Islamic Morals

Remedy For This Mental Illness

The remedy is that man must be aware of the individual, collective and religious harms of this illness. He should also read with attention on the verses, narrations and historical events of people who had this ailment like Qaroon, Mansoor Duwaaniqi and … and should take admonition from them so that he may improve.

Lesson: 17 : Oppression

One of the meanest vices is injustice that will appear before you in eleven parts:

Meaning and Kinds of Zulm

Zulm means putting a thing in a place or instance that does not belong to it. It is applicable to several circumstances that can be divided into three headings:

A: About man's relation with God the Lord of the worlds about His self, or His attributes of being Glorious and Beautiful.

B: Disobeying and opposing Divine commandments and getting out of the condition of His slavery, Man's tyranny against another person falls in this category.

C: Man's injustice to himself that falls in the third Category.

On this topic several traditions have been recorded from the Prophets progeny. We suffice with only this one: It has been reported from Imam Baqir (a.s.): Injustice is of three kinds: 1 - Injustice which is pardoned by God, 2 - Injustice that God does not forgive end 3 - The injustice God does not overlook. However, the injustice which God does not forgive is shirk polytheism. But the injustice which God pardons is the injustice which man does to himself as the result of a sin is man's injustice to himself and the injustice which God pardons is the injustice which man does to himself as the result of a sin is man's injustice to himself and the injustice which God does not overlook is regarding the rights of men on one another. Some have divided injustice or oppression or tyranny into common and particular: The common kind of zulm is comprising of all immoral and mean vices whereas the particular one means any harm or injury or wrong or damage done to others of whatever kind it may be, physical, monetary or relating to prestige.

Causes of Zulm

Sometimes enmity and jealousy causes oppression or injustice. In this case zulm can be considered as one of the vices of anger. Sometime zulm may be caused due to greed and covetousness which can fall in the category of the vices of desire.

Verses and Narrations Indicating Ugliness of Zulm

A: And when Luqman said to his son while he admonished him: O my son! Do not associate aught with Allah; most surely polytheism is a grievous inequity

B: The way to blame is only against those who oppress men and revolt in the earth unjustly; these shall have a painful punishment.

C: and whoever among you is unjust, we will make him taste a great chastisement.

D: And the day when the unjust shall Bite his hands, saying: O! would that I had taken a way with the apostle; O woe is to me! Would that I had not taken such a one for a friend! Certainly he had led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me; and the shaitan fails to aid man.

E: And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He only respites them to a day on which the eyes shall be fixed open.

Vicious effects of injustice

About the ominous consequences of oppression in this world the Holy Quran says:

1 - So those are their houses fallen down because they were unjust, most surely there is a sign in this for a people who know. 2 - see then what was the end of the unjust. 3 - Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves.

Traditions narration too are many in this connection. These examples should suffice:

1 - Imam Sadiq (a.s.) was asked about the verse he replied: It is a bridge on the Siraat in the Hereafter which cannot be crossed by a person who is indebted to others and he has not paid others dues.

2 - The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Everyone who fears qisaas retaliation and recompense of deeds prevents himself from oppressing others. 3 - It is also noted: Save yourselves from tyranny doing injustice to others as it is will cause darkness on the Day of Recompense. 4 - The worst provision on the Day of Judgement is tyranny to others. 5 - Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: What an oppressed will recover from the oppressor on the Day of judgement from the religion of the former is more than what the oppressor had seized from the oppressed in the world.

6 - Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: No helper except Allah. 7 - The one who eats his brother's wealth unjustly and does not return it to him in fact has eaten a piece from Hellfire. 8 - The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: The best crusade is that a man wakes up in the morning with no intention at all of oppressing anyone or of doing any injustice to anybody. 9 - It has been recorded from Imam Baqir (a.s.): Oppression in this world turns into darkness in the other one

Harms of oppression

Now from individual and collective viewpoint: An oppressor always keeps his nerves restless and harms his soul conscience unknowingly. He is always hated by the society. In fact he has a really dangerous and because we believe that just as this world has open and manifest causes, the real hidden causes too are such more powerful behind the scenes. Regarding oppression, the Holy Quran and the pure progeny of the Prophet (a.s.) have, through very effective description, warned us of dangerous consequences. For example:

We read in the Holy Quran:

1 - So those are their houses fallen down because they were unjust, most surely there is a sign in this for a people who know. 2 - The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has reportedly said: Keep away from tyranny because tyranny spoils your hearts. 3 - It is noted from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): Consequence of oppression is regret. 4 - Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: There is no one who does injustice to others but that God Almighty puts him oppressor in the same difficult situation, be it about himself or his wealth. But if the injustice concerned him and God, then it is possible that God accepts his repentance and forgives him. 5 - Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has reportedly said: Everyone who oppresses others falls in the similar trouble either with regard to him or to his wealth or his children.

True traditions show us that the result of tyranny returns either to the tyrant himself or to his family and this is the ignoble consequence of oppression. Now let us look at a philosophical discussion extracted from Tafseer Al Meezaan, under verse 218 of Surah Baqarah.

Between deeds and between external happenings there is a relation and what is meant by deed called good and bad and which apply to the movements or stillness of body and which are intentional and not which are but natural to the physique like breathing and digestion etc - Tr. and it is from this angel that the Holy Quran says: And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and yet He pardons most of your faults.

