In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
VOICE OF UNITY
[And united their hearts; had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah unites them, surely He is Mighty, Wise] (8:63)
Volume 8, Issue 3 Dhul-Qa’da / Dhul - Hijja 1423 January / February 2003
One of the blessings that Allah (SWT) has granted the Muslims is that He has made the life of the Prophet of Islam (SAW) a model for us to emulate. The verses of the Holy Quran, after being revealed to the Holy Prophet (SAW) all together, were re-revealed to him through Angel Jibra’il according to the incidents that he encountered during his life. This relation is a clear sign that the life of the Holy Prophet (SAW) plays a great role in our guidance, along with the teachings of the Holy Quran. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran, ‘and you have, in the Messenger of Allah, a prime example’ (33:21). We must search the life of the Holy Prophet (SAW) for lessons that we can apply to our lives, according to the time and place that we live in. Not every migration to Allah (SWT) is to Mecca, and not every ‘Noah’s Ark’ is made of wood.
beliefs, the influence of opinions held by society or the failure to view reality from a wider perspective. Idols do not always exist outside the mind. The main reason for the confinement of this tradition to the history books is due to the lack of opportunity for seclusion and time for worship and reflection. However, every individual has his own cave to retire to, at his own time. What the Cave of Hira symbolises is the need for time for one to reflect for him/ herself, without distraction from others. The Holy Quran contains 121 references to reason and reflection1, and in a well-known hadith (tradition), the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said, “Reflection is better than seventy years of worship”. He has even referred to reflection as the ‘brain of worship’.
A Prophetic tradition that has either been forgotten, or is not practised by Muslims is the practice of seclusion in order to reflect and worship. This is what Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to do in the Ghar al-Hira (Cave of hira), even before declaring his prophecy. It is necessary for any truthseeker to reflect in seclusion, in order to discard falsehoods that may have arisen due to traditional
While the Meccans at the time of the Holy Prophet (SAW) knew that he used to retire to the Cave of Hira, this was not what his reputation was based on. What the Holy Prophet (SAW) was known for was his truthfulness and trustworthiness, and these are the qualities which left an impression on the people who he interacted with. A time for isolation does not mean that one must denounce social life. Some mystics have even said that, “The path to Allah (SWT) is through the people”. However, before the Holy Prophet (SAW) was truthful to continues page 10
Understanding Understanding Ziyarah Ziyarah
Abolishment of Slavery
The Final Journey
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Pages 8 - 9
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, Assalaamu alaikum. Inshallah this issue of Voice of Unity has reached you all in the best of health and imaan.
reformation of the self and the achieving of moral virtues that a believer is able to reach the highest level of faith and achieve proximity to Allah (SWT).
It has been narrated from our Holy Prophet Muhammed (SAW) that, “The most complete in faith among the believers is he who has the best manners”. This hadith reflects the loftiness of moral traits expected from a believer. It is etiquettes which distinguish a believer from a non-believer; and it is through
Together with striving to overcome man’s base characteristics, behavioural excellence is achieved through supplication to Allah (SWT). Imam Sajjad (AS), in Dua Makarimul Akhlaq, shows the best approach to beseech Allah (SWT) to acquire noble qualities.
“O Allah, make me worship you, but do not let my worship be corrupted by conceit; let good flow out from my hands for people, but do not let me erase it by making them feel obliged. Grant me the highest moral traits, but protect me from vanity.” O Allah, protect the Imam al-Asr, Imam Mahdi (ATF) and hasten his reappearance, Ameen.
Sr Tahera Tajri
Meditation and Pondering The Holy Prophet [SAW] said: “Oh Ali! Do not get furious and when you (happen to) be enraged. Sit down and meditate about the power of Allah [SWT] over his slaves and His forbearance of them.” Imam Hasan [AS] said: “It is for you to ponder because it is the (source of the) life of visionary’s heart.” Imam Hussein [AS] said: “It is from the signs of ignorance to enter into dispute with those not having thought and meditated.” Imam Sajjad [AS] said: “(Oh people) contemplate, meditate and practise for that (which) you have been created, for Allah [SWT] did not at all create you in vain.” Imam Khadhim [AS] has said: “There is proof and logic for everything and the proof of the intelligent person is his meditation and the proof of meditation is quietness.” Holy Prophet (SAW): “He who wants to be the most wealthiest of people should trust in what is in Allah (SWT)’s hand more than what is in his (own) hand.”
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Syed Muhammed Musawi Ziyarah is one of the most misunderstood rituals among Muslims today. Some think of it wrongly as visiting the graves of people who cannot respond to their visitors, whilst Prophetic ahaadith (narrations) clearly explain that performing the ziyarah of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Ahlul-Bayt (AS) after their lives is of no less significance than visiting them during their lifetimes. Quranic verses also clearly state that some people remain alive after their superficial death. If Muslims realise that ziyarah is no less than visiting the best human beings and the most dedicated servants of Allah (SWT), they would then understand that it is an excellent opportunity for: 1.
