Islam Fundamental Principles and Teachings

The Trader and the Qur’an

Imam Sadiq said, “What stops a trader, when he returns home from work, from reading a surah of the Qur’an before he goes to sleep? For he will be accredited with ten good deeds for each verse he reads, and ten bad deeds erased from him.”96

Imam Sadiq has narrated from the holy Prophet who said, “One who reads ten verses a night he will not be registered among the ghafileen [heedless], and one who reads fifty verses a night be will be registered with the dha>kireen [those who remember Allah], and one who reads one hundred verses every night he will be registered with the qaniteen [the worshiper], and one who reads

93 ibid, p199 94 ibid, p200 95 ibid, p200 96 ibid, p201

two hundred verses he will be registered with the kha>she‘een [those who are humble and fearful before Allah], and one who reads three hundred verses, he will be registered with the fa>’ezeen [the victorious ones], and one who reads five hundred verses he will be registered with the mujtahideen [those striving for the cause of Allah], and one who reads one thousand verses one Quint}a>r will be registered for him and a Quint}ar is fifteen thousand (in some texts it is stated as being fifty thousand) Mithqa>l of gold and a Mithqa>l is twenty four Quira>t}, the smallest of which is the size of the mount Oh}od and the biggest is that of the expanse between heaven and earth.”97

Abu H{amza al-Thama>li narrates from Imam Ba>qir, “One who reads the entire Qur’an in Mecca in one week or less than a week or more and completes it on Friday, Allah will write for him the reward of all the good deeds that have taken place since the first Friday in this world to the last Friday that will come. The same would be if reading is completed on other days.” 98

Ja>bir al-Ans}a>ri narrates from Imam Ba>qir, “everything has a spring, and the spring of the Qur’an is the month of Ramad}a>n.” 99 Reciting the Holy Qur’an from the Script Imam S{a>diq, (A), said, “One who recites the Qur’an from a copy of the Qur’an he will enhance his insight and lighten his parents’ burden even if they were non-believers”.100

It is narrated from the holy Prophet (S) who said, “There is nothing more difficult for the Satan (to tackle) than someone’s reading the Qur’an from a copy (of the Qur’an)”.101

97 ibid, p202 98 ibid, p203 99 ibid, p203 100 ibid, p204 101 ibid, p204

Isha>q ibn Amma>r said, I asked Imam S{a>diq, (A), “Sir, I have learnt the holy Qur’an by heart. Which would be more rewarding, reciting the Qur’an from memory, or from a mus}-h}af (copy of the holy book)?” The Imam, (A), said, “indeed read it while looking at the mus}-h}af for it is more rewarding [than from reciting it from memory]. Don’t you know that looking at the mus}-h}af is an act of worship?”102

It is narrated from Abu Dharr who narrated from the Prophet, who said, “Looking at Ali ibn Abi T{a>lib is an act of worship, looking at one’s parents affectionately and kindly is an act of worship, looking at the pages of the Qur’an is an act of worship, and looking at the Ka‘bah is an act of worship.”103 Imam S{a>diq, (A), quotes his father who said, “I admire that there be a mus}-h}af [copy of the holy Qur’an] in the house with which Allah repels the devils.”104

Imam S{a>diq, (A), said, “Three things complain to Allah, the Most Glorious: a derelict mosque where people of the mosque do not pray in, a scholar among the ignorant people, and mus}-h}af left on a shelf covered in dust that no one reads from.”105

Reciting the Qur’an

Abdullah ibn Sulayma>n has said, “I asked Imam S{a>diq, (A), about the verse .recite the Qur’an distinctly.106 The Imam said Amir-ul- Mu’minin Imam Ali, (A) has said, “read it clearly, not in a rapid and hectic form like in reciting poetry, nor scatter it like grains of sand, but strike with it your hardened hearts, and your concern should not be [reaching] the end of the surah”.107

