In the name of Allah
The All Compassionate, the All Merciful
21st Shawwal 1444 (12th May 2023)
Islamic Universal Association
20 Penzance Place, Holland Park
London, W11 4 PG
Jihad An-Nafs – Part :128
Purification of the heart-Part 69
Further Ayahs relating to the Day of Resurrection are provided hereinafter:
Ayah 67 of Surah Az-Zukhruf: “Friends that Day shall be enemies of one another, save the pious.”
On the Day of Judgment, only those friendship will remain unaffected which are based on righteousness and piety; all other friendship will turn into enmities. Moreover, those who collaborate with others in deviation, tyranny and wickedness will on the Day of Resurrection try to blame others in order to escape dire consequences.
This has been mentioned repeatedly in the Quran so that people are made aware of the benefits of establishing ties of friendship with the righteous. It has been reported that Imam Jafar Sadeq (a.s.) one day gathered his devotees and recited this Ayah and advised them to seek friendship with the pious even if they were found in the darkest part of the earth.
Ayah 14 of Surah At-Taghabun: “O you who believe! Verily of your wives and children are some who are enemies to you; therefore beware of them! But if you forgive, overlook and cover up their faults, then verily, God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Believers are being warned not to let their love for their wives and children become a hindrance for them in their relationship with Allah (s.w.t) and His Messenger and their loyalty to Islam. Family members can sometimes serve as a distraction or even hindrance in religious matters. Hence believers should be aware of such enmities and in their overwhelming love for them they should never forget that between them stands the barrier of belief and disbelief, or of obedience and disobedience. This warning does not, however, mean that they should treat them harshly, or strain relations with them.
This verse reportedly refers to those who were prevented by their families from migrating to Madina after they had embraced Islam. Some took pity on their own families and did not emigrate or delayed their emigration. This verse was then revealed to instruct them to be on their guard against family members who did not support them in their religion, but also not to punish them for it. To be continued.
Second Sermon
Martyrdom anniversary of Imam Sadeq (a.s.)
The 25th of Shawwal marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (a.s.) and I express my condolences to Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.) and to my Shiite brethren.
Imam Sadeq (a.s.) was born on 17th Rabiul Awwal, 83 Hijri, in Medina and he was brought up by his grandfather, Imam Zainul Abedin (a.s.), for 12 years and thereafter he remained under the patronage of his father, Imam Muhammad Baqer (a.s.), for 19 years until his martyrdom. His Imamate lasted for 34 years and it coincided with the reigns of Ibrahim ibne Walid and Marvan Hemar, the Umayyad rulers. After the assassination of Marvan and the fall of the Umayyad regime, the Abbasid ruler, Abul Abbas Saffah, took over the Caliphate for over 4 years, and thereafter his brother, Abu Jafar Al-Mansoor, succeeded him. After 2 years of his reign, the Imam was martyred by poisoning on the 25th of Shawwal, 148 Hijri, by the governor of Medina under Al-Mansoor’s instructions and he was buried in Jannatul-Baqi, in Medina. (Manaqib V: 4 P: 20)
The Imam’s character was exemplary; he was considered to be the model of Islamic ethics, moral and conduct. He had no desire for worldly matters and was given the title of ‘the honest’ for his integrity and truthfulness. He was pious, always engaged in the remembrance of God and a perpetual worshipper of Him. It has been narrated that one day a traveler on a pilgrimage to Medina fell asleep. When he woke up, he found that his purse which contained a thousand Dinar was missing. He accused the Imam of having stolen it, as he was praying in a nearby mosque at the time. On hearing this, Imam asked the man to follow him to his house where he gave him a thousand Dinar. When the pilgrim returned from the house, he found his missing purse and was deeply ashamed about his conduct. He profusely apologized to the Imam and offered to return his money, to which the Imam replied: “We never take back what we give, but if you feel guilty about it, give it to the deprived and the impoverished of this town.” The traveler donated the entire money to the poor in Medina.
The era of his Imamate coincided with the most revolutionary and eventful era of Islamic history. It was due to the political strife for power between the Umayyad and Abbasids, the Imam was left undisturbed to accomplish his devotional duties and peacefully carry out his mission to propagate Islam. In doing so, he followed in his father’s footsteps, and expanded the school established by him. Students trained in this school included Hisham ibn Hakam, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Aban ibn Taghlab, Hisham ibn Salim, Mu’min Taq, Mufaddal ibn Umar, Jabir ibn Hayyan, Mu’alli ibn Khanis, Mu’awiyyah ibn Ammar, and Ali ibn Yaqtin. Some of these students were so advanced and well taught that they became leaders in their fields. For example, Hisham ibn Hakam wrote 31 books, and Jabir ibn Hayyan wrote more than 220 books on various subjects, especially on chemistry. That is why he is known as ‘The Father of Chemistry’. His students were not only Shiites but Sunnis also benefited from his knowledge. Many well-known Sunni leaders were directly or indirectly students of the Imam. Abu-Hanifah studied under the Imam for 2 years and he considered these 2 years as the foundation of his knowledge and said: “Was it not for those 2 years, Nu’man (Abu-Hanifah) would have been destroyed.”
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