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strengthening the relationship between the mu’min (believing) visitor and the visited great personality. Such personalities are those who are granted everlasting life and who will pray and intercede for their sincere visitors;
renewing and refreshing the allegiance of the visiting mu’min to
the visited personality, which means refreshing and strengthening the allegiance to their great values and principles, which was their true Islamic message;
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reminding the visiting mu’min of the noble deeds of the sacred personality that s/he is visiting and thus becoming closer to. This will serve as encouragement and an invitation to follow these great personalities, to do what they did, and to avoid what they did not do. Great educational effects can be gained from this procedure;
preparing the visiting mu’min mentally to sacrifice in the way of Islam as the great personality that he is visiting has sacrificed and taught his followers to sacrifice. Sincere ziyarah teaches the best lesson - to give all that we have for the noble cause of Islam. Thousands of zawwar (pilgrims) sacrificed their limbs when ziyarah was prohibited by the governments of their times. These zawwar are
considered as being winners in this life and in the next.
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zawaar are given the chance to start their lives afresh, leaving behind past errors and starting a life enlightened with the light of the great personalities they are visiting. In this respect, ziyarah can change the lives of sincere zawwar by improvement and enlightenment.
If we ponder over the ziyarah recitations that have been narrated from the AhlulBayt (AS), we will find jewels in the meanings which can change our lives and bring us closer to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the Ahlul-Bayt (AS). As a few examples, we can look at Ziyarat Ameenullah, Ziyarat Ashura, and the Ziyarat of Imam Redha (AS). These are but a few examples; all of the ziyaraat have great meanings and spiritual and educational effects on the person who recites them with understanding.
Imam Ali (AS): “(One) who likens Him (Allah) to anything does not recognise His actuality.”
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Sr Fizza Hasan In the final hours of Friday 19th July 2002, sixteen brothers and sisters left London Heathrow for an experience that they would never forget for years to come. As Imam Ali (AS) had once said “opportunities do not repeat themselves”. The mission: to teach English to schoolchildren in South Lebanon over three weeks. On Sunday 21st July, our group was taken to an Al-Mahdi School in a village called Ain Qana, which was situated on top of a picturesque mountain. This was our first drive on a mountain route, but was to become commonplace by the end of the trip. Driving inches from the edge of the mountain made this a very testing time for those afraid of heights, however the breath-taking view substituted for this and fears were quickly forgotten!
The first day was quite nerve-wracking since we did not know the children we would be teaching, what ages they would be, or what they would think of us! With these thoughts racing through our minds, we made our way to school. Our first ‘working day’ started with us scurrying to leave our accommodation in Nabatiyya by 8.00 am to reach our designated schools by 9.00 am. We taught English for 3 hours every day from Monday to Thursday. The first session lasted for one and a half hours, followed by a break during which we were served a full Lebanese breakfast! Following the half an hour break, the second session began at 11.00 am and ended by 12.30 pm.
At the Ain Qana School, we were welcomed by staff from various Al-Mahdi Schools, a branch of the Islamic Institution for Education and Teaching. At present, there are twelve Al-Mahdi Schools; eleven distributed over Lebanon, and one in the holy city of Qum, in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
With the alarm bell marking the start of the school day each morning, the children would line up in rows with their classes in the assembly hall and begin the day by reciting a du’a for the safety of Imam Mahdi (ATF). They would then be escorted to their classes by their teachers. Coming from the UK, we found that this practice deeply affected us and the thought of being brought up in such a spiritual atmosphere touched us all.
Our group was split into five sub-groups and each sub-group was sent to a different AlMahdi School in South Lebanon. The ages of the children who we taught ranged from seven to fourteen and the classes consisted between four to thirty boys and girls.
The method of teaching English to the children was left to us. Our main priority was to improve their speaking skills and we found that many of the students would muddle up their past, present and future tenses. The younger children mainly played word games
Hadhrat Fatima (AS): “Allah, Who cannot be seen by the eyes and tongues are unable and baffled to describe His virtues and attributes.”
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and it was our job to make English as fun as possible for them. They would talk about their family, write about their hobbies and one girl even managed to write a play in English with her class, to present in front of the school.
During our third week in Lebanon, a camp had been organised by the staff at Al-Mahdi School, Ain Qana. The brothers in our group stayed with the boys near a river amid mountains and waterfalls, whilst the sisters stayed with the girls at the school.
The older students spoke about Lebanon, wrote essays about the liberation, and described the environment and other subjects that they could relate to. However, the teaching was not without its difficulties and we were exhausted by 12.30 pm.
