In the name of Allah
The All compassionate, the All-Merciful
14th Safar 1447 (8th August 2025)
Islamic Universal Association
20 Penzance Place, Holland Park
London, W11 4 PG
Imam Ali (a.s.)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 94
Our purpose in life is to worship Allah (s.w.t.) by submitting to Him, obeying and loving Him. Zikr is one of the greatest ways to achieve this. I had quoted some Ayahs from the Holy Quran relating to Zikr earlier and today I will discuss its importance.
‘Zikr’ in Arabic means remembrance, but in the Islamic context it means remembrance of Allah (s.w.t.), by praising and glorifying Him. Remembrance of Allah (s.w.t.) is of paramount importance as it strengthens our connection with our Creator, it purifies the heart and brings about spiritual and worldly benefits. It is a continuous act of devotion that can be performed in various forms, such as reciting verses from the Holy Quran, praising Allah (s.w.t.) and reflecting on His attributes. It can be performed anytime, anywhere and in any state. The Holy Prophet (s.a.) emphasized the importance of Zikr and encouraged his followers to engage in it frequently and to fear Allah (s.w.t.). He taught his followers that remembrance of Allah (s.w.t.) is the best of deeds and a means of attaining closeness to Allah (s.w.t). He advised Imam Ali (a.s.) as follows: “O’ Ali there are three things my Ummah will find challenging: 1. Helping others financially. 2. Being fair to their brethren in faith. 3. Remembering Allah in all situations and by reciting, “SubhanAllah Wal-Hamdu lillah Wallah Illaha Wallahu Akbar”, when faced with temptations so as to avoid committing sins.” (Safina V: 1 P: 484)
Kinds of Zikr:
- Verbal Zikr: Reciting phrases, such as, SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).
- Practical Zikr: Adhering to Allah (s.w.t.)’s commandments, such as, performing prayers, fasting and fulfilling other obligations.
- Silent Zikr: Reflecting on Allah (s.w.t.)’s attributes sincerely.
Benefits of Zikr in this life and the hereafter:
- It fortifies one’s faith and provides strength to overcome life’s challenges.
- It protects individuals from the whispers of Satan and other sinful acts.
- It leads to forgiveness of sins and Allah (s.w.t)’s mercy.
- It is a source of immense reward in the afterlife.
- It helps believers distinguish between right and wrong and guides them towards righteousness. To be continued
Second Sermon
Martyrdom of Imam Hassan Al-Mojtaba (a.s) -Part 2
Today I will proceed with last week’s discussion on Hassan (a.s.), who like other members of the Ahlul Bait, was the embodiment of divine purity and excellence.
Purification Ayah
The great and mighty Quran is the word of God; it is the book of guidance and the fundamental basis of Islamic concepts. The purity of the Ahlul Bait has been mentioned therein in verse 33 of Surah al-Ahzab, which is known as Ayatul Tathir,
Literally meaning ‘the verse of purification’; it reads as follows: “…. Allah intends to remove from you the impurity (of sin) O people of the (Prophet’s) household, and to purify you with a perfect purification.” (Ayah 33 of Surah Ahzab)
The Holy Prophet (s.a.) has also placed great emphasis on the eminence of his Ahlul Bait. Moreover, the narration of Umme Salameh, the virtuous wife of the Holy Prophet (s.a.), on Hadith-e-Kisa (The event of the blanket/cloak) confirms the esteemed status of the Ahlul Bait. According to her, one day Fatima (a.s) visited her father and she had brought for him a dish made of flour and oil. The Holy Prophet (s.a.) invited her husband, Ali (a.s), and her two sons, Hassan and Hussain (a.s), to join them. After they arrived and had eaten the dish they gathered under a Khyberi blanket and the Holy Prophet (s.a.) declared:
“O’ Lord! These are the members of my Ahlul Bait; my flesh and blood. Whoever gives them grief gives me grief and whoever pleases them pleases me. I am at war with those who are at war with them and I am at peace with those who are at peace with them; I am the enemy of those who are their enemy and I am the friend of those who are their friend. Indeed they are from me, and I am from them. Therefore, send Thy blessings, mercy, forgiveness and pleasure upon me and upon them. Remove all blemishes from them and keep away all kinds of impurities from them.” At that time, Umme Salameh, asked if she could join them under the blanket and be included amongst them. The Holy Prophet (s.a.) replied: “Indeed you are virtuous, but you are not one of us.” Thereafter the purification verse of Surah Ahzab was revealed.
Ayah of Mobahila
In 9 Hijri, the Holy Prophet (s.a.) sent a letter to Abdul Haris Ibne Alqama, the Grand Bishop of Najran and the official representative of the Roman Church in the Hijaz, inviting him and his people to embrace Islam. The following year, a Christian delegation from Najran (a city near the Yemeni border), came to Medina to seek clarification about Jesus in light of the said letter. They maintained that Jesus was the son of God although the Holy Prophet (s.a.) tried to explain to them that he was a servant of Allah (s.w.t.), chosen by Him as His Prophet. At that time, Ayahs 59 and 60 of Surah Aale Imran were revealed: “Verily, the similitude of Jesus with God is like that of Adam; He created him of dust, then He said to him, “Be!” and he was. This is the truth from your Lord, therefore do not entertain any doubt.” But when the Christians remained adamant in their belief that Jesus was the son of God and categorically refused to accept the Holy Prophet (s.a.)’s point of view, Ayahs 61-63 of Surah Aale Imran (verses of Mubahala) were revealed: “And to him who disputes with you therein after knowledge has come to you say: “Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; then let us invoke and lay the curse of God upon the liars! Verily, this is the true narrative. There is no god except Allah and verily God is the Almighty, the All-wise. But if they turn away, then, verily, God knows the mischief-makers.” Hence in accordance with Allah (s.w.t.)’s command, the Holy Prophet (s.a.) challenged the Christians to a Mubahila, that is to pray and invoke Allah (s.w.t.)’s curse on the party that insists upon falsehood.
The event of Mobahila is famous and is known to all Muslims. The exegetes unanimously agree that when the Holy Prophet (s.a.) came for the imprecation, he brought with him Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain (a.s.) in compliance with the divine command. Moreover, all scholars agree that the Holy Prophet (s.a.) took Ali (a.s) with him to represent “ourselves,” Hassan and Hussain (a.s) to represent “our sons,” and Fatima (a.s) to represent “our women”. In the valuable commentary book of Majma Al-Bayan all scholars agree that those who appeared in the event of Mubahilla, that is, the Holy Prophet (s.a.), Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husain (a.s) were sinless and impeccable.
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