102 ibid, p204-205 103 ibid, p205 104 ibid, p206 105 ibid, p206 106 The Qur’an, (73):4 107 ibid, p207

Abu Bas}ir has narrated from Imam S{a>diq, (A), who said about the verse .recite the Qur’an distinctly., “It means that you should pause, [as and when punctuation rules require] and recite it in a nice voice.”108

Imam S{a>diq said, “Read the Qur’an with correct diacritics for it is Arabic, [and diacritics preserve its accuracy]”.109 Imam S{a>diq said, “It is discouraged to read the whole surah of ‘tawh}eed’ in one breath [without a pause between its verses]”.110 It is narrated from Omm Salamah who has said, “The Prophet, (S), used to read the Qur’an pausing between the verses.”111 Imam S{a>diq, (A), said, “The Qur’an is revealed in sorrow and it should be read in the same way.”

Abdullah ibn Sinan has narrated from Imam S{a>diq, (A), who said, “Allah, the Most High, told Moses “Whenever you stand before Me, stand as a humble deprived person and when you read Torah let me hear it in a sorrowing voice.”112

It is narrated from H{afs} who said, “I never saw anyone more afraid (of Allah) about himself than Mossa> al-Ka>dim, (A), nor anyone more hopeful (for Allah’s mercy) than him. He would recite the Qur’an with sorrow, and when he recited it, it was as if he was addressing someone.”113

Reading the Qur’an silently or aloud

Imam Baqir, (A), said, “One who recites the surah “al-Qadr” (#97) with a loud voice, he would be like one who has drawn his sword for Allah’s cause and one who reads it silently, he would be like

108 ibid, p207 109 ibid, p206 110 ibid, p207 111 ibid, p208 112 ibid, p208 113 ibid, p209 43 one who is killed in Allah’s cause, and one who reads it ten times has one thousand of his sins deleted.”114 Mo’a>wiyah ibn Ammar has said, “I told Imam S{a>diq, “one does not think that he has read anything from the Qur’an or the prayers unless he says them loudly.” The Imam, (A), said, “It does not matter. Imam Zayn al-Abidin, (A), would recite the holy Qur’an in the most pleasant tune and he would read it loudly such that every one in the house would hear him. Imam Ba>qir, had the best reciting tune and he would recite the holy Qur’an loudly during the night and whoever would pass by would stop to listen to his recitation.”115

It is narrated from Abu Dharr who narrated from the Prophet, who said in his recommendations to him, “O Aba Dharr! Lower your voice when walking in a funeral procession, in combat, and when hearing the recitation of the Qur’an.”116

Abdullah ibn Sina>n has narrated from Imam Sadiq who has narrated from the Prophet, who said, “Read the holy Qur’an in Arabic cadence and voice, and never recite it in the cadence of the sinful and people committing major sins; for after me will come people who reverberate their tune when reciting the Qur’an as in singing, and as in the hymns of monks, going no further than their throats; their hearts are perverted and so too are the hearts of those who are impressed by their state.”117

Ali ibn Muhammad al-Nawfali narrates from Imam Mossa al- Ka>dim, who said, “When ‘voice’ were mentioned before him, upon this he said, “when one passed by when Ali ibn al-Husayn

114 ibid, p209 115 ibid, p209 116 ibid, p210 117 ibid, p210

[Zayn al-Abidin] was reciting the Qur’an, the person would be enchanted by the Imam’s beautiful recitation.”118 Abdullah ibn Sina>n has narrated from the holy Prophet who said, “For everything there is an ornament and the ornament of the Qur’an is fine reciting.”119

Imam Ali Rid}a>, said, “The holy Prophet said, “beautify the Qur’an with your voice, for a nice voice gives beauty to the Qur’an.”120 The Etiquettes of reciting and listening to the Qur’an It is narrated from Ja>bir who said, “I asked Imam Baqir about a people who on hearing some of the Qur’an or anything about it faint to an extent that even if the hands or legs of one of them were amputated they would not notice.” The Imam, (A), said, “Glory be to Allah. They were not told to behave as such. It is only serenity, soft heartedness, tears, fear and sorrow.”121