The programme for the sisters at the camp was very intensive with minimal amount of time scheduled for sleep. As a group, we did not think that we would be able to cope with sports straight after Fajr salah, which involved running laps around the school building! The rest of the programme included Islamic studies and English language activities, with various sports and competitions such as treasure hunts.
It became apparent that the children were football crazy; they loved Brazil; their favourite player was Ronaldo (of course!) and a few boys were even sporting his hairdo. The boys would always want to play football, and just to pass time the students would continually ask to go and drink water. We would constantly hear students ask “Teacher, Teacher, may I go out?” On the other hand, the girls would have an obsession with the chalkboard, either they would want to rub off the work or write all over the board!
On the last Tuesday night, after Maghribain salah, the sisters read Du’a Tawassul with the girls at the camp. It was the most spiritually uplifting experience for us all. We thoroughly enjoyed the three days spent at the camp since it was a much more informal
Though we would be exhausted by 12:30 pm, mainly as a result of the immense heat, we still thoroughly enjoyed our time with the children.
Imam Hasan (AS): “What lies between the heavens and the earth are the supplications of the wronged.”
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way to interact and become acquainted with the youth from South Lebanon. We found many of them to be very mature for their ages and firm in their faith. The brothers slept by the river with the boys where they did a lot of swimming, played games and took part in English activities. They slept in ‘body bags’, on bumpy ground and lets just say their living experience was similar to the stone-age with a severe lack of basic home comforts! The day before we were due to leave for London, we said tearful goodbyes to the children at our respective schools. The same day, the children at the camp held a ‘graduation ceremony’ for us. They preformed a play based on the liberation of South Lebanon and we were each presented with scrolls as a token of their appreciation. In the time that we were not teaching, we visited various Islamic and historical sites, ate lunch by the river, climbed mountains, and also spent three days in Syria performing ziyarah. Our hosts in South Lebanon were very welcoming and hospitable. Our group thoroughly enjoyed the trip and we learnt a great deal from the children who we taught. We heard many stories from them, especially concerning the liberation; but we also came to realise that having the opportunity to continue our education is most certainly a blessing from Allah (SWT). Many of the children described the financial strain on parents in educating their children and
several students spoke about their hopes to continue to further education, but this was something that would remain only a hope for many of them. The children have vivid memories of the war, the effects of which are apparent, yet these have not hindered their childhood, but served to strengthen their faith in Allah (SWT). During our stay in Nabatiyya, we were fortunate to awake to the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by the adhan for Fajr salah every morning, hear Du’a Tawassul every Tuesday night, and listen to Du’a Kumayl every Thursday night, all from the comfort of our accommodation as it was situated near a mosque. Performing salah under the open sky, visiting places of religious significance (especially in South Lebanon), and talking to the courageous people who we met, have all in one way or another left a deep imprint on our lives. Compared to our hurried, complicated and some what materialistic lives, it seemed that these were the people who were actually living Islam in every day of their lives. It would be fitting to quote Imam Ali (AS) from a letter to his son Imam Hasan (AS), “take care to provide well for your future abode. Do not barter away eternal blessing for pleasures of this mortal and fleeting world” since we saw so many people working towards achieving this goal. Inshallah this is a lesson that we can incorporate into our daily lives to help us prepare for the re-appearance of our Awaited Imam (ATF).
Imam Hussein (AS): “O people, take lessons from the matters that Allah (SWT) has cited as warnings for His disciples.”
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Sr Sukaina Kaba Modern science has proved that dates are part of a healthy diet. They contain sugar, fat and proteins, as well as important vitamins. The Holy Prophet(SAW) has also attached great importance to them . Dates are also rich in natural fibres. Modern medicine has shown that they are effective in preventing abdominal cancer. They also surpass other fruits in the sheer variety of their constituents. They contain oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium. In other words, one date is a minimum of a balanced and healthy diet. Arabs usually combine dates with milk and yoghurt or bread, butter and fish. This combination indeed makes a self-sufficient and tasty diet for both mind and body. Dates and date palms have been mentioned in the Holy Quran 20 times, thus showing their importance. They are definitely the ‘crown of sweets’, and ideal food which is easy to digest. Within half an hour of eating them, the tired body regains a renewed vigour. The reason for this is that a shortage of sugar in the blood is the main factor that makes people feel hungry and not an empty stomach as is often assumed. When the body absorbs the nutritional essence of a few dates, the feeling of hunger becomes appeased. When one who breaks the fast with dates takes some other food afterwards, he cannot eat much. It would seem that breaking the fast with dates then helps one avoid excessive eating. Dieticians consider dates as the best food for expecting mothers because dates contain
elements that assist in alleviating depression in mothers and enriching the mother’s milk with all the elements needed to make the child healthy and resistant to disease. Modern Dietary Institutes now recommend dates to be given to children suffering from a nervous nature or hyperactivity. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has also recommended dates as a medicine for heart troubles, according to some reports. Modern science has also proved the effectiveness of dates, in preventing diseases of the respiratory system. Dates are rich in several vitamins and minerals. When the level of trace elements falls in the body, the health of the blood vessels is affected, leading to an increased heart-rate and a consequent inability to perform its function with normal efficiency. As dates are also rich in calcium, they help strengthen the bones. When the calcium content in the body decreases, children are affected with rickets and the bones of adults become brittle and weak. Dates are also important in keeping up the health of eyes. They are quite effective in guarding against night-blindness. In the early years of Islam, dates served as food for Muslim warriors. They used to carry them in special bags hung at their sides. They are the best stimulant for muscles and so the best food for a warrior about to engage in battle.
