In the name of Allah

The All compassionate, the All-Merciful

8^th Rabiul-Awwal 1446 (21^st August 2026))

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 148

 

Imam Ali (a.s.) in Sermon 131, which I had quoted last week, talked about the complex and contradictory qualities of the Kufian who shrank away from the truth when actions and sacrifices were needed. He also highlighted his core aims of Caliphate and his lifelong devotion to Islam from the days of the Holy Prophet (s.a.), which are detailed hereinafter:

 

Aims of the Caliphate

• He accepted leadership strictly to correct injustice and to guide the Islamic nation back to its core values.
• His primary motive was to defend the oppressed and vulnerable and to eliminate systemic corruption.
• He viewed political power as worthless unless it was used to establish the truth and to eradicate falsehood.

 

Lifelong devotion to the Holy Prophet (s.a.)

• Imam Ali (a.s.) was the first man to accept the message of Islam when the Holy Prophet (s.a) began his mission.
• He remained by the Holy Prophet (s.a.)’s side through every hardship, migration and battle, serving as his closest confidant and protector.

 

In Sermon 192 the Imam talked about his relationship with the Holy Prophet (s.a.):

 

“From the time of his weaning, Allah had put a mighty angel to take him along the path of high character and good behavior through day and night, while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow them. Every year he used to go into seclusion to the hill of Hira, where I saw him but no one could see him. In those days Islam did not exist in any house except that of the Prophet of Allah – peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants – and Khadijah, while I was the third after these two. I used to see and watch the effulgence of divine revelations and messages and breathed the scent of Prophet Hood.”

To be continued  

 

Second Sermon

Imam Hasan Al-Askari (a.s.)

According to a tradition, the 8th of Rabial-Awwal is the martyrdom anniversary of our eleventh Imam, Hasan Askari (a.s.). I express our condolences to his son, Imam Mahdi (a.t.j.), and to the followers of the Ahlul Bait.

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) was born in Medina, on the 8th of Rabial-Thani, 232 Hijri. However, according to some tradition he was born in Samara. He was martyred by poisoning on the 8th of Rabial-Awwal, 260 Hijri when he was 28/29 years. He lived for almost 23 years with his father, Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.). After his father’s martyrdom, he took over the reins of Imamate for 6 years which coincided with the regimes of the Abbasid Caliphs including Motaz, Mohtadi and Motamed and he endured great sufferings in their hands. He was martyred during the reign of Motamed and was buried in Samara next to his father’s grave, which has been transformed into a great mausoleum and pilgrims from all over world come to pay their homage to them.

 

Most of his life he spent in the house in Samara where his father, Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) remained under house arrest. From time to time he was taken to Baghdad, questioned and put in prison there. But despite strict surveillance, sufferings and confinements he conducted his duties as Imam from within the house and many students of Islam benefited from his gifted knowledge and later became scholars in their fields. He taught people the Holy Quran and instructed his followers the true teachings of Islam as taught by the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and the Ahlul Bait. He also dictated many traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and completed the explanatory notes on the Holy Quran which has been mentioned by many scholars and exegetes.

 

It has been reported that while he was a prisoner in Baghdad there was a severe draught. Rain had not fallen for a long time and the crops were drying up. People were facing a famine and they did not know what to do. A Christian priest came to the rescue. He lifted his hands, towards the sky, in prayer and immediately there was a heavy rainfall. The Caliph became concerned lest the people would forsake Islam in favor of Christianity. When the Imam was consulted, he said that he would soon remove skepticism from the minds of people. He was allowed to leave the prison to witness the miracle of the priest. He stood there with the crowd and watched the priest raise his hands towards the sky in prayer and there was sudden downpour. The Imam asked one of his companions to remove what was in the priest’s hand. He then asked the priest to pray for rain. The priest was embarrassed as he tried his utmost and yet there was no rain. The Imam then showed everyone that the priest was holding in his hand, a small piece of bone of a Prophet of God. It was the effect of the holy bone, when lifted in prayer, brought rain to the land by Allah (s.w.t)’s mercy. Thereafter the Imam prayed for rain and it rained heavily until the drought was over. The Imam was thus able to remove doubts from the minds of people and they realized that the priest had tried to trick them.