In the name of Allah
The All Compassionate, the All-Merciful
11th Muharram1448 (26th June 2026)
Islamic Universal Association
20 Penzance Place, Holland Park
London, W11 4 PG
Imam Ali (a.s.)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 137
Today I will continue with my discussion on Imam Ali (a.s.)’s Sermon 133 wherein he distinguishes between the enlightened person (looker), who gathers spiritual provisions for his eternal home, with the materially focused person (blind), who limits his efforts to transient worldly accumulation.
The Imam says: “The looker collects provision from it (for the next world) whiles the blind collects for this very world.”
The distinct perspectives on life are:
1-The “Mentally Blind” (Materialist): They are bound by the physical world, viewing it as their ultimate destination. They only collect worldly provisions and fail to see the eternal, spiritual reality beyond and remain trapped by worldly attachments.
2-The “Looker” (Spiritually Awake): They see past the temporary illusions of worldly life and recognize the true, eternal home in the hereafter. Instead of getting comfortable in this transient world, they use it as a bridge to gather provisions (good deeds, righteousness) for the next.
Relevant Ayahs are:
Ayah 179 of Surah Al-A’raaf: “Indeed We have created hell for many jinn and men. They have hearts but they do not understand thereby. They have eyes but they do not see thereby and they have ears but they do not hear thereby. They are like cattle, nay even more astray. They are the heedless ones.”
Ayah 36 of Surah Bani Isra’il: “Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; verily the hearing, the sight and the heart, shall all be questioned about it.”
Ayah 78 of Surah An-Nahl: “God has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight and hearts that you might give thanks.”
Ayah 9 of Surah Sajdah: “Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him His spirit and made ears, eyes and hearts for you. Little do you give thanks!”
Ayah 23 of Surah Al-Jathiya: “Have you seen him who takes as God his vain desires, while God has allowed him to stray, knowing it, and set a seal upon his ear and heart and put upon his eyes a veil? Who then can guide him besides God? Will you not then reflect?”
Second Sermon
Divine movement of Imam Hussain (a.s.) – Part 2
Muharram is, the month in which the righteous sacrificed themselves on the plains of Karbala for the revival of the religion of Allah (s.w.t) and destroyed falsehood and injustice. These blessed martyrs were none other than Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his dear family members and companions.
It has been reported that Imam Reza (a.s.) established commemorative majalis on the tragedy of Karbala in Qom and Khorasan, and as soon as the Muharram crescent would be seen, he would convene these majalis. Everybody was expected to recite the sad events that befell the Holy Prophet (s.a.)’s progeny and to maintain an atmosphere of sorrow and grief. The Imam would recite the story of Karbala first and then he allowed others to talk about it. It has been narrated by Rayyan ibne Shabib that once he had an audience with Imam Reza (a.s.), on the first of Muharram, and when the Imam learnt that he was not fasting, he advised him as follows:
“O son of Shabib! It was on this very day that Prophet Zachariah invoked Allah to bestow him a son. Allah accepted his prayer and the angels gave him the good news of the birth of his son, Yahya, whilst he was praying. Similarly, the prayer of those who fasts on this day will be accepted as Zachariah’s invocation.”
Then the Imam continued: “O, son of Shabib! Truly, Muharram is the month that was held in high esteem by the ignorant in the pre-Islamic days when war and bloodshed were considered illegal. But the Ummah did not observe the dignity of this month and they dishonored the Holy Prophet. Verily, they slew his descendant during this month, enslaved their wives and plundered their tents; they will never be pardoned by Allah. The earth and the seven heavens wept bitterly on account of the atrocities committed by the enemies of Islam and for Hussain’s horrendous murder. Four thousand grief-stricken angels descended on earth to support him but found him slain; they will mourn him and lie in the dust and mire around his grave until the appearance of Imam Mahdi. They will then join the Imam and chant “Ya Sarat Al-Hussain” and avenge his bloodshed. O, son of Shabib! Verily, my father informed me that he had learnt from his father that when Hussain was slain, the sky rained blood and red sand.
O son of Shabib! You should mourn for my grandfather, Hussain, for he was slaughtered like a ram along with eighteen brave members of his family, the likes of which are not to be found in the whole world.
O son of Shabib! If you cry for Hussain to the extent that tears flow down your cheeks, then Allah will forgive each and every sin that you have committed, be it minor or major, meagre or immense. O, son of Shabib! If you are pleased to meet Allah cleansed of all sins, then visit the shrine of Hussain. If you wish to reside in the heavens with the Holy Prophet and his progeny, then curse the slayers of Hussain.
O son of Shabib! If it makes you happy and you desire to be with us in the elevated ranks of paradise, then be sad in our grief and happy in our joy. If you desire to be rewarded in the same manner as those who were martyred along with Hussain, then whenever you remember him say: ‘Oh! If only I had been with them! A great achievement I would have achieved.’
May you hold fast to our guardianship! Verily, anyone who is attached to even a piece of stone in this world will be associated with it on Resurrection Day.” (Ref: Omali Sheikh Sadooq, page 130)
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