Imam Sajjad (AS): “Allah (SWT) has surely provided other people as a means of admonition to you.”
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Sr Shireen Naqui If we set the scene in pre-Islamic Arabia, we notice that it was a society that thrived on the practice of slavery. Slavery was not only an integral part of the economic system, with Arabia’s extensive slave markets, but also structured the social system based on hierarchy. Prisoners of war were often condemned to slavery by the conqueror and distributed among the army as a reward for their work. Any chief ruler had the power to enslave anyone in his domain and those who were guardians could sell or exchange their offspring in return for something else. Although in this present age, these practices would anger and stimulate human rights activists, back in pre-Islamic Arabia, slavery was an acceptable system to run a society. The introduction of Islam brought with it many changes of practice to improve humanity. However, Islam’s aim is not to simply produce a list of forbidden acts to be blindly obeyed, but instead to enlighten Muslims on the reasoning behind what is right and wrong. This is because reason, above all, is the most powerful instrument, which convinces mankind to refrain from sinning. This is why Islam adopted a gradual, rather then sudden approach to eliminate slavery. For a society whose framework is based on the practice of slavery, the sudden removal of this system would cause extreme social, political and
economic problems; the society would collapse. Some slaves themselves, who were old or invalid, were dependent on their masters to provide for them and were incapable of surviving alone in the society. If they were all to be set free immediately, the result would be an increase in beggary and a heavy economic burden for the society. So what did Islam do to alleviate this situation? This is where critics would answer, “Not very much”, but on the contrary, Islam provided the ultimate solution to the problem of slavery. It is only logical, that when one system is to replace another, gradual steps are taken towards reformation and that during the transitional stage, temporary measures are taken to adapt to the new system. This is exactly what Islam did to abolish the system of slavery, without causing immense damage to the dependent slaves and the society’s economy. The temporary measures that were to be taken for the slaves were clearly revealed in the Holy Quran. The early Makkan suwer (chapters) urged for the liberation of slaves, highlighting that slave emancipation is a great deed of piety, meritorious of all acts. The penalty for the failure to fast without a reasonable excuse, was to free a slave for each day. The same was ordained by Allah (SWT) for the breach of every vow. Also, all slave
Imam Baqir (AS): “You should not cheat him who cheated you.”
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men and women were directed to marry each other in order to support themselves and raise their social and moral status. The Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW), directly commanded the Muslims to raise the standard of living of slaves to their own, “Be kind to them as your own children, give them to eat what you eat yourselves”. “Your slaves are your brethren”. The Holy Quran specifically addresses the procedure that Muslims should adopt when dealing with prisoners of war, ‘When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield, strike off their heads, and when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind your captives firmly and grant them their freedom…’ (47:4). A prime example of how this worked can been seen after the Battle of Badr, where the encounter with the Quraish led to 70 captives, most of whom were freed against ransom money. Those who did not have money, were freed after they taught a certain number of children of the Ansar tribe how to write. It is true that most of the enemy preferred to be captives under Muslim hands, as they were aware of the humane treatment they would receive. The Law of Mukataba, allowed slaves to buy their own freedom. An office in the public treasury was established to free slave men and the wealthy were urged to help them. This made it optional for the old and invalids to stay and be provided for by their masters. Also the offensive names of abd and amah, referring to slave men and women were replaced by fata and fatat, meaning boy and girl. A hadith of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW) is as follows, “Let none of you say, this man or this woman is my slave”.
