Islamic Culture and Religious Studies Book - 3

Lesson 14 : the Treasure of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.)

The Family of the Holy Prophet i.e. the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), are the Treasure of Prophethood. Allah (S.W.T.) is the source of all the Teachings and Ahkam in Islam. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) received these ahkam through Wahy (Revelation) and it was his duty is to pass the knowledge on to the people. He was ordered to teach the people at a pace they could follow and ensure that they understood everything that they were being told to do.

The most basic problem he faced was trying to explain these teaching to the people at their level. Because they had lived all their lives in ignorance, many found it difficult to understand philosophical and spiritual matters.

Even learning the basic laws took time and effort. In addition to this, the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) was constantly being distracted from his main aim by the various plots of the Kuffar. From the beginning, he was never allowed to freely preach to the people. When Allah (S.W.T.) first commanded him to declare his Message, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had to approach a few people in secret.

Later, he and the Muslims were boycotted by the Mushrikeen and had to live in the Valley of Abu Talib like prisoners. This together with the tortures that the Muslims faced daily, did not allow them to spend much time of the actual learning of akham.

The Muslims had to deal with this persecution for thirteen years in Mecca before Allah (S.W.T.) commanded the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) to migrate to Medina. In the thirteenth year of Be'that, Hijrat took place. This might have provided the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) with the stable base he needed except that the Muskrikeen were not willing to leave him in peace.

They prepared armies to attack Medina and the Muslims found themselves constantly at war, with one battle barely ending before the next began. With all these problems, they again did not have the time to devote to learning more about the teachings of Islam and Ahkam. The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) knew this and he realized that if he wanted to pass the treasures of knowledge at his disposal to all the Muslims, coming generations included, then he would have to make some kind of provision for this.

The tactic he used was to leave the knowledge in the hands of a chosen few who could grasp it easily. These few could then make it available to others as and when the people had the time and ability to study it. The person he selected to head this group was Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.).

Since, Ali (a.s.) was under the care and guidance of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) from his infancy, the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) brought him up to a level of maturity, Taqwa, and understanding that allowed him to accept the knowledge of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and become a source of it for the people. His pure spirit accepted and absorbed the divine light as it was given to him.

When Imam Ali (a.s.) was still a young boy, the people of Mecca were affected by drought. Abu Talib - the father of Imam Ali (a.s.) - was a very respected personality. At the time of the drought, he had great difficulty in looking after his family because of their large numbers.

At this time, the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) discussed the issue with his uncle, Abbas, and they decided that they should offer to look after one of the children of Abu Talib so as to ease his burden. Abu Talib (a.s.) accepted their offer and gave Ali (a.s.) to the Prophet (s.a.w.w.).

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) loved the boy and gave him the best education and training. Imam Ali (a.s.) himself says, "I was with the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) since my childhood. Every day, he would open for me the door of his knowledge, give me some of his excellent akhlaq and discipline me in the best way. He used to care for everything I needed and gave me the order to follow him in whatever he did.

" The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) told me that Allah (S.W.T.) ordered him to feed me with his knowledge and my ruh (spirit) would be ready to accept and understand it." In the years to come,

Imam Ali (a.s.) proved to be the best and most knowledgeable companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.). So much so that the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) said, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate of that city." Whoever wants to attend and go to the city he has no choice other than to pass through the gate and to the door of that city.

Imam Ali (a.s.) was appointed as the source of all Knowledge. He was in direct contact with the Unseen One. Despite this, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) ordered him to write down all the verses and ahadith that he learnt from him.

Imam Ali (a.s.) asked him, "O Prophet! Are you afraid that I may forget them?" The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) replied, "No, I am not afraid of that. It is not possible for you to forget, while Allah (S.W.T.) wants you to remember and protect the ahkam of deen. But, I want to leave a written record that will be passed on to the Aimmah (a.s.) who are going to succeed you." Then the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) pointed at Imam Hassan (a.s.) and said, "He is going to be the first one of them."

After that he turned towards his younger grandson and said, "The second one of them is Hussayn. The rest of the Aimmah (a.s) will be from his descendants."

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) repeatedly spoke of Imam Ali (a.s.) as his successor and when he received knowledge that he was soon to leave this world, he left a definite decree regarding the issue. This was at Ghadeer where we have seen the famous Hadith of Thaqalayn was spoken. In it the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) told the people,

"I am leaving with you two valuable things. If you hold on to them, you will never lose the right path. One of them is the book of Allah (S.W.T.), which serves as a chain connecting the Heavens and earth. The other is my pure family. These two will never separate from each other till the Day of Judgment when they will both come to me at the spring of Kauther."