And in another Ayah Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition; and when Allah intends evil to a people, there is no averting it And again in this verse says: This is because Allah has never changed a favour that He has conferred upon a people until they change their own conditions.

And these verses amply prove that between the events that take place and the deeds done either good or bad, there is a kind of relation and this fact is explained in two ayats of the Holy Quran:

One is verse 95 of surah Aaraaf which says: And if the people of the towns had believed and guarded against evil We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they rejected, so We overtook them for what they had earned. And secondly, in Surah Rum it has been said: Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea an account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make tem taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return.

Thus, what events take place in the world, to some extent, are due to the deeds of people, that is, if man obeys Allah and walks on the path of His pleasing, doors of good and bounty open up before him. On the contrary, if he deviates from the path of Gods slavery and walks in the vales of misguidance and his thoughts and deeds become mean and evil or rude, and if the society becomes corrupt and that evil of corruption envelops both the land and the sea, leading the society to oppression and war etc there is widespread turmoil and likewise natural calamities like flood and famine and earthquakes fall on mankind. The Lord Almighty says about the deluge of Iram and the flood of Nuh: Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those who were before them? Mightier than these were they in strength and in fortifications in the land, but Allah destroyed them for their sins; and there was not for them any defender against Allah.

The Lord also says: And how many of the generations did We destroy after Nuh! And your Lord is sufficient as Knowing and Seeing with regard to His servants' faults.

Sometimes man invites the consequence of the society, that is, he sees the good as well as bad results of his deeds. Sometimes he also benefits from good deeds of his predecessors. But sometimes he also suffers due to the misdeeds of his elders and predecessors. For example, peruse these two verses:

1 - And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father was a righteous man; so your Lord desired that they should attain their maturity and take out their treasure, a mercy from your Lord.,

2 - And let those fear who, should they leave behind them weakly offspring, would fear on their account, so let them be careful of their duty to Allah, and let them speak right words.

Problem: All collective calamities both common and particular like flood, earthquake, was and famine and contagious diseases are the consequences of natural causes, as they happen where and when the causes are there and they do not take place when the reason for them are not existing. Thus it is mere imagination that they are the result of any deeds.

Answer: This criticism is made because the aim and object of the Quran and the followers of Quran has not been understood properly because, the one who those who say: Good and bad deeds become the causes of events which are proportionate with the conduct. Their aim is not to put aside the natural causes or/and to deny their natural consequences. Similarly they do not intend to mix the deeds with natural causes in the effect.

Therefore, the aim of the God worshippers is not to, by confirming the Creator, reject or falsify the law of cause and effect. To believe or be convinced by the theory of accident and idle talk in the world of existence. Rather their aim is to prove the existence of the supernatural and the belief of there being spiritual factors behind what happens in the material occurrences. That is, a happenings are once and from one view point related to the material or physical and in a higher stage connected with a non-material cause. For example, writing which is related both to the pen and to the writer. In short, flood and earthquake and … do have physical causes and yet there are behind them supernatural or non-physical reasons.

So the same subject is mentioned in verses and narrations regarding help to society and the reward of kindness and service to parents and… Yet from the collective or social viewpoint:

When a society initiates a tendency of injustice and oppression, as its consequence, this novel dishonesty turns into a tradition which gets adopted by future generation and at last it overwhelms and imprisons the society and its generations.

And from the viewpoint of the Hereafter:

It should be kept in mind that oppression is darkness and as its consequence one will only meet with harassment and trouble. Rather more than that, a tyranny will see his oppression incarnated or personified. As the Holy Quran says: And what they had done they will find present there; and your Lord does not deal unjustly with anyone.

And in another verse it says: Those who do evil shall not be rewarded for aught except what they did. And in a third ayat says: As for those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly, surely they only swallow fire into their bellies and they shall enter burning fire.

It can be derived from these verses that our deeds, besides their apparent face, also have a factual or real face which is invisible to us in this would. But these inner faces will manifest in the Hereafter and bring forth the personification of deeds.

The Worst Oppressions

Not with standing that oppression is ugly and a mean thing, some of its kinds are worse and more dangerous. We read about it in narrations like:

1 - Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: No oppression or tyranny is worse and harsher than the tyranny wherein the oppressed one does not find any help except in the Almighty God.

2 - In one of the wills of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) we find that at the time of his passing away he said: O my dear son! Let it never be so that you oppress somebody who may not find any helper except God. Other parts on this topic mean vices will be narrated in subsequent lessons.

Lesson: 18 : Help in oppression

Just as oppression is prohibited, friendship with and help to the oppressor too is prohibited haram. This matter is proved without any doubt by the logic of both reason and religion. Just as oppression is ugly so is the assistance to the oppressor because if the oppressor is not given any help he will not be able to oppress others all alone. Hence Imam Sadiq (a.s.) tells his friends: Had you not gathered round Bani Umayyah, our right would not have been usurped.

Now we invite your attention to the followings verses and traditions:

1 - And when you se those who enter into false discourses about our communications, withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse, and if the Satan causes you to forget, then do not sit after recollection with the unjust people.

And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the Fire touch you.