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Indeed, the actions of our Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW) and our Imams (AS) had a profound effect on the way people thought of and dealt with slaves. Among many of the slaves the Holy Prophet (SAW) freed, were Bilal al-Habashi, an Ethiopian who was the slave of Safwan bin Umayya, and Salman al-Farsi, the son of a Zoroastrian priest, who in the search for the true religion was purchased and tortured by a Jew in Medina. The Holy Prophet (SAW) also directly negated racial divisions, which prevailed at that time, “The blackest of Abyssinians is superior to the most noble of Quraishites if he has more faith”. What must be remembered is that the political system was also dependent on the hierarchical system. The status of every household increased with the number of slaves they kept. It was damaging to expect people to suddenly give up this system as it provided a source of labour for the livelihood of thousands of people. Instead, the gradual emancipation of slaves allowed societies to adapt to a system without slavery, effectively. Imam Ali (AS) himself freed a thousand slaves by purchasing them and supplying them with the sufficient means to earn their livelihood. The extreme importance Islam has given to the liberation of slaves, is evident in the following verse form the Holy Quran, where it compares the freedom of a slave to obtaining one of the highest virtues of faith, a direction towards the right path, ‘And what will make you comprehend what the uphill road is? (It is) the setting free of a slave’ (90:12-13). Reference: Renaissance Islamic Journal Vol 5 No 3. Article Ref: R19503-2
Imam Sadiq (AS): “The trap of the Shaitan is withholding from doing charity to the friends.”
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Continued from page 1
others, he was truthful to himself; what the people noticed of the truthfulness was only the manifestation of his perfection. Before being trustworthy with the possessions and rights of others, he honoured his own possessions and rights that Allah (SWT) had granted him, and fulfilled his responsibility towards Allah (SWT) by not employing Allah (SWT)’s blessings in His disobedience, nor failing to make use of the blessings granted to him by Allah (SWT). We may ask ourselves: How can I approach the ‘cave’, and what am I supposed to reflect on? Into the Cave Before diving into the oceans of knowledge, we must recognise our own ignorance and shortcomings. What often hinders our ability to increase our knowledge is the belief that ‘we know it all’, and this is when knowledge becomes the greatest veil. Many people pass judgements according to their limited knowledge, thinking that they possess all that there is to know. This is especially dangerous when people discuss religion, and some begin to interpret Islam according to their own opinion, thereby limiting this great religion with their limited outlook. We should bear in mind that Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran, ‘and you have not been granted but little knowledge’ (17:85). To release ourselves from the confines of ignorance, we need to rely on the mercy of Allah (SWT), and ask Him to grant us success by reciting the Quranic supplication, ‘O Lord, increase me in knowledge’ (20:114). As our knowledge increases, we must ensure that our humility follows suit.
Inside the Cave The most prized form of knowledge is knowledge of the self as this is the ultimate means of knowing Allah (SWT). The Holy Prophet (SAW) beautifully expressed this belief in the following quote, “Whoever recognises himself, recognises his Lord”. Some may wrongly assume that to look inward instead of outward is self-limiting, but this assumption is shattered by Imam Ali (AS) in his poem, “Your (own) cure is within you, yet you do not feel it; and your ailment is from you, yet you refuse to admit it; and you regard yourself an insignificant germ, when within you resides the greater world”. Through selfknowledge we can gain a clear understanding of the world in which we live. The most important quality to have when searching through ourselves is honesty. Without honesty – being truthful to ourselves – we cannot come to know ourselves. The topic of reflection is too vast to cover in a short article, and even more difficult is to cover the topics that we can reflect on, but we will look at some important issues that deserve our attention. We must begin by combining worship and reflection, as reflection is an affirmation of faith, and worship must compliment faith. The most cherished form of worship in this regard is dhikr (the remembrance of Allah (SWT)), a way of affirming with the heart, the convictions of the mind. The issues that we need to reflect on, bearing in mind our need to know ourselves, include: values in our lives: the absolute worth of things, priorities: the relative worth of things, realities: what things are in reality, and not what they seem to be, roles: what is the
Imam Kadhim: “Allah (SWT) has not distributed among the servant anything better than intelligence.”
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VOICE OF UNITY purpose of this and how can I benefit from it? and meanings: what does this mean or stand for? An example of each issue (and a relevant dhikr) may be: values: is knowledge something worth pursuing? (Subhanallah: Allah, the Exalted), priorities: who should I think of pleasing, Allah or my friends? (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest), realities: what is the world? How do I fit in it? What is my relationship with Allah? (La ilaha illallah: There is no god but Allah), roles: Is having a tongue a blessing? How must I use it if it is a blessing? (Alhamdulillah: All praise is due to Allah), Meanings: Why were we created? (Astaghfirullah: I seek refuge in Allah). The final dhikr is in line with the Quranic condition for guidance, as Allah (SWT) ‘does not guide the oppressors’ (5:51). Therefore, it is necessary to implore Allah (SWT) to forgive us, and increase our humility when we ask Allah (SWT) for guidance. Whenever we seek to understand something that does not fall in our scope of knowledge or understanding, it is crucial to start at a point of certainty, and from there to try to understand the doubted point, because without this firm foundation, we cannot succeed in attaining certainty. Be patient. We must not expect to be able to understand something without giving ourselves time for our thoughts to develop. Finally, we should ask Allah (SWT) to send His peace and blessings upon the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his family, especially when we are faced with difficult circumstances. Out of the Cave What sometimes clouds people’s judgement is the unwillingness to act on what they learn, and many – not wanting to admit the truth – distort it to avoid acting on it. Remember Imam Ali (AS)’s striking caution, “Do not turn your knowledge into ignorance and your certainty into doubt: if you learn, then act (on that knowledge), and if you are certain (of something) then move in the direction (which you are certain of)”. This is a reminder that one who does not know is ignorant, and one who knows but does not act is also ignorant, irrespective of the knowledge he has acquired. In fact, it is true to say that such ignorance is more complex than the former; and it is our duty to Allah (SWT) and to ourselves that we act on our knowledge. Therefore, we should practice what we learn.
