In the name of Allah

The All Compassionate, the All-Merciful

5 Rajab 1447 (26 December 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 115

I quote below an excerpt from Imam Ali (a.s.)’s Sermon 132 from the Nahjul Balagha which is a poignant reminder of mortality and the transient nature of worldly wealth and security.

 

“We praise Him for whatever He takes or gives or whatever He inflicts on us or tries us with. He is aware of all that is hidden and He sees all that is concealed. He knows all that breasts contain or eyes hide. We render evidence that there is no god except He and that Muhammad – peace be upon him and his progeny – has been chosen by Him and deputized by Him – evidence tendered both secretly and openly, by heart and by tongue.

By Allah, certainly it is reality not play, truth not falsehood. It is none else than death. Its caller is making himself heard and its driver is making haste. The majority of the people should not deceive you.

You have seen those who lived before you, amassed wealth, feared poverty and felt safe from its (evil) consequences, the longevity of desires and the (apparent) distance from death. How, then death overtook them, turned them out of their homelands and took them out of their places of safety. They were borne on coffins, people were busy about them one after another, carrying them on their shoulders and supporting them with their hands.”

 

Key points

• The sermon begins with praising Allah (s.w.t) at all times and situations, that is, “for whatever He takes or gives or whatever He inflicts on us or tries us with.” In other words the core message focuses on accepting all aspects of life and tribulations as part of a divine plan.
• Imam Ali (a.s) acknowledges Allah (s.w.t)’s all-encompassing knowledge and complete awareness of all hidden and concealed matters. This sets a foundation of total reliance on Him and accountability to Him.
• The Imam testifies to the oneness of Allah (s.w.t) and prophesies of the Holy Prophet (s.a) who has been chosen and deputized by Allah (s.w.t). This serves as a declaration of faith and a reflection on human existence and destiny.
• Imam Ali (a.s) emphasizes that death is an undeniable reality and not a trivial matter or play and encourages reflection on the ultimate fate of all regardless of their earthly status or possession.
• He stresses on the importance of being prepared for the afterlife rather than being heedless and he invites all to take lessons from the transient nature of this world and history, and to prioritize spiritual preparedness over material accumulation.
• He also describes the regret of those whose lives will become evidence against them on the Day of Judgment due to their pursuit of worldly pleasures and disregard for obedience to Allah (s.w.t). To be continued

 

 

Second Sermon

Virtues of the month of Rajab

Today is the first Friday of the month of Rajab; the seventh month in the Islamic lunar calendar and I express my congratulations to you, my brothers and sisters, on the arrival of this blissful month and I thank Allah (s.w.t) for granting us another opportunity to cleanse ourselves of our sins, transgressions and oversights.

 

My discussion today will centre on the virtues of the great month of Rajab, one of the four sanctified months in the Islamic calendar, which will be followed by recommendations of special deeds and supplications during my forthcoming session and finally I will discuss important Islamic events which occurred during this month.

 

The month of Rajab is a month of superabundant favours and benefits, reverence and sanctity. Even the Arabs during the days of ignorance held this month in great esteem, and with the advent of Islam its sanctity increased considerably. During this month Allah (s.w.t) pays special attention to His servants and it is specifically associated with His blessings, mercy and forgiveness. Moreover it marks the beginning of the spiritual season of every believer ending with the fasting month of Ramadan. These three months (Rajab, Shabaan and Ramadan) are unmatched in their importance. The following hadiths have been reported in Bihar Al-Anwar V: 97 about the merits of Rajab:

 

• When the Holy Prophet (s.a) would sight the moon of Rajab, he would pray to Allah (s.w.t) as follows: “O’ Allah make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and prolong our lives up to Ramadan so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings.” He has also has said: “Rajab is a great month of Allah, unmatched by any other month in sanctity and significance accorded to it. War with the infidels is prohibited during this month. Verily, Rajab is Allah’s month, Shabaan is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah. Whosoever fasts even a day in Rajab will attain the greatest of rewards; the wrath of Allah will be distanced from him and a door of hell will be shut.”

 

• Imam Musa ibne Jafar (a.s) narrated from the Holy Prophet (s.a): “Whosoever fasts for a day in Rajab, the fire of hell will be away from him at a distance of one year’s journey, and whosoever fasts for three days in Rajab, he will enter paradise.” The Imam has also advised: “In the Garden of Paradise there is a river called Rajab, which is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. If anyone fasts for a day during the month of Rajab, Allah will quench his thirst from that river.”

 

• Imam Sadeq (a.s) has also narrated from the Holy Prophet (s.a):“The month of Rajab is the month of seeking forgiveness for my nation. O’ Muslims ask forgiveness and turn repentant to Allah as much as you can because mercy drops from the heavens like a gentle rain during this month.”