In the name of Allah

The All compassionate, the All-Merciful

15^th Muharram 1447 (11^th July 2025)

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 90

I quote below an extract from another advice of Imam Ali (a.s.) in Sermon 222 from the Nahjul Balagha pertaining to Dikr. The Imam delivered this sermon after reciting the following verses from the Holy Quran:

“. . . therein declare glory unto Him in the mornings and the evenings; Men who neither merchandise nor sales diverts them from the remembrance of Allah, nor from performing Salat nor giving zakat (the poor-rate). They fear the day when hearts and eyes shall writhe from anguish of the Day of Resurrection. (Ayah 36-37, Surah An-Nur)

Certainly, Allah, the Glorified, the Sublime, has made His remembrance the light for hearts which can hear with its help despite deafness, see with its help despite blindness and become submissive with its help despite unruliness.

During the times when there were no prophets, there have been persons with whom Allah, precious are His bounties, whispered through their wits and spoke through their minds. With the help of the bright awakening of their ears, eyes and hearts they keep reminding others of the remembrance of the days of Allah and making others feel fear for Him like guide-points in wildernesses. Whoever adopts the middle way, they praise his ways and give him the tidings of deliverance, but whoever goes right and left they vilify his ways and frighten him with ruin. In this way, they served as lamps in the darkness and guides through doubts.

There are some people devoted to the remembrance of Allah, who have adopted it in place of worldly matters so that commerce or trade does not turn them away from it. They pass their life in it. They speak into the ears of neglectful people warning them against matters held unlawful by Allah, they order them to practice justice and they keep practicing it, and they refrain them from the unlawful and they refrain from it. It is as though they have finished the journey of this world towards the next world and have beheld what lies beyond it. Consequently, they have become acquainted with all that befell them in the interstice during their long stay therein, and the Day of Judgement fulfils its promises for them. Therefore, they removed the curtain from these things for the people of the world, until it was as though they were seeing what people did not see and were hearing what people did not hear.”   To be continued

 

Second Sermon

Divine movement of Imam Hussain (a.s.) – Part 3  

As I explained earlier the reason for the Imam’s revolution was amri bil al-Maroof and al-nahi an al-Munkar, which he emphasized time and time again.

In continuation on the subject matter under reference, I would like to add that the mission of Imam Hussain (a.s) was not to fight Yazid or take control of his empire but it was to reawaken the spirit of Islam that was nearing extinction and from the day he left Medina he made this absolutely clear. In fact, the sole cause for which he set out from Medina was to perform his duty of amr bil ma’ruf and nahya anil munkar as the people had not only accepted the evil that had been flowing from the court in Damascus but, sadly, they begun to emulate it. The inevitable consequence of this would lead to a total destruction of Islamic values.

 

The philosophy and reason for his revolution was therefore clearly set out by the Imam in a testament, which he handed to his brother, Muhammad Hanifiya, before he left Medina for Mecca along with members of his family. His brother, however, did not accompany him, but he continued to reside in Medina to look after the affairs of the Muslims. He was very virtuous, principled and brave and displayed great valour in the battles fought by Ali (a.s). The letter and/or the testament which was handed to Muhammad ibne Hanafiya has been narrated by Ibne Tawus wherein the Imam pointed out the motive for his rising and clarified the policy which he intended to pursue in all circumstances. It reads as follows:

“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

This is the will and testament of Hussain ibne Ali ibne Abi Talib, which is handed to his brother Muhammad, known as ibne Hanafiya. Indeed Hussain testifies that there is no god except Allah and no one other than Him is worthy to be worshipped and He has no partner. He also testifies that Muhammad is Allah’s servant and messenger, who has brought the truth from Him, and that heaven and hell do exist and the Day of Judgment will inevitably come and there is no doubt about it, and on that Day, Allah will bring the dead to life and resurrect everyone from their graves.

Indeed this movement of mine is not instigated by arrogance or pride, rebellion, worldly passions, corruption or injustice. It is also not my intention to create trouble or to oppress anyone. I have risen to reform the Ummah of my grandfather, as Yazid will massacre the innocent. I would like to promote good and forbid evil (amr bil ma’ruf and nahya anil munkar) and follow the traditions of my grandfather, the Holy Prophet, and my father, Ali ibne Abi Talib.

Whoever accepts the truth, Allah will be their protector and whoever refuses to accept it, I will be patient until Allah will decide between me and them. He is the best of judges. This is my will, which I hereby hand it to my brother and all success depends on Allah, and only on Him do I rely.”

The testament clearly shows that in 60 Hijri, the Muslim ummah was faced with a dreadful social and religious crisis, which could not be overcome by a bloody revolution, but on the contrary by the guidance of a leader like Imam Hussain (a.s), whose infallibility has been testified by the Holy Quran in the Verse of Purification of Surah Al-Ahzab (Ayah 33), which reads. “Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of abomination, O members of the Prophet’s household and to purify you with a perfect purification.”