With knowledge comes responsibility. As we increase in understanding, we must be willing to share our knowledge with others, as this will help us to structure our ideas and cause knowledge to flourish in society. Imam Ali (AS) has said, “Wealth decreases with spending, but knowledge increases when it is spent”. It is also necessary that we discuss our thoughts with others in order that we become aware of the different ideas that people hold and to widen our scope of thinking. Therefore, we should share our knowledge with others. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said, “If one is sincere to Allah (SWT) for forty days, springs of wisdom emanating from his heart, become manifest in his speech”. For successful progress in life, we can use our faculty of imagination: by imagining ourselves to be acting the way we would expect the Holy Prophet (SAW) to act, and to actualise our thoughts when the opportunity arises. With this approach taken after reflection, we will be able to realise the benefits of reflection in inspiring knowledge, affirming faith, and creating a social environment that harbours spiritual and intellectual progress. We must also realise that without individual development it is impossible to achieve social development, as the Holy Quran states, ‘Allah does not change what is in a people unless they change what is in themselves’ (13:11). This is the path that the Holy Prophet (SAW) took, and it is the path we are to take to achieve global peace. References: 1. The Shorter Shi’ite Encyclopedia, by Hasan ul-Amine 2. Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence), compiled by Sayed 3. Radhi Al-Mosawi 4. Keifa tabny shakhsiyyatak (How to build your personality), by Khalil Al-Mosawi 5. Self-Knowledge, by Sheikh Shomali 6. Min Ash-shi’r al-mansoob lil-Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (From the poems attributed to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib), compiled by ‘Abd al-Aziz Sayed al-Ahl. 7. At-tafakkur (Reflection), by Ayatullah Destagheyb 8. Awsaf al-Ashraaf (The Attributes of the Noble) by Khwajah Nasir al-Din At-Tusi (http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/awsaf/) 9. Adabus Salat (The Etiquettes of the Prayer) by Ayatullah Khomeini
Br Haider Al-Mosawi
Imam Redha (AS): “The prayers should be performed as soon as their times set in.”
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Sr Hala Abbas Do you know that life is a journey? It is a journey in which one travels from one place to another. But the final journey, which which will bring joy or disgrace to each of us is DEATH. Can you imagine what our condition will be when we reach the end of the final journey, when we are resurrected, when everybody will realize the worth of his deeds and words, and when everybody will be brought before the Almighty Allah (SWT)? This abode (world) is surrounded by trials, distresses and misfortunes. It is subject to constant change, whomsoever stays here cannot expect security, and remain immune from calamities. No condition here is permanent. Here, pleasures lead to wickedness and vices. Everyone faces adversities, disappointments and failures and in the end, death finishes him. Remember that death comes like an unwelcome guest. Allah (SWT) states in the Holy Quran: ‘And a soul will not die except by Allah’s leave at an appointed term. And whoever desires a reward in (this) world, I shall give him of it; and whoever desires a reward in the hereafter, I shall give him thereof. And I shall reward the grateful’ (3:145). Therefore, everyone of us should strive to do good work while we still have life, health and opportunities, while there is an opportunity
to do good, while good deeds can still be recorded by the angels, and while there is still time to repent and turn towards virtue and piety. Almighty Allah (SWT) states in the Hadith AlQudsi that the earth speaks to humans saying: “Oh, son of Adam! You walk on me, but in the end you will be within my bowels, where you will have to stay all alone, it is a dwelling place which is full of ferocious things as well as serpents and scorpions. So, Oh son of Adam! Do good deeds and thereafter enter me, only then will you be happy and without hardship”. When a man dies, people ask what he has left behind as a legacy, and the angels want to know what he has sent forward (good deeds and good words). Therefore, remember, ‘Every soul shall taste death and We will test you (all) with something bad and something good as a trial; and to us will you be returned!’ (21:35). In addition, Allah (SWT) states, ‘Allah gives you life; then He makes you die, then will He gather you all together on resurrection day wherein is no doubt, but most people do not know’ (45:26). Life is full of trials and tribulations, but the believers are those who believe in Allah (SWT), His Messengers and the Last Day, they pray, fast, perform the Hajj (pilgrimage), guard their chastity, give zakat and take care of the poor. The believer safeguards his soul from all kinds of sins and evil, possesses good manners towards relatives and other people, takes care
Imam Jawad (AS): “Know that you cannot be out of Allah (SWT)’s sight.”
