In the name of Allah

The All Compassionate, the All Merciful

20th Dhil-Qadah 1444 (9th June 2023)

Islamic Universal Association

20 Penzance Place, Holland Park

London, W11 4 PG

www.arafeh.co.uk

 

 

Jihad An-Nafs – Part 135

Purification of the heart-Part 77

Being caring and compassionate towards others is a central part of Islam. When reading the Holy Quran, one cannot help being struck by the number of times charity is mentioned: Feeding the poor and needy, supporting orphans, relatives and travelers, spending in the way of Allah… All of these references emphasize the importance of charity.

 

Those who amass wealth and do not pay zakat or other obligatory charities will face painful chastisement on the day of resurrection. Charity has been made obligatory in Islam to test the wealthy and to fulfil the needs of the poor. Those who do not help their brothers in need, despite being capable, cannot be considered as believers.

 

According to Ayah 261of Surah Al-Baqarah:

“The similitude of those who spend their wealth in the path of God is like a grain of corn that grows seven ears; in each ear a hundred grain grows. Verily God gives manifold increase to whomsoever He pleases, and God is Omniscient, Knowing.” Hence, charity should be spent in the Way of Allah (s.w.t.). The more sincere one is and the deeper the feeling of devotion in spending one’s wealth in the Way of Allah (s.w.t.), the greater will be the reward and the donor will receive in return a reward in the hereafter and in this world Allah (s.w.t.) will replace his donation and in fact, increase it 700 times. In any event, one must have a firm conviction that Allah (s.w.t.), Who produces seven hundred grains from one grain, most surely has the power of developing the charity seven hundredfold.

 

However, there are conditions for spending in the way of Allah (s.w.t), such as: what is spent should be clean and halal; the donor’s intentions should be good and he should be righteous in deeds; it should be given to a deserving person or cause. Moreover, one who does not follow his charity by bragging and causing hurt, will find his reward secure with his Lord and he will have no cause for fear and grief as provided in Ayah 262: “For those who spend their wealth in the path of God and afterwards do not follow it with obligation or injury is a reward with their Lord, neither shall they have any fear, nor shall they grieve.”.  We should bear in mind that the resources of Allah (s.w.t.) are boundless and He is able to reward deeds to the extent they deserve, and to show that He knows everything and is not unaware of what is spent and with what intentions.  To be continued

 

Second Sermon

Imam Ali Ibne Musa Al Reza (a.s.) -Part 3

There are conflicting accounts about the date of Imam Reza (a.s.)’s martyrdom. According to some historians he was martyred by poisoning on the 17th or the last day of Safar, 203 Hijri, at the age of 55 under the orders of Mamoon whereas others had reported that he was martyred on the 23rd of Dhil-Qadah.

 

Sayyed ibne Tawus, a descendant of Imam Hasan Al-Mujtaba (a.s.) and one of the most renowned Shia scholars, in his book, Al-Iqbal, had reported that Imam Reza (a.s.) was martyred on the 23rd of Dhil-Qadah. Moreover, Muammar ibne Khaled, a companion of Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s), had narrated that on the 23rd of Dhil-Qadah in Medina he accompanied Imam Taqi (a.s.) on a journey. When they arrived at a desert, outside Medina, the Imam asked him to wait there as he had an errand to run. After quite a while, when the Imam returned, he asked him where had he gone, to which the Imam replied that he went to Khorasan to attend to his father’s funeral and to perform the rituals, as he was martyred there on that very day.

 

There is a great emphasis for performing the ziyarat of the Ahlul Bait in order to keep the two important principles of faith alive, which are to love the friends of Allah (Tawalla) and to disassociate from their enemies (Tabarra). Maintaining a proper relationship with the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and the Imams (a.s.) is a divine act which does not cease even after their death. This continues to be in force even on the day of resurrection, when the followers will reap the reward. That is why it is highly recommended to visit the Ahlul Bait’s tombs in order to endorse one’s commitment to them and to obey and follow them. Hassan ibne Al-Washsha narrated from Imam Reza (a.s.) that it is essential for the followers to visit their tombs and mausoleums in order to be under their auspicious sanctuary. (Al-Kafi V:2 P:567).

 

There are two key points to be noted here; the followers of the Ahlul Bait are encouraged to visit the graves of the Holy Prophet (a.s.) and his successors and secondly to have full knowledge of their rights so that one would be highly rewarded. Some relevant traditions from Khisal Sadooq P: 167 are provided below:

 

Hassan ibne Al-Washsha had reported that Imam Reza (a.s.) had advised: “I will unjustly be killed by poisoning. So whoever visits me out of knowledge of my rights will be forgiven by Allah for his past sins and those to follow.”

• It has been narrated on the authority of Hamdan Al-Diwani that Imam Reza (a.s.) had said: “Whoever visits my tomb despite the distance, I will save and liberate him from the horrors of the Day of Resurrection on three occasions on that Day: 1. When the Letter of Deeds will be handed to him in his right and left hand, 2. When he will cross the Bridge of Sirat 3. At the time when the Scale of Deeds (measuring the amount of good vs bad deeds) is set up.”