Questions On the Third Testimony

Our Life

Let us now look at the importance of the Third Testimony during our entire existence. PRE - BIRTH All the Children of the Holy Prophet Adam (a.s.) have borne this testimony before they were even born.

AL KAFI - H 1077, Ch. 107, h 4

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Ya'qub ibn Yazid from ibn abu 'Umayr from abu al-Rabi' al-Qazzaz from Jabir who has said the following: "Once I asked abu Ja'far, recipient of di- vine supreme covenant, 'Why is he (Ali ibn abu Talib, recipient of divine supreme cove- nant) called Amir al-Mu'minin?'

He said, 'Allah has given him this name and as such it has come in His book: "When our Lord asked all the offspring of Adam (before their birth), 'Am I not your Lord'? All of them testified and bore witness to their testimony that on the Day of Judgment they would not say, 'We were not aware of this (fact)', (7:172) [and that Muhammad is My messenger and Ali is Amir al-Mu'minin] (com- mander of the believers).'"

BIRTH

This is how our conception is supposed to be and how we are supposed to enter the life of this world. MUSTADRAK AL WASAAIL - CH 115 H 14

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: 'O Ali! (a.s.) 'If you copulate with your wife during the third night of the month, there will be ordained for both of you a child who will be given the sustenance of a testimony after the testimonies of 'There is no God except Allah' and 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'. (Allah (s.w.t.) will not punish him) with the Polytheists, and he will be good of heart, merciful, clean of tongue without backbiting and lies and false accusations.'

THIS WORLD

We are all aware of how we live the life of this world. A lot of our actions are sinful and we need to be cleansed so that we may proceed to the next stage of our life of purified existence.

BIHAR UL ANWAAR - VOL 67 CH 27 H 38

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: Whoever says 'I bear witness that there is no God but Allah; the doors of the Heavens will open up for him; and whoever says (follows) 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah' glorifies the Truth of the Glorious One and rejoices in it; and whoever says 'Ali is the Trustee of Allah', Allah (s.w.t.) will forgive his sins even though they be as numerous as the drops of rain'.

And as all things in this world eventually come to an end so will our physical existence here. We will then proceed to the next phase.

The Grave

Needless to say that one of the questions that we will face in the grave will be whether we had borne the Third Testimony or not. WASAAIL US SHIA - VOL 3 H3336

It has been reported from Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) went to Fatimah Bint Assad (a.s.) the mother of Ali Bin Abi Talib (a.s.) in her grave until his face was close to hers and said: 'O Fatima! Surely there will come to you Munkar and Nakeer and ask you, 'Who is your Lord?' You say to them, 'Allah is my Lord, Muhammad is my Messenger and Islam is my religion and Qur'an is my Book and my son is my Imam and my Trustee.' The he (s.a.w.) said: 'O my Allah! Keep Fatima steadfast on these words.' He (s.a.w.) then came out of her grave.

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

The following is to be found engraved is almost all of our graveyards as you will no doubt recognise. And this is the testimony with which we shall come out of our graves. As you will notice from the Hadeeth below, this is normally found in all our graveyards.

MUSTADRAK AL WASAAIL - VOL 47 H 2

It has been narrated by Sheykh Al Mufeed the supplication of Ali (a.s.) for the inhabitants of the grave. 'In the Name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful. Peace be on you O people of There is no God but Allah from the people of There is no God but Allah. O People of There is no God but Allah by the Truth of There is no God but Allah, how did you find the statement There is no God but Allah?

By the Truth of There is no God surely Allah will forgive those who say There is no God but Allah and bring them in the group who say There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is the Trustee of Allah.' The Holy Imam Ali (a.s.) said: 'I heard from the Messenger of Allah who said: 'Whosoever recites this supplication, Allah (s.w.t.) will give him the reward of fifty years and forgive his sins of fifty years, and of his parents as well.' BRIDGE OF SIRAAT

And so we will come to the bridge which is reported to be thinner than hair and sharper than a sword. (Is this a laser beam?) BIHAR UL ANWAAR - VOL 84 H 13

Abu Saeed asked the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), 'What is the meaning of immunity (Declaration of - 9:1)? He (s.a.w.) replied: 'There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is the Trustee of Allah.'

And then he (s.a.w) asked Jibraeel: 'How will my followers cross the bridge of Siraat? Jibraeel went and came back and said, 'Allah (s.w.t.) has Sent you his Salaams and He (s.w.t.) Said: 'You will cross the bridge by My Light and Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) will cross by your light and your followers will cross the Siraat by the light of Ali (a.s.) for the light of your follower is from the light of Ali (a.s.) and the light of Ali (a.s.) is from your light and your light is from the Light of Allah (s.w.t.).' And so no one will be able to cross this main bridge without the Third Testimony.

PARADISE

And so, finally, we will arrive at the Pearly Gates of Paradise. We shall see inscribed upon all of them the Third Testimony which we will read as we enter for an eternal life of happiness.

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And from the mysterious Book of the Imams it has been narrated from Jabir al Ansaari that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said that: 'On the night of Me'raaj I was taken to see the Garden and the Fire in their entirety. I saw the Garden and its bliss and bounties and I saw the Fire and its torments and on every door of the doors of Paradise is inscribed 'There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is the Trustee of Allah.'

CONCLUSION

From the point of our creation and every stage of our entire existence, until such time as we enter the pearly gates of Paradise and live in it eternally, is all based upon the Third Testimony.

Why have they got the audacity to say to me that the Third Testimony does not form part of this, that or the other? And why should I not hold on to the Firmest Handle all the time?