VOICE OF UNITY
of the orphans and widows (and acts as a kind father to them), is not proud, and fights in the way of Allah (SWT). These people will surely enter paradise. Whilst the unbelievers are those who do not fear or believe in Allah (SWT), His messengers or the Last Day. They make mischief on the earth, are proud and pursue sinful and evil ways. Allah (SWT) states in the Holy Quran that when death approaches: ‘angels who pull out the souls of the wicked with great violence, whilst for the souls of the believers are taken out gently’ (79:1-2). ‘If you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve (at death), they smite their faces and their backs (saying): “Taste the punishment of the blazing fire”’ (8:50). The above ayaat show clearly that during and after death there is pain and agony for the unbeliever, which will continue until the day of resurrection. There will be no relief in the grave to overcome the torture, and no peace. Nobody will come to their help and rescue, even death will not relieve them of the horror and torture, and it will be a constant and endless punishment without respite. The very same grave may lead certain persons to paradise and they will be protected from the hell and its tortures. They will enjoy the pleasures of paradise. We must increase our knowledge by learning from the experiences of past people. Remember that this world is not going to treat anyone better than it has treated others and everyone has to pass through almost all of the experiences through which others have passed before. Many of them had longer life spans, richer and happier surroundings and more of a reputation and fame. But where are they now? They have been silenced, their power vanished, their bodies have decayed, their wealth and
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houses have been left behind and their traces have disappeared. They were all forced to exchange their luxurious palaces and comfortable ways of life with graves made of earth and slabs of stone. These graves were deep, dark, narrow and hard, and which have chilling and dreary surroundings. Allah (SWT) states in Hadith Al-Qudsi: “From the time you come out of your mothers’ wombs you are getting nearer to your grave”. Every human being has to meet the end, it can be either sweet or sour, and therefore one should put off boasting, give up self- conceit and remember the grave. May Allah (SWT) have mercy on all of us. Every person should be quick in providing for the place where we are destined to settle down, towards which we are invited, and which we are persuaded to like and prefer. This means that every believing person should make the best use of Allah (SWT)’s bounties and blessings by obeying Him sincerely and faithfully because tomorrow is not far off from today. Does not man realise how fast hours pass away in a day, how quickly days move in a month and how rapidly months merge in a year and how years simply fly?
Imam Hadi (AS): “Her who obeys Allah (SWT) will not care for the dissatisfaction of the creatures.”
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VOICE OF UNITY
Life Geometry I, the Desert, step out of myself to read in You, Your most generous Name. O God, Creator, Instructor, teach my heart; enlighten my way; that I may come close to You and read in Your Name Your miraculous lines. This way, I can see Humanity in soil and water; morning and evening I see light. I can see the colours of Your splendour, each shade of which is a new Spring. I read in Your Name, life’s geometry, and come to understand the sectret of fertility; so I build dams for time, creating pools for years, making my life, by Your Love, long, and worthy of praise. Every grain of sand becomes, by You, A sensor of thought. Every particle of being in me becomes a note in a melody of praise for You. I glorify You in Your Holiness, You, the only One worthy of praise. I glorify You in Your Power and Magnitude, I praise You with the voice of all instruments of music; extend then by Your Omnipotence, my time and my range; make me, in Your Universe, a sun bright with Your Love, guiding people to the best blessing that of closeness to You.
In The Name Of Allah The Source Of Mercy To All Of Creation; The Source Of The Mercy To The Believing Congregation. Oh Allah Bless Muhammad’s Soul; And Rain Down Peace On His Household. Oh He Who Sends Blessings, Who Takes Care Of Each Need, By Your Beautiful Names, We Dutifully Plead. Bless Prophet Muhammad, And His Best People and Kin; And Accept Last Month’s Fasting, And Pardon Each Sin. Write Us Down Amongst Those Who Will Make Hajj This Year. Pour Your Treasures Upon Us. Keep Our souls Near, And Dear. Anon
Dr Assad Ali
Imam Askari (AS): “Those who advise their friend secretly are respecting them.”
