and whoever denies faith, his work indeed is
of no account, and in the hereafter he shall
be one of the losers.
Having laid the foundation, that of reaffirm-
ing that whatever the concealers of the truth
use, it will be of no benefit or will not avail
them whatsoever, Allah dwells into the very
rules of warfare:
So when you meet in battle those who dis-
believe, then smite the necks until when you
have overcome them, then make (them) pris-
oners, and afterwards either set them free as
a favor or let them ransom (themselves)
until the war terminates. That (shall be so);
and if Allah had pleased He would certainly
have exacted what is due from them, but
that He may try some of you by means of
others; and (as for) those who are slain in
the way of Allah, He will by no means al-
low their deeds to perish.
Numerous non-Muslim and anti-Muslim
authors have falsely used this ayah to justify
their preconceived ideas of what Islam is
like, whereby one must ‘smite the necks’ of
makes the unbelievers! This could not be further
from the truth, there is no evidence from
exis-
either the Quran or the ahadith to back up
(Continued on page 11)

such a claim that Muslims are encouraged
to kill all non-Muslims. Their interpretation
is a clear example of ‘tafsir-bir-ray’ or inter-
pretation according to their own whim and
desire. On the contrary, none of the wars of
the Prophet were initiated by him. In all
cases they were imposed wars where the
Muslims were forced to defend. These are
the people Allah has promised who will be
destined to dwell in hell. Allah in this ayah
is specifically referring to killing the enemy
when they attack because otherwise, you
are bound to be killed! But Allah here spe-
cifically condones massacre, expressly in-
structing the Muslims only to weaken the
enemy enough to be able to subdue them
He will guide them and improve their condi- Allah here uses the word ‫ﻓَﺘَ ْﻌﺴًﺎ‬meaning
then take them as prisoners.
The very first option Allah gives is that they
Allah uses the words ‫ﺢ ﺑَﺎَﻟ ُﻬ ْﻢ‬
be freed without a ransom! With the condi-
He will fix their important affairs or affairs have the most advanced technologies and
tion they do not come and fight the Muslims
of the hereafter. Other mufassireen have
again. Only if that is not desirable, they
suggested that it means that their faults will ceptive propaganda, at the end of the day,
could be asked to give a ransom to free
be cleared. Allah then continues:
themselves. There exist some ahadith that
suggest a third temporary option, that of
training them and rehabilitating them to
understand the real beauty of Islam. In
Here Allah uses the words ‫ﻋ ﱠﺮ َﻓﻬَﺎ َﻟ ُﻬ ْﻢ‬ َ meaning ness.
person to pardon others is the one who is
most powerful in punishing others". "Subdue
your anger and forgive a guilty person while
you are in power".
Examples of Remission
In the battle of Siffin, Moavia, the son of Abu
Sufyan, prevented the flow of water and thus
did not allow the troops of Imam Ali to
drink. Imam Ali (A.S) delivered a lecture
following which his troops seized the source
of water from the army of Moavia, and drove
it to the desert. The companions of the Imam
said: "Let us now deny them access to the
water, so that they would die of thirst and
there would be no need to do battle with
them. Imam Ali (A.S) noted: "By Allah, I will
do no such thing. I deem my sword sufficient
for achieving my ends". He then ordered
them to reopen the flow of water on Moavia’s
army, so that, it too can meet its needs.
It must be noted that remission has been rec-
ommended, as the personal right of every
Muslim, upon being with authority, should
short, Allah does not support ‘Guantanamo
Bay’ like unfair indefinite detentions, nor
torture.
The final message that is portrayed is that of
an understanding that if Allah so desired,
He could have destroyed them even before
any fighting. The sole reason HE did not do
this was to try the people and to expose the
hypocrites. The hypocrites at the time of the
Prophet (P) were spreading doubt to hinder
others from giving for the sake of Allah. But
Allah reassures the believers that none of
their good deeds will be wasted. It’s cer-
tainly true that if it were not for the thou-
sands of martyrs of Islam, we would not be
able to hold The truth in our hand today.
Not only will they be rewarded in the next
world, they will be rewarded in this one too.
The kuffar, having no belief in divine justice
or in the day of judgement have only the
shallow worldly excuses to go into battle
and hence are the cruellest but yet the most make our steps firm and assist us against
cowardly.
Allah then in the next few verses, describes
the rewards fro those who sacrificed for the
sake of Allah:
tion.
ْ ‫ َو ُﻳ‬meaning that ground face down. Even though they may
ُ ‫ﺼِﻠ‬
And cause them to enter the garden which continuously affirm this paradigm. This in
He has made known to them.
