In the name of Allah
The All Compassionate, the All-Merciful
18 Muharram1448 (3 July 2026)
Islamic Universal Association
20 Penzance Place, Holland Park
London, W11 4 PG
Imam Ali (a.s)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 141
Further to last week’s discussion on Imam Ali (a.s)’s Sermon 133, I quote below 2 more paragraphs from the sermon:
“You should know that a man gets satiated and wearied with everything except life, because he does not find for himself any pleasure in death. It is in the position of life for a dead heart, sight for the blind eye, hearing for the deaf ear, quenching for the thirsty and it contains complete sufficiency and safety.
The Book of Allah is that through which you see, you speak and you hear. Its one part speaks for the other part, and one part testifies to the other. It does not create differences about Allah nor does it mislead its followers from (the path of) Allah. You are joined together in hatred of each other and in the growing of herbage on your filth (i.e. for covering inner dirt by good appearance outside). You are sincere with one another in your love of desires and bear enmity against each other in earning wealth. The evil spirit (Satan) has perplexed you and deceit has misled you. I seek the help of Allah for myself and you.”
In the first paragraph the Imam captures the relentless driving force of human survival instinct and emphasizes the following
- Worldly pursuits, comforts and material possessions tend to lose their lustre and leave man feeling empty over time.
- Death offers no inherent pleasure to the worldly ego, and that is why the mind seeks to preserve and cling to life.
- Since man tires of worldly pursuits, the true remedy is the pursuit of wisdom.
- Wisdom serves as a light for the blind, healing for the soul and safety from the anxiety of the ego. To be continued
Second sermon
Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s)
I would like to convey my condolences to Imam Mahdi (a.t.j) and the followers of the Ahlul Bait on the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s) who was poisoned by the Umayyad ruler, Al-Walid on the 25th of Muharram, 95 Hijri under the instigation of Hisham ibne Abd Al-Malik. He was buried in Jannatul Baqi in Medina beside the grave of his uncle, Imam Hassan (a.s)
The Imam was born in Medina, on the 5th of Shabaan, 38 Hijri. His mother was Sharbanu, the Persian princess who was the daughter of Emperor Yazdegird. Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s) spent his early years learning from men of outstanding knowledge and that is why his knowledge and piety were matchless. He spent 2 years of his life under the guidance of his grandfather Imam Ali (a.s), and for 10 years he was tutored by his uncle, Imam Hassan (a.s), to whom he was very close, but he was mainly raised under the tutelage of his father, Hussain (a.s). The Imam (as) analysed Islamic spirituality and provided religious teachings on all levels. Moreover, his prayers and supplications are very compelling and moving.
Like all our other Imams, Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s) had a life of immense hardship and suffering. He witnessed the martyrdom of his father, brothers, friends and family members in Karbala. His life was spared on account of his grave illness during this tragedy which proves that Allah (s.w.t) wanted to save the Imamate from extinction. He, however, played a very important role as a witness and narrator of the harrowing saga of Karbala and inherited the mantle of Imamate at the age of 22 after his father, Imam Hussain (a.s)’s martyrdom in 61 Hijri. No Imam began his Imamate in a more tragic setting; on the first day he was seriously ill and a captive of the army of Yazid in Karbala. He lived for another 35 years after his father’s martyrdom.
After his father’s martyrdom, the Imam along with the ladies and children of the Ahlul Bait were taken as captives and paraded in a humiliating fashion from Karbala to Kufa and from Kufa to Shaam (Damascus). Indeed, these afflictions surpassed those meted out at Karbala in their intensity as well as their hostility. It left the members of the Ahlul Bait scarred for the rest of their lives. They were subjected to such intense humiliation and abasement that no historians could ever adequately capture the sufferings. After the caravan was paraded through the most difficult of conditions, they were finally brought to Yazid’s palace in Shaam. It was here, in the very stronghold of Yazid that finally the light of truth pierced through the dark veils of ignorance. It was here that the Imam with great eloquence and courage gave a sermon in Jamie Masjid and exposed Yazid’s cover up of the butchery that took place on the day of Ashura. He valiantly informed the courtiers and those attending the mosque that they were the family of the Holy Prophet (s.a) and the atrocities that had taken place in Karbala. This speech awoke the people from their deep slumber of heedlessness and shook the foundation of the Umayyad dynasty, sending it crumbling to the ground.
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