From this hadith, we understand that that the Qur'an and the Aimmah (a.s.) together will provide us with the direct path to salvation. It is not possible to be successful if we take either one independently because they were created to complement each other.

The other Aimmah (a.s.) are included in the progeny that the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) referred to in this hadith.They followed in the footsteps of Imam Ali (a.s.) and like him, were the sources of divine knowledge in their times. These Aimmah (a.s.) guided the people, giving them the deeper information that the Muslims of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.)'s time were unable to fully absorb.

Our sixth Imam, al-Sadiq (a.s.) says, "My ahadith are the ahadith of my father, and my father's sayings are the same as those of my grandfather and the sayings of my grandfather are the sayings of Imam Hussayn (a.s.) and the sayings of Imam Hussayn (a.s.) are the sayings of Imam Hassan (a.s.) and the sayings of Imam Hassan (a.s.) are the sayings of his own father Ali Ibn Abi Taalib (a.s.) which are the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.) and the sayings of Rasullah (s.a.w.w.) are the sayings of Allah (S.W.T.)."

Thus the knowledge that we derive from the ahadith of the Aimmah (a.s.) and use in our studies of Akhlaq and Fiqh, is directly linked with the treasure of Wisdom that is with Allah (S.W.T.). Utilizing this wealth leads us to success in this world and the hereafter and turning away from it destroys us.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…

  1. The Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.w.) received the laws and regulations of Islam directly from Allah (S.W.T.). He then conveyed them to the people but because of the many problems that were facing him - in regards to politics and the intellectual level of the people - he could not give all his knowledge and had to teach them according to their own ability and power of understanding. He shared with them all that they could accept but could do no more than that.

  2. To ensure that the knowledge did not leave the world with him, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) was commanded to choose Imam Ali (a.s.) as receiver and preserver of this divine wisdom. The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) took Imam Ali (a.s.)

under his care from infancy and supervised his upbringing to ensure that he would be perfect for the responsibility that he was to take.

  1. Imam Ali (a.s.) and the other Aimmah (a.s.) after him, were appointed by the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) as bearers of the treasure of knowledge. It is the duty of all Muslims to follow them in order to achieve success in this world and the hereafter.

Think And Answer

  1. Explain in your own words what the difficulties and problems were that the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) faced in his own mission.

  2. What did Imam Ali (a.s.) say about his upbringing in the house of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.)?

  3. What was the order of Allah (S.W.T.) to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) regarding the teaching of Imam Ali (a.s.)?

  4. What did the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) say about the Aimmah (a.s.) who were to come after Imam Ali (a.s.)?

  5. Mention two important pieces of advice given to us by the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) in Hadith - e - Thaqalayn.

  6. The knowledge of Fiqh in the Shia Ja'fari Faith is based on four main sources. What are those sources?

"Lesson 15 : The Aimmah (A.S.) Vs. The Opperessor

During his lifetime and prophethood, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had two main responsibilities to fulfill:

  1. Receiving the divine Laws (ahkam) and commands about Islam from the Almighty and conveying the message to the people.

  2. Establishing an Islamic government i.e. one based on Islamic principles. After the demise of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.), Imam Ali (a.s.) was given these duties. We have seen that he was chosen by Allah (S.W.T.) and appointed by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.).

Imam Ali (a.s.) was to ensure that the existing laws were practiced and upheld. There was no further revelation descending from the Almighty and the information that he used was what the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had brought. This is true of all the Aimmah (a.s.).

Ideally, it was the duty of the Ummah to follow each of the Aimmah (a.s.) as their leader. No doubt the Islamic society would have flourished if this had been the case. However, this was not so. The Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had just passed away when the struggle for power and Caliphate began amongst the hypocrites. Despite the fact that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had left clear instruction that Imam Ali (a.s.) was to take over leadership after him, the majority of the Muslims did not allow this to happen.

Infact, history shows us that of all twelve Aimmah (a.s.), only Imam Ali (a.s.) managed to rule (for approximately 4 years and 9 months). Imam Hassan (a.s.) also came to power after his father's martyrdom but for a very short while. While our Aimmah (a.s.) struggled to uphold the Islamic System of Justice, the power-hungry were willing to stoop to the lowest levels to gain the Caliphate. They bribed,

threatened and murdered where necessary and took over the ruling of the Ummah. However, their evil ways were greatly overshadowed by the purity and excellence of the Imam (a.s.) alive at that time. Thus, at some time or the other, an oppressor would feel so greatly threatened by the popularity of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) that he would plot to murder the Ma'soom leader. Eleven of the twelve Aimmah (a.s.) were martyred in this way.