3 - The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: When the Day of Judgement rises an announcer announces: Where are the tyrants and their helpers this calling also includes those who even filled an inkpot for the unjust ruler or sew his purse or sharpened a pencil for the oppressors. So gather them along with the tyrants.

4 - Ibne Sinan says: I heard Imam Sadiq (a.s.) saying: Who ever assists an oppressor against an oppressed one always remains under Divine anger until he stops aiding the tyrant.

5 - The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: He in fact steps out of Islam.

6 - Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: A tyrant and the one who helps an oppressor as well as the one who is pleased with such injustice all the three are accomplices in the sin.

7 - Ali (a.s.) said: The truth about religion is the same like and dislike then, as a testimony he referred to the she camel of the Prophet Saleh (a.s.) saying: the man who killed that camel shot the arrow was the killer of that camel yet the Divine chastisement fell on all due to their being pleased in agreement with that misdeed. When the just Imam will appear,

the one who is pleased with his command and who helps him in his just deeds is his friend and when an unjust ruler appears arises and then the one who likes his orders and who assists him in his oppression is his friend. 8 - The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: The religious jurisprudents are the honest satisfactory trustees of the Prophet so long as they do not look at the world. It was asked: O Messenger of God! What is the meaning of their turning toward the world? He replied: Following unjust and wrong rulers. So when they do so be careful and be afraid of them for the sake of your religion.

9 - Safwan bin Mehran says: I went to Imam Moosa bin Ja'far (a.s.), he said: O Safwan! All of your deeds are good except one. I asked: I sacrifice myself for you! What is that deed? He replied: Renting your camels to this fellow, Haroon Rasheed. I said: By God! I did not do so for fulfilling desire or as play or pastime but I rested them for their journey to Mecca and I have never accompanied them and.. and… Imam (a.s.) said: Does any amount of that rent remain unpaid to you which they pay afterward? Do you ever harbour the wish that they return safely so that you are paid you dues? I said: Yes. Imam (a.s.) said: One who is pleased with his life is also with him and whoever is with him will go to hell.

Safwaan said: After this incident I sold all my camels. Thereafter Haroon called me and asked: I have heard that you have sold your camels. I said: Yes. He asked, why? I said: I am now an old man and my servants do not work as they should. Haroon said: Do you think that I am not aware? I know due to whose instance this thing has happened and he is Moosa bin Ja'far. I said: I have nothing to do with Moosa bin Ja'far. Then Haroon said: Had you not been in friendship with me I would have killed you.

The Oppressed is also Oppressor if He Becomes Excessive

Hisham bin Salim says: I heard from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that Sometimes an oppressed person seeks and prays against the oppressor to such an extent that finally he himself turns into an oppressor, that in, what the oppressed wishes for the oppressor is much more than the harm which was done to him or he himself does to the oppressor which is beyond proportion whereas the Holy Quran says: Whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you.

Remedy

If man does not keep his desires under control, they increase step by step until, sometimes, it begins to enjoy oppressing others and shedding their blood. Therefore it is recorded in the histories of Hajjaj bin Yusufs and Moa'viyaas that they enjoyed shedding blood of people. Therefore man must first control his desires so as he nip them in the bud. He should also keep an eye on the dangerous consequences of oppression and the oppressor. He must ponder much in this connection and if he has, in case, committed an injustice he must repent for it.

Tawbah of the Oppressor

In the discussion of Tawbah repentance we have described that every sin has a particular tawbah Maad yaa Aakhareene Sartakaamuli and injustice too is not an exception to it. Here we invite your attention to two narrations in this connection:

1 - An elder of the tribe of Nakha approached Imam Baqir (a.s.) and said: I have served as a waali or officer of the government continuously from the days of Hajjaj. Is Tawbah available to me? The questioner says: The Imam kept silence and did not reply. I asked again: He said: No, until you pay up the right of everyone whose right was usurped through you.

2 - Ali bin Hamzah says: I had a friend who was an officer in the Umayyad government. He asked me to take an appointment with the Imam Sadiq (a.s.) so that he may be able to see him. I obtained permission. When he arrived, he saluted said Salaam to the Imam, took a seat and said: O Imam! May my life be sacrificed for you. I had been an officer in the Umayyad government and I have earned much money from them. The Imam said: Had the Bani Umayyah not found people who would write on their behalf, fight for them and collect revenue wealth for them and join their assemblies, in truth, our right would not have been usurped. The questioner repeated a question and asked: Now is there any way of relief for me? He replied: Will you accept if I say? He said: Yes. The Imam said: If you can find out the people from whom you obtained money in the said manner, return their wealth to them and if you cannot find them then donate the money you have earned in the way of Allah on their behalf. If you do so I stand surety to your admission to paradise.

Ali bin Hamzah says: whatever he had, he, following the orders of the Imam, gave away so much so that he gave away even his clothes. I provided clothing for him. After a time I came to know that he had fallen ill. I went to se him and sat near his deathbed. His last words were: O Ali bin Hamzah: The Imam has fulfilled his promise. Then he breathed his last. When I went to the Imam, his eyes fell on me and at once he said: By God, I have acted as I had promised with your friend. I said: By God, you said the truth because he too said so at the time of his death.

Lesson: 19 : Tyrants should not be relied upon or supported

The Holy Quran commands: And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you, and you have no guardians besides Allah, then you shall not be helped.