Imam S{a>diq, (A), was asked, “When one reads from the holy Qur’an is it obligatory for others to keep silent and listen to it?” The Imam replied, “Yes, when the Qur’an is recited it is mandatory for you to keep silent and listen to it.”122

Ali ibn Mughirah said, “I asked Imam Ka>dim (A), “My father asked your grandfather about reading the whole Qur’an in one night”, so your grandfather said to him, “[yes] every night.” Then he said, “in the month of Ramad}a>n?” so your grandfather said to him, “[yes] in the month of Ramad}a>n.” My father said, “Yes, according to my ability.” So my father used to read the holy Qur’an forty times in the whole month of Ramadan. Then after my father I would read the holy Qur’an some times more and

118 ibid, p211 119 ibid, p211 120 ibid, p212 121 ibid, p213 122 ibid, p214, this is in reference to the Qur’anic verse 7:204 .when the Qur’an is being recited, listen to it and be silent, may be you will receive mercy..

some time less than him according to my time, work, energy, and laziness. On the day of Eid after the month of Ramad}a>n, I would assign the [reward for] reading the holy Qur’an once for the holy Prophet, one for Imam Ali, one for Lady Fatimah and one for each Imam until yourself and I assigned the reward for reciting the holy Qur’an once for you, and this is from the time I have been doing this. Will there be any thing for me in this?” The Imam said, “because of this, on the Day of Judgment, you will be with them.” I said: Allah is great! This [honour] is for me? The Imam said, “Yes” three times.123

Imam S{a>diq (A) narrated that Allah’s messenger came to some youth from Ans}a>r and said to them, “I want to recite to you, and whoever weeps, Paradise will be for him, and then he recited .the disbelievers will be driven into Hell in groups.... to the end of the surah. Every one wept except one young man who said, “O messenger of Allah I tried to weep but no tears came out.” The holy Prophet said, “I repeat for you, if any one who would try to weep, Paradise will be for him.” He repeated and people wept and the young man made himself to weep and they all went to Paradise.”124

It is narrated from Imam Ja’far al-S{a>diq from his forefathers who have narrated from the holy Prophet, peace be up on them, who said, “learn the Qur’an in its Arabic form”.125 Imam S{a>diq, (A), said, “Learn Arabic for it is the speech in which Allah has spoken to His creatures and talked to the people of the past.”126

Narrated from Imam al-Jawa>d, who said, “There are no two people who are equal in position and religion except that the preferred one in the sight of Allah is the well mannered one

123 ibid, p218 124 ibid, p219 125 ibid, p220 126 ibid, p220

amongst them.” I said, “I can see his virtue in the eyes of the people in gatherings and meetings but what is his virtue in the sight of Allah?” The Imam said, “By his reading the Qur’an the way it was descended, and by his supplication without tunes; for supplication with tunes are not ascended to Allah.”127

Imam S{a>diq, said, “The Prophet said, “A non-Arab of my nation reads the Qur’an in his non-Arabic way but the angels raise his reading in its Arabic form.”128

4. Imam ah

The ima>mah – as it is defined – is the general leadership in matters of the religion and the affairs of the world for an individual in lieu of the prophet peace be upon him and his pure progeny. It is mandatory from the rational view point,

for it, the imamah, is a grace. And we know with certainty that if the people have a guiding leader who is obeyed and who applies justice to defend the victim against the offender and discourages the offender from his offence and aggression, those people are closer to righteousness and happiness, and most distant from corruption and misfortune.129 The discussion of ima>mah follows from that of

127 ibid, p221 128 ibid, p221

129 The following example may be considered to elucidate on this matter. It is said that after the end of World War II, Iraq and Japan were in similar conditions from the viewpoint of destruction, ruin, and under-development. But after a period of time, Japan managed to catch up and even surpass the most powerful western states in technology, manufacture, progress and prosperity.

