In the name of Allah
The All compassionate, the All-Merciful
22nd Muharram 1447 (18th July2025)
Islamic Universal Association
20 Penzance Place, Holland Park
London, W11 4 PG
Imam Ali (a.s)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 91
With reference to the extract from Ali (a.s.)’s Sermon 222 from the Nahjul Balagha, which I had quoted last week, the Imam referred to Ayahs 35-37 of Surah An-Nur which I will analyses today. The Ayahs read as follows:
“God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His Light is a niche and within it is a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass is a shining and bright star, lit from a blessed olive tree, that is neither eastern nor western; its oil almost glows forth even when no fire touches it; light upon light! God guides to His Light to whomsoever He pleases; and God sets forth parables for mankind, and God is All-Aware of everything.
The lamp is lit in houses which God has permitted to be elevated and His Name be mentioned therein; His Glory is praised therein in the mornings and in the evenings,
Men whom neither trade nor sale distract from remembering God, paying Zakat and fearing the Day when hearts and eyes will writhe in anguish.”
Key points
- Allah (s.w.t) is the ultimate source of Light. He has been described as “Light of the heavens and the earth”, symbolizing guidance, knowledge, and truth in the universe. Inner peace and guidance come from Him alone.
- His divine light is powerful and is likened to a niche radiating from a lamp and like a star it shines brilliantly. The purity of the source of this light is fueled by oil from a blessed olive tree “neither eastern nor western,” which symbolizes balance, universality and purity. True guidance is not confined to one culture or geography; it is universal and balanced.
- “Light Upon light” refers to layers of guidance. As we draw closer to Allah (s.w.t.), He increases our light. According to some scholars, the niche symbolizes Fatima (a.s.), while the lamp represents Hasan and Hussain (a.s.), and light upon light refers to the succession of Imams who were her progeny
- Allah (s.w.t.) guides whom He Wills which is a gift from Him. Therefore we should seek His light sincerely.
In the valuable commentary book of Majma Al-Bayan in Ayah 36 ‘houses’ in the Ayah refer to mosques. The Holy Prophet (s.a.) has said: “Mosques are houses of Allah on earth which light up the skies for angels who live there, like stars that light up for people living on earth.” According to some scholars, houses mentioned in the Ayah are houses of Allah (s.w.t.)’s messengers who have been permitted by Allah (s.w.t.) to glorify Him from these houses. It has been narrated that when the Holy Prophet (s.a.) explained that these houses refer to the houses of Allah (s.w.t.)’s messengers, the first Caliph, Abubakr, pointed towards the house of Imam Ali and Fatima (a.s) and asked if their house was included in the Ayah. The Holy Prophet replied that their house is better than houses mentioned in the Ayah. (Majma Al-Bayan V:7 P:144) To be continued
Second Sermon
Divine revolution of Imam Husain (a.s.) – Part 4
The momentous journey of Imam Husain (a.s.) which commenced at Mecca and eventually ended in the plains of Karbala should never be forgotten. During this journey, he stopped in various places and delivered several sermons to the people he met, which reflected the true motive he had in mind. However, when he along with Hurr accompanied by their respective companions reached a halting place called Bayza he addressed the people and made it clearer than before that he was under an obligation to perform a duty and he warned them of the consequences of obeying a man like Yazid. The contents of his speech are provided below:
“O People Yazid is a tyrannical and oppressive ruler, who has permitted what Allah has forbidden and prohibited what He has permitted. He breaks divine covenants, opposes the path of the Holy Prophet and oppresses the people. The Messenger of Allah has said: “Whoever sees an unjust governor who changes the forbidden to permissible, breaks his promise, exposes the earth to corruption, defies the traditions established by the Holy Prophet, acts unjustly and does not do anything against it in action or in words, Allah will send him to a place reserved in hell for such people.” Indeed, these people follow Satan and they have ignored Allah. They have spread mischief, abandoned all rules, misused wealth and made the illegal ordinances legal and the legal ordinances illegal.
Allah has said: We have made some of the Imams (leaders) who lead their followers to the Fire. (Surah al-Qasas, 28:41) All leaders do not take their followers to paradise. Some Imams and leaders of the nation guide people towards paradise and good fortune, and that paradise means in the general sense as progress, prosperity and greatness in this world as well as in the hereafter. However, according to the Holy Quran and historical accounts some Imams, like Yazid, drag their followers towards fire, torture and downfall.
The Imam then explained more explicitly the conditions prevailing during the days in 60 A.H. and said: “You should know that these people namely the agents of the Caliphate of Bani Umayyah follow Satan and carry out his orders. They have disobeyed Allah and have committed crimes blatantly. They have misappropriated the property of Muslims i.e. they have allocated to themselves the money which belongs to the public treasury of Muslims and have spent it for their own selfish desires. They have made things that are made lawful by Allah to be unlawful and those made unlawful by Him to be lawful. Now that they have created these conditions, who can be more responsible to change them and eliminate the causes of the decline of the Muslims, in accordance with the orders of the Holy Prophet, than myself? I am Husain ibne Ali, the son of Fatima, and one of those for whom the verse of Purification (33:33) and the verse of Mubahila (3:61) were revealed, and I am the disciple of Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful.”
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