This verse describes one of the most basic guidelines of social and political and military and religious life and announce to common Muslims that it is their duty to abide by: Do not lean toward those who have committed injustice and oppression and that you must not rely on them nor should you trust them = lest the Fire touch you Fa ta mas sukumun naar and you have no guardians besides Allah Wa maa lakum min doonillaahi min awliyaa and in such circumstances it is obvious that you shall not be helped Sum ma laa tansuroon Now we invite your attention to some important points:

1 - Meaning of Rukoon inclination: This Arabic words maaddah root is Ra ka na which means the pillars or walls keeping a building or other things stand on their base. Thereafter it is used to mean reliance on or to trust a thing. Though the commentators of Quran have given many meanings of this word in the context of this verse, all or most of them have come to a comprehensive conclusion. For example, so have taken it to mean tamaayal inclination and some to hamkaari cooperation. Some others say it means Izhaare razayat satisfaction or agreement and some khair-khaahi was itaa at well-wishing and obedience. All these meanings contain the sense of reliance and trust and inclination or liking.

2 - In what maters the oppressors should not be relied on or trusted? Obviously there should be on participation in injustice, oppression and tyranny nor any assistance should be given to them. Secondly, in the second stage, it is necessary to abstain from such support to them that might result in weakening the Muslim society or losing its independence and thus it turning into a weak and aligned organ because such inclinations can only make Islamic nation weak and defeated.

But as for, the business and educational relations of Muslims with non-Muslims meant for securing Muslim interests and the security of Muslim societies, it does not come in the purview of inclining toward the tyrants. It is not prohibited by Islam. Such relations did exist even in the time of the Holy Prophet and they have continued even thereafter. 3 - Philosophy of banning support to tyrants: Support or assistance to an oppressor creates much degeneration and chaos not unknown to anybody. Yet the more we pry in this issue more and more fresh points come before us.

1 - Support to tyrants makes tem strong and their strengthening causes widening of oppression and injustice and destruction of a society. Hence circumstances even if he is helpless a man must not obtain his right by approaching a tyrant or corrupt judge, because, resorting to such court implies recognition of such court and government which results in their strengthening and the harm of such deed sometimes is more than the loss which lies in the usurpation of ones right.

3 - Depending on oppressors gradually affects the culture of thought of a society which removes dislike for tyranny and injustice and which results in encouraging people to oppress others and to be come tyrants themselves.

3 - As a principle, trust and reliance on others, which results in becoming their allies, would not bring anything but misfortune. Then what to talk of inclining toward the tyrants and oppressors.

That society is strong and progressing and advancing which stands on this won feet as has been explained through a beautiful example in verse 29 of Surah Fatha in the Holy Quran. It says: Like green plants standing on their stems, not requiring any inclination or alienation with others for living and growing up. Therefore, a society is free and independent only when it is self-reliant in every way or aspect and its relations with others are merely on the basis of mutual interests not like those of a weak one with a strong one. Such reliance on others,

be it in the field of thought and culture or military and economy or politics, with only result in enslavement and exploitation. If such reliance is on tyrants and oppressors its consequence with be cooperation with their plans of oppression and injustice. Of course, the above mentioned verse is applicable not only to social relations but it addresses two individuals too, so much so that a Faithful and free person must never rely or assist an oppressor because, it results only in the losing of independence and also in the enlargement of the field of tyranny and injustice and the strengthening of corruption and cruelty.

4 - The oppressors: who are they? Commentators have given probabilities but what can be said is this: All those persons who have done injustice to or oppressed the people or have enslaved the slaves of Allah and who have unjustly exploited them for their own interests fall under the common category of Al zee na aa Manoo… and the above verse does apply to them.

Yet it is agreed that those who did a little injustice to others in the course of their lives do not come in the definition of this word, because, in that case, only a few will be excepted and then it will not be permissible for anyone to support anyone. Hence it is proper to take this in the meaning of one who has assisted a person who had committed an all round oppression and injustice or tyranny and in this way, the one who has committed such tyranny even once also falls in this purview.

5 - Between what can be derived from the above verse and whale the Ulama of Ahle Sunnah say there is a very wide distance. Sunni scholars, in their books of jurisprudence and beliefs, have raised the question whether the obedience of a tyrant and sinner sultan ruler is obligatory?

Fabricated narrations

Ibne Hanbal, Shafei and Malik say patience must be maintained against the oppression of tyrant rulers.

This stand is based on false and concocted Traditions or traditions. Here are some examples:

1 - It is quoted from Abu Bakr that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Troubles will arise when sitting will be better than walking and walking will be better than striving and striving will be better than adding fuel to the trouble. Beware! Whenever you face such trouble some situation get dispersed whoever has goats should go for grazing his goats, or camels, and whoever has agricultural land should engage in the work of agriculture. A man asked: If one does not have goats, or camels or agriculture what should he do? He said: He should hit his sword on a rock and break it so tat he may not fight with the rulers.

3 - It is quoted from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): If a man dies and he is not bound by an oath of allegiance of anyone be he an oppressor he has died the death of the time of ignorance pre-Islamic.

2 - It is quoted from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): If a man takes reigns of government in his hands and then begins to disobey God, whoever observes his offences should dislike him the offender but he should not raise his hand to fight with him.