Iraq on the other hand remained ruined, backward, impoverished, and underdeveloped needing to import everything it needs even its wheat, meat, and even thread and needle. Analysts say that the reason for this difference between these two countries lies with the leaders’ competence in Japan on the one hand, and the incompetence of those who ruled Iraq, on the other. In her famous speech . . .

Lady Fatimah al-Zahra>’, the immaculate daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, said “if the governance were left to its rightful owners, and they had not snapped up khila>fah [or the leadership of the Muslim Ommah after the Prophet Muhammad], all aspects of people’s life in this world and in the hereafter would have prospered and perfected, and no two would have disputed”.

prophethood and its details, for it is a continuation to prophethood and an extension to it, and it is mandatory in it everything that is mandatory in prophethood such as infallibility [‘es}mah], purity

[t}aharah] and such matters as his appointment by Almighty Allah, and identification by name. In a nut shell, the imam has everything common with the prophet except for revelation [wah}y], for the imam does not receive wah}y in the common sense of the word.

So, just as Almighty Allah appoints the prophets and the messengers peace be upon them, He also appoints the ima>m as the was } i (deputy, heir, and executor of his will and the teachings revealed to) the Prophet peace be upon him and his pure progeny, and his caliph (successor).

Indeed Almighty Allah appointed for our prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his pure progeny, twelve was } i (executor of his will/heir/deputy) and caliph (successors), and they are the renowned Twelve Imams known to all the Muslims.130 In order they are as follows:

130 This is in reference to the speech of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his pure progeny who said, “The caliphs after me are 12”. This hadith is accepted by all Muslims. See for example al-Khis}a>l vol. 2, p467 under the heading “the caliphs and the imams after the prophet”, al-Irsha>d vol. 2, p345, Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, p 447, A‘la>m al-Wara>, rukn 4, part 1, p 381, The Book of Sulaym, p 141, and the six Sunni Sih}ah} reference books. For example, in S{ah}ih} Muslim, vol. 3, book of Ima>rah, pp 1452-1453, it is reported the prophet said, “Islam is established until the day of resurrection, or there will be upon the Muslims twelve caliphs all of them from Quraysh.” This hadith, and many like it,

is reported in the Sunni S{ih}a>h} reference books such as S{ah}ih Bukha>ri, book of Ah}ka>m, hadith # 6682, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, book of Fitan, hadith # 2149, Sunan Abi Dawood, book of al-Mahdi, vol. 4, p106, hadith 3731, [Dar al-Fikr], Musnad Ahmad, book of al-Muktherin min al-S{ah}a>bah, hadith 3593, Musnad Ahmad, book of al-Basriyeen, hadith 19875, Musnad Ahmad, vol. 5, pp 86-90, 92, 93, 98, 10, 101, [Qurtubat Misr] etc. The prominent Sunni scholar al-H{a>fid al-Qunduzi al-H{anafi quotes the prophet in his book, Yana>bi’ al-Mawaddah, p 529, as saying, “I am the master of the prophets and Ali is the master of the successors, and indeed my successors after me are twelve, the first of whom is Ali and the last is al-Qa>’em al-Mahdi.”

Imam Amir al-Mo’mineen,131 Ali ibn Abi-Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and the husband of his daughter Fa>t}imah al-Zahra’, peace be upon them all.
Imam Hasan, son of Imam Ali and Fa>t}imah al-Zahra>’, daughter of the Prophet, (A).
Imam Husayn, the Martyr, son of Imam Ali and Fatimah al-Zahra’, daughter of the Prophet, (A).
Imam Zayn-al-Abidin, Ali son of al-Husayn, (A).
Imam al-Ba>qir, Muhammad son of Ali, (A).
Imam al-S{a>diq, Ja’far son of Muhammad, (A).
Imam al-Ka>dim, Mossa> son of Ja’far, (A).
Imam al-Rid}a>, Ali son of Mossa>, (A).
Imam al-Jawa>d, Muhammad son of Ali, (A).
Imam al-Ha>di, Ali son of Muhammad, (A).
Imam al-Askari, Hasan son of Ali, (A).
Imam al-Mahdi, Muhammad son of Hasan, al-Qa’em (The Upholder of Allah’s command), al-Muntadar (The Awaited One) (may Allah hasten his reappearance).132 131 On instructions from Almighty Allah, the prophet exclusively awarded Imam Ali (A) the title of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, meaning “the Commander of the Believers”.

