In the name of Allah

The All compassionate, the All-Merciful

 3^rd Dhil Hajja 1446 (30^th May2025)

Islamic Universal Association

20 Penzance Place, Holland Park

London, W11 4 PG

www.arafeh.co.uk

 

Imam Ali (a.s)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 84

Last week I had quoted an extract from the last sermon of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) during his Hajjatul Wida (farewell pilgrimage), where he bade farewell to the people as he knew that this would be his last sermon. He said: “O’ People! Lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year I shall be amongst you again. Therefore, listen carefully to what I have to say and take these words to those who could not be present here today.”

 

This sermon encompasses the structure of life. It is an emotional yet impactful sermon for Muslims from that day until now. Let us reflect on the message.

• The month of Dhil-Hajja is one of the most sacred months in the Islamic calendar, where Muslims from all walks of life gather to seek Allah (s.w.t.)’s pleasure. It is indeed a month of increased spirituality and the Holy Prophet (s.a.) equated the sanctity of life, property and honor of fellow Muslims with this sacred month. This indicates the importance of humanity and the value of respecting one another’s rights in Islam.
• To attain peace in society, no one should harm or hurt one another, or even trespass upon another’s property. The Holy Prophet (a.s.) said: “Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. It is undeniably our responsibility to treat people how we want to be treated. Hurt can be in various forms; physical, emotional or psychological, verbal or non-verbal.
• Everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah (s.w.t.), regardless of race, origin or color of skin, and the noblest are those who are most devout.
• This sermon emphasizes the importance of love and brotherhood among Muslims, and the need to treat others with kindness and respect. We should therefore continuously reflect on our words and actions, and how they can affect people. The Holy Prophet (a.s.) said: “Every Muslim is a brother to other Muslims and that Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves.”
• The Holy Prophet (s.a.) reminded his followers that they would be accountable for their actions on the Day of Judgment and therefore they should be careful not to stray from the path of righteousness.
• He also said that he was leaving behind two weighty things the Holy Quran and his Ahlul Bait and if one follows them they will never go astray.
• No new prophet or faith would come after him.
• The Holy Prophet sought divine witness and repeatedly asked Allah (s.w.t) to be his witness that he had conveyed the message faithfully.

 

To be continued

 

 

Second Sermon

Anniversary of the Martyrdom Imam Baqir (a.s.)

According to a famous tradition, the 7th of Dhil-Hajja is the martyrdom anniversary of our fifth Imam, Mohammad Baqir (a.s.), and I hereby offer my condolences to Imam Mahdi (a.j.f.) and to the followers of the Ahlul Bait.

 

The Imam was born during the month of Rajab, 57 Hijri in Medina and in 114 Hijri, when he was 57 years old, he was martyred by poisoning by Ibrahim ibne Walid, under the instruction of Hisham ibne Abdul-Malik, the Umayyad ruler. He was buried in Jannatul Baqi cemetery alongside the graves of Imam Hassan (a.s.) and his father, Imam Zainul Abedin (a.s.).

 

His father was Ali ibne Al-Hussain (a.s.) and his mother, Fatima, was the daughter of Imam Hassan (a.s.). He was the only Imam who was the direct descendant of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) from both his maternal and paternal side. He was present during the massacre in Karbala and was 4 years old at the time. He grew up under the enlightening care of his father for 35 years and in 95 Hijri, after his father’s martyrdom, he took over the reins of Imamate, which lasted for 19 years. His Imamate coincided with reigns of Walid ibne Abdul-Malik, Sulaiman ibne Abdul-Malik, Umar ibne Abdul-Aziz, Yazid ibne Abdul-Malik, and Hisham ibne Abdul-Malik who ruled with terror and oppression and his policy of persecution and torment led to many revolts. He also persecuted the students of the Imam, but those unjust measures did not prevent Islamic awakening and religious awareness among people at the time.

 

According to authentic hadith the Holy Prophet (s.a.) advised his companion, Jabir ibne Abdullah Ansari:

“O Jabir, you will have a long life, and you will meet the fifth in line of my descendants, whose name will be the same as mine. He will walk like me and he will be the fifth Imam of the time. When you meet him, convey my greetings to him.”

As predicted by the Holy Prophet (s.a.), Jabir had a long life and had become blind in his old age and when he came into contact with the Imam, he conveyed the message of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) to him. The Imam prayed for Allah (s.w.t)’s blessings to be eternally bestowed upon his great grandfather and on Jabir as well. (Manaqib V: 4 P: 206)