Keeping in mind that the times and circumstances of each Imam was uniquely different, let us look very briefly at what happened in each of their lifetimes. We will study the Imamat of Imam Ali (a.s.) in detail in our next lesson so let us begin with the second Imam.

2. Imam Hassan (a.s.)

Our second Imam (a.s.) initially succeeded his father as Caliph of the Muslim Ummah but within a little while, the majority turned against him and joined the oppressors. He was forced to agree to a treaty in order to prevent widespread bloodshed. After him, no Imam was given his right to govern.

3. Imam Hussayn (a.s.)

During the Imamat of our third Imam, Islam was being attacked and mutilated by the tyranny of the Banu Ummayyad. Imam Hussayn (a.s.) thus had to openly protest against the oppressor so that people would not forget the true message of Islam.

The tragic event of Karbala in which Imam (a.s.) sacrificed the lives of his family members - including his six month old son - and his own acted as both a re-awakening and a catalyst for the Muslims and the whole world. When the shock and horror of what Yazid had done sank in, the people began to follow the example of Imam (a.s.) and fight against oppression and injustice. Islam was saved and never again did it face the danger of extinction because as long as there were tyrants and dictators, the story of Karbala offered strength to the oppressed to stand up for their rights.

4. Imam Sajjad (a.s.)

Our fourth Imam (a.s.) lived in very difficult times. He survived the event of Karbala and had to bear the imprisonment and mistreatment of Yazid from the moment his Imamat began.

Even after Yazid died, the Banu Ummayad were so wary of another revolution of the kind that Imam Hussayn (a.s.) had begun that they watched every move that Imam Sajjad (a.s.). They were on the lookout for a chance to arrest or even execute him. For this reason, Imam (a.s.) could not preach directly and had to rely on du'a (Supplication) and munaajat (prayers) to pass on the word of Islam.

His poems penetrate the hearts of those who read them and ignite a spark of light in the spirit. These du'as have been compiled into a famous book Sahifa- e-Sajjadiya which is used even today both as a guide for communicating with Allah (S.W.T.) and as a source of rules for akhlaq and spiritual enlightenment. 5. Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) and 6. Imam Jaffer Sadiq (a.s.)

Our fifth and sixth Holy Imams (a.s.) had a chance during their lifetime to educate many Muslims and they led the way in furthering all areas of science. They both prepared the society to fight against and destroy Kufr. History tells us that the Caliphs tried many times to stop people from meeting with our Holy Imams (a.s.) but were unsuccessful in their attempts.The Muslims, once inspired, came up with a variety of plans and strategies to meet the Imam's (a.s.) in secret.

The times were far from easy and many companions were arrested, tortured and imprisoned. Many others were martyred because of their love for the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) but none of this discouraged them and they continued to meet with and learn from their leaders.

This made the tyrants turn their attention towards the Imam's (a.s) themselves. Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) was arrested and put in jail for some time but the Caliph had to release him because he had no reason for his actions. When this did not affect the popularity of Imam Baqir (a.s.), he was poisoned and murdered.

Imam Al-Sadiq (a.s.) faced similar problems with the oppressors raiding his house at night and constantly arresting him. It was during his Imamat that the Caliphate of the Banu Ummayyads was overthrown and taken over by the Banu Abbas who turned out to be even greater enemies of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s). Our sixth Imam (a.s.) was murdered by these new tyrants.

7. Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.)

Our seventh Holy Imam (a.s.) spent long periods of his lifetime in the brutal prisons of the Bani Abbas. A few of the Caliphs during his Imamat were Mahdi Al-Abbasi, Ahadi and Haroun Rashid. It was this last tyrant who poisoned and killed Imam (a.s.) in his prison.

8. Imam Ali al-Ridha (a.s.)

The Caliphs during the Imamat of the eighth Imam (a.s.) were extremely cunning. On seeing that the people were not turning away from the Ahlu Bayt (a.s.) under any circumstance, Mamoon (the ruler of the time) decided to pretend to be on the side of Imam (a.s.).

He forced him to move from Medina where his family was to Khorasan, which was far away. Although, he outwardly declared respect for Imam (a.s.) in reality he only wanted to monitor the movements and actions of Imam (a.s.). When he saw that Imam Ridha (a.s.) had won the love and admiration of the public, he began to fear that his power would be overthrown and thus poisoned Imam (a.s.)

9. Imam al-Jawad (a.s.) and 10. Imam al-Hadi (a.s.)

The ninth and tenth Imam's (a.s.) were both under close and constant surveillance of the rulers of their times. They were denied any contact with people and were neither allowed to spread Islam nor perform any kind of Tabligh. Their close companions hardly ever saw them or met with them. After suffering the raids and tortures of the tyrants, each Imam (a.s.) was finally poisoned.