132 Note: All the Imams after Imam Hussain (A) are his descendants. On various occasions the prophet Muhammad defined himself, his daughter Fa>t}imah al- Zahra>’ (A), and all these twelve Imams as the Ahl-ul-Bayt (A). Thus every time Ahl-ul-Bayt is mentioned, only these fourteen infallible individuals are being referred to. They are also referred to in the Qur’an in 33:33.

In his last days the prophet used to say to the people: ‘I leave with you the two momentous entities, as long as you adhere to them two you will never go astray - the book of Allah, and my kin the people of my household. Indeed these two will never separate from one another until they arrive at the well (of Kawthar in Paradise)’. This hadith and many others similar to it have been reported by many These Imams are Allah’s authorities upon all creation, and His Messenger’s blessed successors. They are all from the sacred light of Allah’s Messenger, peace be upon him and his pure family.

They were like Allah’s Messenger in knowledge, forbearance, moral excellence, piety, justice, immunity from sin or error, high moral values, noble disposition, and all other praiseworthy attributes . . . and how can it be otherwise while they are his successors and deputies, and leaders of all creation and Allah’s authorities over all mankind after the prophet.

Describing the role and the significance of Imam and Ima>mah, Imam Rida (A) states:

‘It is only by the means of the Ima>mah that Islam is established and its aims achieved. Through it the order of the Muslims is accomplished, the prosperity of the world attained, and the honour and the glory of the faithful are safeguarded. Ima>mah is the growing and ongoing root of Islam as well as its exalted branch.

It is only through the leadership of the Imam133 that completeness is attained in daily prayers, zaka>h, fasting, hajj, jiha>d, tribute, income, executing the H{odood and jurisdictions, and safeguarding the borders of the Muslim lands.’

In addition to numerous prophetic hadith in this respect, there are many verses in the holy Qur’an regarding the vital issue of Ima>mah. One such verse that the above hadith is referring to, and therefore it is supported by, is: .O Messenger! Convey that that has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, you will not have conveyed His Message.134

S{ah}a>bah, and narrators and have been quoted in major references, e.g. the S{ih}a>h, such as: S{ah}ih} Muslim, volume 4 page 123, Dar-al-Ma’a>rif, Beirut. Musnad Ahmad ibn H{anbal, vol. 3, pp 17, 26, 59, Dar-Sadir, Beirut. Al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, pp 662-663, Dar-Ihya-al-Turath-al-Arabi.

133 i.e. the Imam who has been chosen by Allah.

134 The Qur’an: The Table Spread (5): 67.

In this holy verse Almighty Allah is equating the proclamation of a particular message to the fulfilment of His entire message, and Allah warns that failure to make this proclamation is tantamount to failing His entire mission. This holy verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) at Ghadir Khum on the 18th of Dhil- H{ijjah year 10 H, only two months before the death of the Prophet of Islam (S). The particular message or revelation concerned the appointment of Imam Ali (A) as the immediate successor or caliph of Allah’s messenger (S).

Prophet Muhammad (S) had always, and throughout the 23 years of his mission stated that Ali is his successor. After this revelation, and on direct instructions from Almighty Allah, the prophet (S) appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib (A) as Amir-ul-Mo’mineen and his first caliph and Imam of his Ommah135. The significance and importance of this appointment is indicated by the comparison Almighty Allah makes between this appointment and the mission of the prophet (S), which is Islam.