forgive those who oppress him and trample
upon his rights. He should not think of tak-
ing revenge, so the grudges and animosities
could be uprooted in the world and the for-
bearing person, too, could receive a good
reward from the Lord of the worlds.
As far as the rights of the society are con-
cerned, "remission" results in the escalation
of corruption and appearance of chaos. At
such a time, social security will be jeopard-
ised and the property, life and reputation of
the people would remain immune from the
aggression of the corrupt and wicked per-
sons. For this reason, Islam has attached
more importance to carrying out religious
penance than to granting "remission".
Imam Mohammad Baqir (AS) has noted:
"Allah Almighty has not left out anything
whatsoever that His servants might need
until the day of Resurrection, except that He
has revealed it in a book and expressed it to
His prophet. He has maintained a "limit" for
everything and brought proof for it. For those
either that He will let them enter into the
paradise he has already introduced to them
in this world through the Quran and His
Prophet (P) or alternatively, the world the
root of the word ‘arrafa’ is ‘al-irf’ meaning a
nice smell. This could mean that they will be
greeted in such a way that all their senses
would acknowledge heaven. Allah then
continues:
O you who believe ! if you help (the cause
of) Allah, He will help you and make firm
your feet.
Any sincere intention to do anything purely
for the sake of the Almighty, in addition to
the reward of paradise, He will reward
them with courage and steadfastness. A
similar prayer of Taluut to his followers,
found in the Quran is recommended to be
recited where he says “And when they went
out against Jalut and his forces they said:
Our Lord, pour down upon us patience, and
the unbelieving people” (2:250)
And (as for) those who disbelieve, for them
is destruction and He has made their deeds
ineffective.
literally as if one who slips and falls on the
the most ‘powerful’ armies or the most de-
none of it shall avail them. Events off late in
Lebanon and numerous events in history
itself is a source of courage and steadfast-
who exceed the bounds, Allah the Almighty
has fixed a "religious penance and punish-
ment".
This precious statement of Imam Muham-
mad Baqir (AS) clearly indicate that
"religious penance" has been allowed in or-
der to prevent the transgression of the ag-
gressor; furthermore, it serves to preserve
Allah's equitable criteria in the world; to
eradicate disorder, oppression, extortion, and
obstinacy; to enable the society, with all its
classes, to live in welfare and security under
the light of Islamic justice; and to safeguard
human honours and values against the en-
croachment of capricious and spiteful per-
sons. Likewise, in the Islamic jurisprudence,
it is stated that if three people bear witness
concerning the religious penance for adultery
without the presence of a fourth witness, all
three just witnesses will be penanced because
of marring the reputation of a person without
the existence of religious conditions.
Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(5) ‫׀‬Pg 11
Nuwwab Al Ar’ba’ - The Deputies of Imam Al Faraj during Minor Occultation
1) 'Uthman ibn Sa'id 'Umari: This honourable figure was not only a deputy (na'ib) of Imam-e Zaman but he was also a representative
(wakil) of Imam Hasan al-'Askari (a.s.) and Imam 'Ali an-Naqi (a.s.) He settled and organized many affairs of the Shi'ites The Tenth Imam
(al-Hadi -a.s ) said to his followers regarding him:"This Abu 'Umari is a reliable and trustworthy person. Whatever he says to you he says
so on my behalf, and whatever he does he does on my behalf."
This representation continued till 254 A H when Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) died. Then, the Eleventh Imam is reported to have praised the character
of Abu 'Umari as having his high esteem in his address to his Shi'ites, saying:"This Abu 'Umari is a reliable and trustworthy person. He had
the confidence of the preceding Imam, and has also my confidence in my lifetime and after my death. Whatever he says to you he says so on
my behalf, and whatever he does he does on my behalf."
Likewise, with this certificate of admiration, he became the deputy (Na'ibu 'l-Imam) of the Twelfth Imam after the demise of Imam Hasan al-
'Askari ( a s ).On the death of Abu 'Umari, the Lord of the Age (Sahibu 'z-Zaman) himself sent condolences to his son, Muhammad ibn
'Uthman saying:"Verily, we belong to Allah and verily to Him shall we return We submit to His command and are pleased with His decree.
Your father has lived in good fortune and has died with dignity. May Allah's mercy be upon him, he has joined his friends and masters. He
was always endeavouring to search for whatever would bring him near to Allah and His friends. May Allah make strengthen his counte-
nance."

2) Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Uthman: This man was the second special deputy of Imam-e Zaman He was also a deputy of the Elev-
enth Imam, about whom the latter said:"The greatness of his dignity and the exaltation of his status among the Shi'ites is so famous that
there is no need to explain or dispute it." Regarding him and his father, 'Uthman ibn Sa'id, Imam Hasan al-'Askari (a.s.) said to one of his
companions:"'Umar and his son are both trustworthy Whatever they do they do on my behalf, and whatever they say to you, they say so on
my behalf Therefore, listen to their words and obey them, because both of them are reliable and trustworthy to us." And Imam-e Zaman
himself said about him: "He is my confident, and his letter is of the same status as mine."

3) Abu 'l-Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh Nawbakhti: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Uthman, the third deputy of Imam-e Zaman, said about
him:
“This Husayn ibn Ruh ibn Abu Bahr Nawbakhti is my successor. He is a reliable and trust worthy envoy and deputy between you and the
Sahibu 'l-Amr (the Master of the Authority). Therefore, in your affairs and important tasks refer to him and trust him. I was given this task;
and I have announced it."
Shaykh Tusi said about him:"Abu 'l-Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh was regarded by his friends and opponents as the most learned man among the
people." The integrity of Husayn ibn Ruh's deputyship was acknowledged by his opponents too. Shalmaghani, who was one of the pseudo-
claimants to the deputyship, had to confess his falsity when Imam-e Zaman ordered Husayn ibn Ruh to expose him. He (Shalmaghani)
said:"It is not right between me and Allah to say anything in the affair of Husayn ibn Ruh other than the truth. Although his crime towards
me is a big one, yet this man was appointed by Imam-e Zaman for the task. The Shi'ites should not turn away from him."

4) Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali ibn Muhammad Simmari: This honourable figure was the last special deputy (Na'ibu 'l-khass) of the Holy Imam-e
Zaman. His death, coincided with the 15th of Sha'ban 329 A.H. Husayn ibn Ruh introduced him as the deputy of the Imam. The last letter of
Imam-e Zaman (the Lord of the Age) to the four special deputies was addressed to this honourable man. In this order the Imam announced
the death of 'Ali ibn Muhammad and the end of the deputation:"In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful You are going to die in
six days, may Allah grant patience to your brothers in faith on your departure So, be prepared, but appoint no one in your place, because
from the day of your death the period of my major occultation (ghaybatu 'l-kubra) will begin. Henceforth-, no one will see me, unless and
until Allah makes me appear My reappearance will take place after a very long time when people will have grown tired of waiting and
those who are weak in their faith will say: 'What! Is he still alive?' When men will become cruel and inconsiderate, and the world will be
full of injustice and violence. Very soon some men will claim to have seen me. Beware! Anyone who makes such a claim before the coming
out of Sufyani and the sound from heaven announcing my reappearance, is a liar and an impostor. There is no might nor strength except in
Allah, the Magnificent."
As can be seen from this, it is the last order, in which the door of spe-
cial deputation is closed by the death of Ali ibn Muhammad; hence,
anyone who claims to be a mediator, or claims that the Imam can be
seen, is a liar. In the period of the major occultation no - one has made
the claim that he has been in the presence of the Holy Imam-e Zaman.
The people would not accept the deputation of the four special depu-
ties unless they had been shown the miracles of the Sahibu 'l-Amr to
verify their truthfulness and accuracy, although they acknowledged
them as reliable and trustworthy and had not the smallest doubt in
their piety, faith and knowledge.
The Four deputies, who were at the highest level of faith and confi-
dence for many years, were the blessed mediators between the Imam
and the people till in the year 329 A. H., when this deputation was
closed, and on the basis of the Divine Will the major occultation of
Imam-e Zaman commenced. This was the very occultation which was
prophesied a long time previously by the Holy Prophet and the Shi'ites
Imams; and Muslims keep patient in this period of test, till by the or-
der of Almighty Allah, the Awaited Imam will appear and the Divine
Aim will reach its fulfilment.

Al– Fajr ‫ اﻟﻒﺠﺮ‬4(7) ‫׀‬Pg 12