11.Imam Hassan al-Askari (a.s.)

Our eleventh Imam (a.s) spent all his life in the town of Samarra and most of it in military barracks. By this time, the people and the rulers knew that the birth of the promised saviour - the Mahdi - was nearing. That is why they were extra careful in their watch over the eleventh Imam (a.s.) and his family. Finally, believing themselves successful in having prevented the birth of the twelfth Imam (a.s.), the tyrants killed the eleventh Imam (a.s.). However, the promise of Allah (S.W.T.) always comes to pass and the twelfth Imam (a.s.) had already been born and was five years of age when his father was martyred.

12.Imam Muhammad Mahdi (a.s.)

Our twelfth Imam (a.s.), who is the Imam of our times, was taken away from public sight by the Almighty, because the tyrants were intent on killing him and finishing off the line of Imamat.

He continues carrying the responsibilities of Imamat but does so away from our view. The religious scholars act as the representatives of Imam (a.s.) and lead us under his guidance.

After glancing at the way our Aimmah (a.s.) have been treated, it is natural to wonder why they were subjected to torture, imprisonment and finally murder. Was it only because they were teaching the Laws of Allah (S.W.T.)? Was it because they used to call Muslims to pray to and worship only Allah (S.W.T.)? Or is there a deeper meaning to their sacrifices?

The late spiritual leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran - Imam Khomeni (may the Almighty be pleased with his soul) said:

" The martyrdom of Imam Ameerul Mo'mineen (a.s.) and the grand uprising of Imam Hussayn (a.s), the imprisonment, torture and killing of our Aimmah (a.s) was all because of their effort to establish divine political movements. Due to this important action, the followers of Imams emulated their holy path both in speech and actions. The political movement is one of the most important duties of Muslim religious leaders."

We can easily see that the Aimmah (a.s.) worked hard to establish an Islamic government and this was what scared the oppressors of their times. Just as those Muslims supported the Imam (a.s.) of their time and were willing to sacrifice their lives for them, we too should be willing to stand up against the oppressors of our times and be prepared to back our Imam (a.s.) anytime he should need us.

One of the victories that Islam has gained in recent times is the Revolution led by the great spiritual leader, Ayatullah Al-Udhma Imam Khomeini (May Allah (S.W.T.) be pleased with his soul). His struggle against the Kuffar began a movement that continues even today in the whole world. Islam gained a new reputation from his words and actions and people even today take lessons from the manner in which he handled the situations he faced.

Taking this victory as a stepping-stone, we must now concentrate on encouraging each other to do good and forbid evil. In this way, we will be preparing the ground for the re-appearance of our twelfth Imam (a.s.) and the establishment of a Universal Islamic Government, Insha Allah Ta'ala.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…

  1. The administration and leadership of the Muslim society and its protection after him, was given to Imam Ali (a.s.), by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.).

  2. The Aimmah (a.s.) spent their entire lives persevering and trying to fulfill their God-given duties. They stood firmly and fearlessly against the unjust Caliphs who had usurped their rights as leaders of the Islamic society.

  3. It is the duty of all Muslims to know the Imam of their time and accept his leadership. Each one of them must support him wholeheartedly and be willing to sacrifice everything for him and his cause (Islam).

  4. During Ghaybah, struggle against Kufr and injustice continues under the leadership of the Fuqaha and Religious authorities, until the advent of Imam Al-Mahdi (a.s.).

Think And Answer

  1. Explain the two major responsibilities that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had.

  2. What proofs can you present that an Imam was needed to take responsibility after the demise of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.)? What is the difference between the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and an Imam (a.s.)?

  3. Which one of our Aimmah (a.s.) managed to lead the Muslim Ummah and was able to establish an Islamic government? How long did his reign last?

  4. Why did our Aimmah (a.s.) use different ways and means to fulfill their duties and goals?

  5. What were the ways in which the fourth Imam, al-Sajjad (a.s.) explained the Islamic beliefs and created awareness within the society?

  6. During the Imamat of our Holy Imams al-Baqir (a.s.) and al-Sadiq (a.s.), what system did they use to teach people and educate them about the religious tenets? Why did they choose that particular system of inviting people to Islam?

  7. How did the seventh Imam (a.s.) spend most of his Imamat and how was he martyred?

  8. The eighth Imam (a.s.) left his home and family and travelled to Khorasan. What was the reason for this? What was the aim of that journey?

  9. Mention some of the extreme precautions the unjust Caliphs took when dealing with the ninth, tenth and eleventh Imam's (a.s.).

  10. During this time of ghaybah of the twelfth Imam (a.s.), how do the religious scholars take the responsibility in combating and resisting Kufr and injustice? When and how do you think this fight will end?