In this holy verse Almighty Allah equates the appointment of Imam Ali (A) to the entire mission of the prophet (S), which is the final revelation for mankind. Furthermore Almighty Allah then goes on to emphasise that without the Ima>mah (of Imam Ali (A)), the mission of the prophet (S) is to no avail, and thus the above hadith by Imam Rida (A).

In the following section, a brief biography of them is presented starting with that of the gracious daughter of the holy Prophet and the wife of the was } i, Fatimah al-Zahra’ (A). The Prophet’s Daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra She is Fatimah al-Zahra’, her father was the Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah, her mother was the great Lady Khadijah – the Mother of the Believers. Sayyidah Fa>t}imah’s husband was the 135 On instructions from Almighty Allah, the prophet exclusively awarded Imam Ali (A) the title of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, meaning the “Commander of the Believers”.

master of the Aws } iya>’ Commander of the Believers [Amir-ul- Mo’mineen136] Ali ibn Abi-T{a>lib peace be upon them, and all the pure Imams are her sons and grandsons and great grandsons, peace be upon them all.

She was born on 20th of Jama>di-II forty-five years after the birth of the holy Prophet (S). She died a martyr and oppressed on Tuesday the 3rd of Jama>di-II137 in the year 11 Hijrah, when she was only eighteen years. Imam Ali (A) prepared her body for burial and buried her in the holy city of Medinah, and concealed her grave and kept its location secret in accordance with her specific will [to her husband Imam Ali] as a protest against those who wronged her and usurped her right.

She was like her father in worship and asceticism, moral excellence and piety, and Almighty Allah has revealed many verses of the holy Qur’an in her praise and about her station.138 Allah’s Messenger gave her the title Sayyidatu Nisa’ al-Alameen [meaning “Master of the ladies of the worlds”], and gave her the agnomen Ommo_Abeeha> [meaning “mother of her father” out of his sheer love for her]. He loved her immensely and he used to greatly glorify and respect her. When she used go to him, the Prophet would stand up, out of respect for her, lovingly greet her and would give her his place to sit, and kiss her hands, and he used to say,

“Whatever pleases Fa>t}imah, pleases Allah, and whatever angers Fatimah, angers Allah”.139 136 On instructions from Almighty Allah, the prophet exclusively awarded Imam Ali (A) the title of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, meaning the “Commander of the Believers”.

137 There are also reports that state that her death was 75 or 95 days after the prophet’s death. 138 See “Fatimah al-Zahra’ in the holy Qur’an” by the author Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sa>diq Shirazi.

Lady Fat}imah and Imam Ali had two sons; Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, and also a third son, Moh}sen, who was miscarried because of the horrific injuries his mother sustained.140 They also had two daughters; Lady Zaynab and Lady Omm-Kulthoum (A). Anyone who follows the sirah or way of life of Sayyidah Fa>t}imah al-Zahra>’ would find that this lady is a perfect paradigm, and a school in the various domains of life ... and therefore an ideal exemplar for every woman, and every man.

She was the one who supported her father in his call to Islam, and she, together with a few other faithful believers in the valley of Abu Talib, sustained severe hardship perpetrated by the idolaters of Quraysh . . . she was the one who supported Amir-ul-Mu’minin Ali (A), who strengthened the foundation of Islam, after the death of the Prophet (S).

She suffered the severe pains and cruelty of the difficult circumstances that surrounded her when she chose the path that leads to the hereafter instead of that leading to this world.

She married her cousin Amir-ul-Mu’minin, Ali (A) and joined him along with her father Prophet Muhammad (S), in the support and strengthening of both the Mission (Risalah) and the Leadership (Ima>mah), as well as forming the foundation of an Islamic society 139 al-Ih}tija>j, Ahmad ibn Ali al-T{abarsi, vol. 2, p 354. In another narration the Prophet addresses Sayyidah Fatimah herself saying, “O Fatimah! Indeed Almighty Allah, angers to your anger, and contents to your contentment.”