VOICE OF UNITY
19. The vice of ghurur (pride) Pride consists of conceit based on selfish desires are fancies, and it may be in regard to the affairs of this world or that of the next. One may become proud of one’s worship, or one’s sons, wealth, position and power, or something else. All of these may lead to pride, and consequently to the spiritual and moral fall of man. Thus we see that the Holy Quran warns man against all forms of pride, which is a kind of illusion and self-deception: ‘Let not the life of the world beguile you, nor let the deceiver deceive you in regard to Allah’ (31:33). People from all walks of life may fall prey to the vice of pride. They may be believers or infidels, scholars, pious people, mystics and so on, and each of them may be proud of any particular thing. Thus we see that pride can take numerous forms. Pride may be caused by the Power of Intellect, the Power of Passion, the Power of anger, or all three of them together. The opposite of pride – which as mentioned is a kind of self-deception, is knowledge, wisdom, and awareness; because the more a man is aware of reality, the less he is likely to fall prey to pride. The following tradition of Imam al-Sadiq (AS) suggests the true remedy to the vice of pride: “Know that you shall not be freed from the darkness of pride and desire unless you truly return to Allah (SWT) in humility and penitence, and become aware of your faults and shortcomings – that is, those things which do not agree with reason and intelligence and are not upheld by religion, Divine law and the traditions of the Leaders of guidance. If you are satisfied with the condition you are in, be certain that noone is more callous and wicked in regard to your own acts and noone more indifferent to the wastage of your years of life than yourself, and this attitude will ultimately leave you with the inheritance of bitter despair on the Day of Resurrection”. 20. The vice of having elaborate and far-flung hopes and desires This vice is caused by the Power of Intellect and Passion and is rooted in ignorance and the love of the world. It
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harms man by keeping him occupied with wordly matters and by retarding his spiritual development. In order to cure oneself of this disease, one must constantly think about death and the Hereafter, with the knowledge that the world and worldly existence are transitory and whatever one may acquire, one day one is forced to leave it behind and embrace death. He must keep alive this realisation in his mind that the only useful things that he can carry across the abyss of death are his good works. 21. The vice of isyan (rebelliousness) Isyan here means using disobeying Allah (SWT)’s commands. This vice belongs to the Power of Anger and Passion; its opposite is obedience and taqwa (fear of Allah (SWT)). 22. The vice of shamelessness Belonging to the Powers of Anger and Passion, this vice consists of impudence and absence of shame in doing prohibited acts. Its opposite is modesty and haya (shame) which is a part of faith. Imam As-Sadiq (AS) has said: “Modesty belongs to faith and faith is in paradise”. 23. The vice of al-israar ala al-ma’siyah (persistence in sin) This is an evil state and its opposite is tawbah (repentance). Repeating sins makes them seem ordinary, insignificant, everyday affairs. Therefore, before this happens to oneself, it is necessary to contemplate the vicious outcome of committing sins and examine their harms both in this world and the next. Such contemplation leads him to repent his sins and become genuinely sorry and ashamed that he ever committed them. On the other hand, tawbah is return from the state of sinfulness. An even higher state of repentance is inabah, which is turning away from and giving up even mubah (permissible) things. In this higher state of repentance, one seeks, in speech and action, only to please Allah (SWT), and remember Him continuously.
Imam Mahdi (AS): “The people will not live in lack of a leader.”
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VOICE OF UNITY
IUS NEWS •
The IUS held 4 Ramadhan Programmes over the blessed month, which included iftar, a variety of inspiring talks delivered by eloquent speakers, and Dua Iftitah. Alhamdulillah, the programmes were very successful with good attendance by both brothers and sisters.
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After the successful launch of the IUS Arabic Language Classes in 2002, IUS has arranged Arabic Language Classes for the year 2003, which will cater for both Basic and Intermediate Levels and are due to commence on Saturday 11th January 2003, Inshallah.
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If you are interested in helping with the graphics or any other aspect of the Voice of Unity Newsletter, please contact any member of the IUS EC or IUS Newsletter Committee (through our website: www.ius.org.uk).
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If your subscription to IUS has expired, please renew your membership by filling out the IUS membership renewal form and posting it to our address (below).
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IUS is currently looking for volunteers to help with the design and maintenance of our website, www.ius.org.uk. Please contact any member of the IUS EC if you are interested in helping in this field.
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IUS is a registered charity which relies on membership subscriptions and donations to fund its activities. Therefore, if you would like to make a (one-off or monthly) donation, please contact a member of the IUS EC.
Dates to remember Wiladat Shahadat Shahadat Eid al-Adha Wiladat Eid al-Ghadeer Eid al-Mubahela
Imam Redha (AS) Imam Jawad (AS) Imam Baqir (AS) Imam Hadi (AS)
11th 29th 9th 10th 15th 18th 24th
Dhul-Qa’da Dhul-Qa’da Dhul-Hijja Dhul-Hijja Dhul-Hijja Dhul-Hijja Dhul-Hijja
Wed 15th Sun 2nd Sun 9th Wed 12th Mon 17th Thurs 20th Wed 26th
January February February February February February February
Voice of Unity Islamic Unity Society Registered Charity No. 1066910 Mail Address: Box 145 37 Store Street London WC1E 7QF E-mail: info@ius.org.uk
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