4 - It is also quoted from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): One who dies without having allegiance of obedience of the leader of the nation has died the death of ignorance.

5 - Similarly it has been narrated that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: If one receives evil from the ruler he should show patience because if one opposes Muslims to a little extent and then dies, he has died as if in the time of pre-Islamic ignorance.

6 - They have quoted from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): It is your duty to obey the king sultan or shah Even if he grabs your property and flogs your back.

It was this series of narrations that confused a group of people. Hence when Imam Husain (a.s.) did not give allegiance and migrated to Mecca, some people said: Abu Saeed says that: I said to Husain (a.s.): Fear God and sit in your house and do not rise against your Imam ruler. And after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.) a Holy-looking man like Qazi Shurah said: Husain has been killed by the sword of his grandfather. He argues that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had said: Do not fight with a ruler. As Husain opposed the ruler he got killed.

It is like those who forgot the Quranic verse: Do not support those who oppress, otherwise fire will overtake you.

Or narrations in this regard such as: The one who please a tyrant ruler, through a deed which angers God, gets out of the religion of Allah. It has been quoted from Imam Baqir (a.s.): One who obeys the disobedients of God has no religion.

Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) has been quoted saying: Obeying an order which contravenes Gods commandment is prohibited. After it has been made clear that, from the viewpoint of Islam, assistance to and friendship with oppressors is prohibited, now we invite your attention to some verses and narrations prohibiting such aid to and friendship with the unbelievers:

1 - Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of the guardianship of Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of retribution from Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.

2 - O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve they will turn you back upon your heels, so you will turn back losers. Nay! Allah is your Patron and He is the best of the helpers.

3 - O you who believe! Do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?

4 - O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

5 - O you who believe! Do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of your duty to Allah if you are believers.

6 - O you who believe! Do not take your fathers and your brothers for guardians if they love unbelief more than belief; and whoever of you takes them for a guardian, these it is that are the unjust. Say: If your fathers and your sons and your brethren and your mates and your kinsfolk and property which you have acquired, and the slackness of trade which you fear and dwellings which you like, are dearer to you than Allah and His Apostle and striving in His way, then wait till Allah brings about His command: and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.

Question: why the Holy Quran repeatedly says: you cannot befriend the unbelievers?

Answer: These verses, in fact, give an important political and social lesson to Muslims that they should not accept the aliens as friends nor as guardians and helpers and should not be deceived by their sweet words of apparently deep love and affection, because, history say that people having Faith and aim have suffered serious losses in this way.

It we look deeply in the history of imperialism, we find that the imperialists and colonialists have always penetrated the societies of their colonies in the garb of friendship and sympathy and development and construction so much so that the word Colonialism Istemaar that refers to habitats is used in the same meaning. After strengthening their clutches in the colonised nations they fall on them mercilessly and plunder each and every item of their wealth.

In order that this dishonest programme of the unbelievers may not penetrate the Muslim societies, the Holy Quran prohibits such work with full force and with complete clarity. Yet, alas, some of the Muslims have forgotten this Commandment of the Holy Quran and have selected shelters among the aliens and history gives witness that most of the hillock of the Muslims have come up only from this source! For this subject, Spain is a fresh signboard that indicates how Muslims created the brightest civilization in Spain, but because of relying on the aliens, how easily lost it too!

The big Ottoman empire which, in a very short duration, broke up and melted away like the summer ice, and the dirty government of Pahlavis turned Iran into dependent country and how American consultants were brought into Iran in the garb of officers and servants who, in fact, ruled over Iran and who fully bound up Iran with America. Had this great Islamic Revolution under the leadership of the heart of the weakened people of the world, Imam Khomeini, not occurred, it was not known whether the fate of our beloved Iran could have been worse than that of Spain.

Now we must pay attention and we must take care to safeguard this independence of ours. We must realise that an alien under every circumstance even if they participate with us in common interests and even if the cooperation is in limited fields, in critical circumstances, they will not only us part with us but will also inflect severe blows on us. Therefore, our awake Imam, before the success of the Revolution, told the people in his speeches and announcements to be cautious of the Marxist groups so that they may not knife you from behind. Despite this, you saw how they hit us. Had we not the awakened leadership of the Imam and the general public not supported the Imam, it cannot be said what would have happened to this Revolution and what kind of fire would have spread in this country.

For better understanding of this fact also pay attention to a historical event.

The Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.) was so much careful in this matter that during the war of Uhad, when a hundred Jews mentioned their readiness to co-operate with Muslims against the polytheists of Mecca, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) turned them back from half way and did not accept their assistance. This was despite the probability of their playing and effective role in the war of Uhad. Why? It was because they, after a short while, in the critical moments of war, co-operated with the enemy and also took with them the remaining Muslim forces.

We conclude this discussion with two questions and answers:

1 - Is it permissible for us to participate in their meets and or to pray for them even if they are our near and dear relatives? The answer is certainly in the negative. The Holy Quran asserts: It is not fit for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaming fire.

2 - If praying for the unbelievers is not permissible then how did Ibrahim pray for his father? The Holy Quran mentions like this: And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him that he was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him; most surely Ibrahim was very tender-hearted, forbearing.

Lesson: 20 : Hypocrisy

One of the very dangerous vices is hypocrisy. When it appears in any individual or a group it puts the society to peril and deprives it of every kind of progress. Who is a Hypocrite?

The word munaafiq is derived from the root nifaaq. One whose outward and inward is not the same or who is called double-faced is a hypocrite. Here it means a band which acts against logic and reason and which, for their personal interests and transient benefits, goes against the decisive majority to such an extent that if they can, they resort to sabotage. Yet, for fear of the community or lust for current gains, they make a show of friendship and unity or intimacy.

Hypocrites are not found only in Islam or other religious but they are also seen in political parties. Generally when the working or course of the ruling party endangers the interests of a band and they are unable to oppose the rulers openly they strive to find out people like them and them form a nucleus of central nucleus of hypocrisy. Sometimes such people also instigate other aliens to create fissure in the ruling party and through hues and cries prevent it from enacting its programmers.

In the third stage it is possible that a group is, from the beginning, not on the platform of the faithful but due to lust makes a show of being like it or for securing the safety of its life and property declares itself to be belonging to the rulers group. The above-mentioned causes motivate the creation of hypocrite groups in global parties that are based on common thoughts.

Islam is also not an exception to the aforesaid rule. After the establishment of the Islamic state and party on the basis of Piety and social justice and moral virtues planted in the hearts of the majority of the people, groups like the Tudeh party and the Mujaahideene Khalq and Khalqe Muslaman and stood up or came into being who, outwardly, made a show of respect to the principles and laws of Islam but who were in their hearts, staunch opponents of Islam and who passed the military secrets of the Islamic state to enemies and/or by spreading false rumours treated fear in the hearts of some Muslims and tried for the break up of the Islamic state through their relations with anti-Islamic states.

So, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, under the leadership of the great leader, the Naib Imam, Imam Khomeini such groups began their work of hindrances and sabotage and instigated daily strikes in schools and factories and made plots and spread rumours. They had enacted their plans so cleverly in organisations that they were able to inflict terrible blows on the head office of he Islamic Republican Party wherein they killed seventy-two representatives of the nation. Again they conspired in the office of the Prime Minister wherein the popular leader Brother Rajai and the scholar brother Bahonar were martyred. This hypocrisy was so deep-rooted that, had there not been the steadfastness of the Imam and the awakening of the nation, they would have been able to overturn the Islamic state in Iran, in the early days of the Islamic Revolution.

After this preamble, we now invite your attention to some of the Quranic verses and narrations regarding hypocrisy and the hypocrite:

And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers. They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive. There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers. Now surely they themselves are the mischief-makers, but they do not perceive. And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe they say:

Shall we believe as the fools believe? Now surely they themselves are the fools, but they do not know. And when they meet those who believe, they say: We believe; and when they are alone with their Shaitans, they say: Surely we are with you, we were only mocking. Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on. These are they who buy error for the right direction, so their bargain shall bring no gain, nor are they the followers of the right direction. Their parable is like the parable of one who kindled a fire but when it had illumined all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them in utter darkness - they do not see. Deaf, dumb and blind, so they will not turn back. Or like abundant rain from the cloud in which is utter darkness and thunder and lightning; they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder peal, for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers. The lightning almost takes away their sight; whenever it shines on them they walk in it, and when it becomes dark to them they stand still; and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have taken away their hearing and their sight; surely Allah has power over all things.

In these verses, the Holy Quran shows the signs of the hypocrites concisely yet in a clear and interesting manner:

1 - The hypocrites, for advancing their evil aims and for crushing Islam, derive benefit under the cover of Imam. 2 - The hypocrites always pose themselves as men of reform though they have always been the evildoers. 3 - They consider themselves above the real Muslims who obey the orders of they Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and they consider themselves as clever and consider the Muslims as fools whereas, in fact, they themselves are fools. 4 - They had formed a secret group and were not prepared to announce the issues they used to discuss in their secret gathering.

Announce to the hypocrites that they shall have a painful chastisement: Those who take the unbelievers for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honour from them? Then surely all honour is for Allah. And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah's communications disbelieved in and mocked at do not sit with them until they enter into some other discourse; surely then you would be like them; surely Allah will gather together the hypocrites and the unbelievers all in hell.

Those who wait for some misfortune to befall you then If you have a victory from Allah they say: Were we not with you? And is there a chance for the unbelievers, they say: Did we not acquire the mastery over you and defend you from the believers? So Allah shall Judge between you on the day of resurrection, and Allah will by no means give the unbelievers a way against the believers. Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them,

and when they stand up to prayer they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little. Wavering between that and this, belonging neither to these nor to those; and whomsoever Allah causes to err, you shall not find a way for him. O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?

The attributes and features of the hypocrites which we find from these verses are as follows:

1 - They adopt the way of deceit and conspiracy to attain their evil aims so much sot that they want to deceive even God while they are busy in it a kind of deceit has taken place, because, in order to get little wealth they have lost a big wealth of their own existence and this is a true example of a well known story quoted by elders wherein it is said that it was sold to a group of traders: Beware, lest an alien poor may put a cap on your head defraud you. One said: Perchance they are unaware and simpleminded people; we shall put cap on their heads. The wise old man said: I also mean the same thing. In this manner you are earning a little wealth and giving away a great capital your Faith.

2 - They are away from Allah and do not derive pleasure by remembering Him in private and hence: when they stand up for praying namaz their entire selves are in a state of indisposition and feebleness.

3 - Since they have no faith in Allah and His great promises, whatever good act of noble deed they do, they do it just for showing it to others, not for God.

4 - Even if they remember Allah and describe Him it is no from the awareness of heart and mind and even if it is so, it is much less:

5 - They are wandering aimlessly without any fixed programme forming neither part of the assembly of the faithful nor are they in the line of disbelievers:

The word Muzahzab is an object name from the root word zabzab which originally means a particular noise which is created when a hanging thing is swinged due to its striking with the air waves and this word is used with regard to moving objects and wandering and wandering persons. In verse 144 of Surah Nisa we read: O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers. Do you wish through this deed to provide before God a clear proof to your own detriment? Because the hypocrites are to dwell in the lowest stage of Hell and they will never find a helper therefore, refrain from befriending the enemies of Allah, as it is a sign of hypocrisy.

It is clearly learnt from this verse that, from the viewpoint of Islam, hypocrisy is one of the worst kinds of disbelief and hypocrites are the people who are farthest from God and, on this ground, their place is in the lowest and the worst stage of the Hell; and it ought to be so, because, the harms inflicted by them on the Islamic society are in no way comparable with other dangers. They are those, who, taking undue advantage of their safety under the cover of verbally expressed belief, attack shelter less people in a cowardly and unrestrained manner. They knife others on the back. Doubtlessly, the position of these enemies, who are both cowards and dangerous, and who appear in the garbs of friends is far worse than that of the declared enemies who make themselves know as enemies.

In truth, hypocrisy the behaviour of a people who have no personality and who are timid and low and mean and corrupt in every way. Yet, in order to clarify that even such extraordinary people have a way toward God and for improving their position condition, the Divine verse adds: except those who repent and amend and hold fast to the Mercy of Allah and make their behaviours pure for God, will be with the Faithful and Allah will give a great reward to the Faithful people.

In another Ayat the Holy Quran describes the signs of hypocrites thus: The hypocritical men and the hypocritical women are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their hands; they have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them; surely the hypocrites are the transgressors. In this verse also five signs of the hypocrites are mentioned:

First and second: they encourage people to indulge in evil and prevent them from doing good = That is totally against the working of the Faithful who always, according to the command Amr bil Maaroof and Nahya anil Munkar, strive for reforming the society and for clearing it of corruption. The hypocrites continuously strive for enveloping the society by corruption and for emptying it of good so that in those circumstances and conditions, they may attain their evil goals. Yes, A plunderer seeks a bazaar in turmoil.

Third: They never spend anything, rather close their hands. They neither spend in the way of God nor help the deprived poor. Neither their relatives nor other ever benefit from their money:

It is obvious that since they do not believe in the Hereafter life after death and the spending for good they are stingy in the matter of wealth. It is likely that, for attaining their evil aims, they say also spend a lot of money or may spend much money for making a show of their generosity. But they never do so only with an honest intention of pleasing God. Fourth: All of their words and deeds declare that they have forgotten God. Also their lifestyle shows that God also has forsaken them and deprived them of His blessings and grace and gifts that is, He has forgotten them and the signs of such forgetting become obvious throughout the lives of the hypocrite.

Fifth: that the hypocrites are lewd and licentious and live out of the circle of obedience to God god almighty, in this verse, after describing the attributes of hypocrites, says:

Allah has promised the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women and the unbelievers the fire of hell to abide there in it is enough for them; and Allah has cursed them and they shall have lasting punishment.

And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease began to say; Allah and his apostle did not promise us victory but only to deceive. This verse and the ones after it are in connection with the war of Ahzab and is related to Bani Qurayza tribe. It is derived from Tafseer al-Mizan that those with diseased hearts are people having a little or less faith and not the hypocrites. But it can be said that: the reference is a general one and is pointed especially toward particular persons. But it fully applies to the hypocrites too. So the Holy Quran, in verse no:10 in Surah Baqarah says about the hypocrites:

It must be kept in mind that the soul of man is like his body. When a man's body becomes ill and he does not refrain from undesirable food and does not take medicine his illness becomes serves. Similar is the case of divine spiritual illnesses. If man doest not try to remedy them, that is, if he does not do Tawbah, and if be does not revert to obedience of Divine commandments and continues to belie the Prophet and goes on sinning, his spiritual disease becomes serious as this is one of the universal laws.

The difference between a healthy and a sick heart or soul is that, if it is healthy it likes good and if it is not well it does not like good and finds it detestable and the body does not accept it. This is what is mentioned in these verses of Surah Tawbah:

And whenever a chapter is revealed, there are some of them who say: Which of you has it strengthened in faith? Then as for those who believe, it strengthens them in faith and they rejoice. And as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it adds uncleanness to their uncleanness and they die while they are unbelievers.

And also in the matter of oppressors it says:

And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the unjust. One of the vices of a hypocrite is lying. Hence they Holy Quran says: When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We bear witness that you are most surely Allah's Apostle; and Allah knows that you are most surely His Apostle, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars.

**Lesson: 21 : Discussion of hypocrisy & hypocrites continued

Some Important Points**

1 - Muslims should remember that the danger which has, till now, threatened the Muslim society, was the internal assault a blow inflicted from within by apparently Muslim but really Al Kafir persons.

It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that: I do not ear, for Islam, the known friends and foes because a friend does not assault and no co-operation is forged with a known enemy. But I fear those hypocrites who show themselves as Muslims and who assault Islam. So Samarah bin Jandab and Abu Hurairah who attributed their lies to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and verse able to harm Islam. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) says about this group: If people recognize that such persons are hypocrites and liars they will never testify them and will never believe them but people got deceived due to their being the Ashaab companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and they tell to themselves that they are those who have seen the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and have heard this words and have accepted him and hence they never tell untruth whereas the masses are not aware of the position of this group.

And these hypocrites were apparently Muslims who, through their lying, were able to strengthen the foundations of the usurped and oppressive governments of the Umaiyads and the Abbasids.

And today too our revolutionary masses should know that all the blows which our Islamic society has suffered were inflicted by the hands of such people who made themselves appear as Muslims and who penetrated into the Islamic organizations and consequently succeeded in their evil aims like bomb blasts, blood shed, strikes, rumour mongering etc.

2 - It is the duty of Muslims that they should admonish the hypocrites and if thereafter they notice that the hypocrites still do not desist from hiding themselves under the garb of munafiqat then they should be removed from the Muslim society and they must be dealt with harshly. That is why it has been repeatedly stated in the Holy Quran, for instance:

O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination. It is alike to them whether you beg forgiveness for them or do not beg forgiveness for them; Allah will never forgive them; surely Allah does not guide the transgressing people.

Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them; this is because they disbelieve in Allah and His Apostle, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people.

And those who built a masjid to cause harm and for unbelief and to cause disunion among the believers and an ambush to him who made war against Allah and His Apostle before; and they will certainly swear: We did not desire aught but good; and Allah bears witness that they are most surely liars. Never stand in it; certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it; in it are men who love that they should be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves. Is he, therefore, better who lays his foundation on fear of Allah and His good pleasure, or he who lays his foundation on the edge of a cracking hollowed bank, so it broke down with him into the fire of hell; and Allah does not guide the unjust people. The building which they have built will ever continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, except that their hearts get cut into pieces; and Allah is Knowing, Wise.

Commentators have written: A group of hypocrites approached the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) an said: Permit us to build a mosque among the tribe of Bani Salam near Masjid Qubaa so that old sand infirm and ill and disabled may pray therein and likewise, in rainy nights, when some weak people who are unable to come to your Masjid may fulfil their Islamic duty therein. This was the time when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was setting out for the war of Tabuk.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) gave them permission.

But they added to their request whether it is possible that you Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) come there personally and pray therein. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: At present I am leaving for jihad. On return, God willing, I will come to that Masjid and pray therein.

When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) returned from the War of Tabuk, that group name back to him and said: We request you to come to our mosque and to pray therein and pray to God so that He may bless us. This happened when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had not yet reached the gate of Madinah. In the meanwhile Divine Revelation came with the above-quoted verses, which exposed the secret of their deed. Following it, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) ordered to put that mosque to fire and to destroy its remains and to make at that place for collecting city garbage!

Apparently, if we look at the work of this group along with the offer which they had made in the beginning we become astonished. But, is it not that the construction of a mosque and that too for assisting the weak and the sick and for exigencies really a deed of religious service as well as a human aid? Yet, in reality, it is a bad deed that brought such Divine commandment. Why?

However, when we study the hidden aspect of the problem we will see how well calculated was this Divine Order. Abu Aamir was from the fugitive Christian monks who had relations with the hypocrites of Madinah. Under the show of a mosque we wanted to build a centre from where he may be able to hit deadly assaults on Islam.

3 - Many narrations also give signs of hypocrites, for example:

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: A hypocrite has three symptoms: To lie while talking, to break promise and to be dishonest when trusted. It is reported through Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: There are three are three things. Anyone who posses as then is a hypocrite even if he fasts and prays and calls himself a Muslim: the one who breaches a trust, tells lies and breaks promise.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) also said: If the outward courtesy of body exceeds the inward courtesy of the heart, then it is, in our view, hypocrisy. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: There are four signs of a hypocrite: 1 Hardness of heart, 2 Dryness of eye, 3 insistence on sinning and 4 greed to live long in the world.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Excessive love for status and wealth grows hypocrisy in the heart of man just as water grows vegetable.

A Warning to Hypocrites

If one does not beg forgiveness make Tawbah and dies while having this dangerous vice he becomes the target of this verse: On the day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say to those who believe: Wait for us, that we may have light from your light; it shall be said: Turn back and seek a light. Then separation would be brought about between them, with a wall having a door in it; as for the inside of it, there shall be mercy in it, and as for the outside of it, before it there shall be punishment.

They will cry out to them: Were we not with you? They shall say: Yea! But you caused yourselves to fall into temptation, and you waited and doubted, and vain desires deceived you till the threatened punishment of Allah came, while the arch deceiver deceived you about Allah. So today ransom shall not be accepted from you nor from those who disbelieved; your abode is the fire; it is your friend and evil is the resort. O God! We give you the oath of your Holy self and of the high status of your Friends and of the blood of the martyrs of your path! Keep us far away from the evil of hypocrisy and selfishness and egotism and make us the possessors of good morals and attributes of your righteous slaves.