140 When the house of Fa>t}imah al-Zahra>’ (A) was stormed by a group of the “companions” of the Prophet Muhammad, she sustained horrific injuries, which led to the immediate death of her unborn baby son Moh}sen, and her death later on. The attack on the family of the prophet Muhammad (S) took place almost immediately after the burial of the body of the prophet Muhammad. The attack on the house of Fa>t}imah al-Zahra>’ (A) was in aid of dragging Imam Ali (A) out of the house to force him to pay homage to the newly imposed ruler under the pretext that he is the Prophet’s successor contrary to the Prophet’s specific instructions during his lifetime. The prophet Muhammad, on specific instructions from the Almighty, appointed Ali ibn Abu Talib as his immediate successor to lead the Ommah after the prophet. Translator.

and conveying the Message of Allah . . . and this is the best model and example Muslim women could possibly follow. Lady Fatimah (A) divided the duties of their married life with Imam Ali (A). Her responsibility was the duties within the house and his was those without.

Imam Ba>qir (A), said that:

“Fa>t}imah (A) guaranteed Ali (A) the duties inside the house, (preparing) the dough, (baking) the bread and house keeping. Ali (A) guaranteed Fatimah all that is needed from outside the house, such as providing the firewood and food. One day he said to her: O Fatimah do you have something (to eat in the house)? She replied: By He who glorified you we do not have anything to give you since three days. He said: Why did you not inform me?

She said: Rasulollah (S) always advised me against asking you for anything. He said to me ‘Do not ask your cousin for anything. If he brought you something, fine! and if not then do not ask him for anything.’

Then Imam Ali (A) left the house (seeking to provide something for the home). He met someone and borrowed one Dina>r from him. On his way back, and it was night time, he met Miqda>d al-Aswad. He said to Miqda>d; What brings you out at this hour? Miqda>d replied: By He who has glorified you, it is hunger O Amir-ul-Mu’minin!

The narrator interrupted Imam Baqir (A) and asked ‘and Rasulollah was alive (at that time)?’ Imam Ba>qir (A) replied ‘Yes Rasulollah was alive.’ Imam Ali (A) said to Miqda>d: ‘It is what brought me out too. I have borrowed one Dina>r which I shall give to you.’ And he gave it to him.

Imam Ali (A) returned home and found Rasulollah (S) sitting and Fatimah (A) praying and something covered with a cloth between them. When she finished her prayers, she brought that thing which was some bread and meat. He (A) said: O Fatimah! From where this comes to you? She (A) replied: From Allah! Verily Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.

Rasulollah (S) said to Imam Ali (A): Shall I tell you of the like of you and her? Imam Ali (A) replied: Yes.

Rasulollah (S) said: Your example like Zacharias when he came to see Mary in the chamber he found her supplied with sustenance, he asked: .O Mary! From where this comes to you? She (A) replied: From Allah! Verily Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.141.

Some of the other attributes that Lady Fa>t}imah decorated herself with, which should be the model for every society and nation who wants to progress forward, are Zuhd or non-attachment to material things, kindness and graciousness, altruism and selflessness, perseverance in the face of severe hardship, and many other highly noble characters.

The story of feeding the needy referred to in the holy Qur’an in the Surah of Mankind (76) is the best evidence for it. They gave their food, which were only a few pieces of bread to three needy people on three consecutive days. This is after they had vowed to fast three days for Allah for the recovery of their two sons Hasan and Husayn from illness. On the first day, when they wanted to break their fast, a destitute person knocked on the door asking for some food. They all gave all their food, leaving themselves nothing to eat that night. They did the same thing on the next day when an orphan came to their door asking for food, and on the third day in row they gave all their food to a captive who came to them for 141 The holy Qur’an: The Family of ‘Emran (3): 37

help. Almighty Allah revealed an entire Surah, Mankind (76) in this regard praising their conduct. Verse eight of the Surah reads: .And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive..