Heart comforter:at the time of the loss of children and loved ones
Acceptance
point
Allah Almighty has said:
“… So that you may not despair over matters that pass by, nor exult over favors bestowed upon you” (Qur'an, 57: 23) ;
“Allah is pleased with them and they with Him” (Qur'an, 5: 119; 9: 100; 58: 22 and 98: 8).
Be informed that acceptance [of whatever Allah decrees] is the fruit of love for Allah: One who loves something does it, and love is the fruit of knowledge. When one loves an individual because he has some attributes of perfection or qualities of beauty, this love increases whenever he gets to know him more and more and thinks about him.
If one ponders
p: 113
on the greatness and perfection of Allah Almighty, the explaining of some of which is quite lengthy and gets us out of the gist of this message, he would love Him, and the believers love Allah the most. When one loves Him, he sees as good anything that He does, and this is called acceptance.
Acceptance, then, is the fruit of love. Actually, it is the fruit of every type of perfection. Since it is a branch of knowledge, one who ponders on His mercy would plead to Him [for it]. One who ponders on His greatness fears Him. When one cannot reach the one whom he loves, he yearns for him.
And when he reaches him, he feels comfortable with him. When there is extreme comfort of this sort, it produces joy. When one sees how He cares [about everyone and everything], he would rely on Him. And when one sees as good whatever He does, he becomes pleased with Him.
As he sees how faulty he is compared to His perfection, His full knowledge of and control over the one whom He loves, he surrenders to Him. From such surrender great stations branch out; some of those who know them know them, and these reach the ultimate end of every type of perfection.
Be informed that acceptance is a great virtue for man. Actually, all virtues are rendered to it. Allah Almighty has drawn attention to its distinction, making it conjoint with the acceptance of Allah Almighty and a mark
p: 114
pointing to it:
“Allah is pleased with them and they with Him” (Qur'an, 5: 119).
But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah: that is the supreme joy; such is the ultimate end of benevolence, the zenith of gratitude.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, has made it a guide to conviction (iman). When he asked a group from among his companions: “Who are you? ” They said, “Believers. ” He asked them, “What is the mark of your belief? ” They said, “We persevere when afflicted, we thank when prosperous and we accept when destiny befalls. ” He said, “Believers, you are, by the Lord of the Ka’ba. ” [1]
He, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, also said, “If Allah loves one of His servants, He tries him with affliction: If he perseveres, He will choose him; when he is pleased, He will count him among the elite ones. ” [2]
He, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, has also said, “When it is Judgment Day, Allah Almighty will plant wings for a group from among my nation whereby they will fly from their graves to Paradise where they roam about and enjoy as they please. The angels will ask them, ‘Did you witness the Reckoning? ’
They would say, ‘We did not witness any Reckoning. ’ They would ask them, ‘Did you pass on the Sirat? ’ They would say, ‘We saw no Sirat. ’ They would ask them, ‘Did you see Hell? ’ They
p: 115
would say, ‘We did not see any such thing. ’ The angels would then say, ‘To which nation do you belong? ’ They would answer saying, ‘We belong to the nation of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny. ’
The angels would then ask them, ‘We plead to you in the Name of Allah to tell us how your deeds in life were. ’ They would say, ‘There were two attributes in them. It is through them that Allah Almighty got us to reach this status through the favor of His mercy. ’ The angels would ask them about these two attributes, and they would answer saying, ‘Whenever we were by ourselves we felt too shy to be disobedient of Allah; and we were always pleased with whatever He allotted for us. ’ The angels will say, ‘What you now have rightfully belongs to you. ’” [1]
He, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, has also said, “Grant Allah acceptance from your hearts, you will thus win the rewards of Allah Almighty on the Day of your want and bankruptcy. ” [2]
In narratives about Moses, peace be with him, he was asked once: “Ask your Lord about something because of which, if we do it, He would be pleased with us. ” Allah Almighty inspired to him saying, “Tell them to be pleased with Me so I may be pleased with them. ” [3]
Similar to the above is narrated about our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny,
p: 116
who has said, “If one likes to know what is there for him with Allah, the most Exalted One and the most Great, let him look and see what status he has for Allah with him, for Allah Almighty grants one the status which he himself grants Allah. ”
In a narrative about David, peace be with him, the Almighty says this to him: “Why should My friends be concerned about this life? Concerns remove the sweetness of their addressing Me with their hearts. O David! I love My friends to be spiritual, worry-free. ” [1]
It has been narrated that Moses, peace be with him, has said, “Lord! Guide me to something I should do which causes You to be pleased with me so I may do it. ” Allah Almighty inspired him saying: “My pleasure lies in something which you dislike, and you cannot persevere about something which you dislike. ” He said, “Lord! Lead me to it! Lord! Lead me to it! ” The Almighty said, “My pleasure is in your acceptance of My judgment. ” [2]
Prophet Moses, peace be with him, asked Allah: Oh Lord who is the most beloved to you amongst your slaves. Allah answers the one who when I take his beloved makes peace with me. Moses then asks: who amongst your slaves are you angry with. Allah answers he who consults with me but when I set the course of matters is unpleased with the outcome.
Something more emphatic has been narrated than the above, that is, the Almighty has said, “It
p: 117
is I, Allah; there is no god but I; one who is not patient when I afflict him, and he does not accept my judgment, should seek a god other than I. ” [1]
It has also been narrated that Allah Almighty inspired this to David, peace be with him: “O David! You want something, whereas I want something else. What shall be is what I want. If you surrender to what I want, I shall spare you what you want. But if you do not surrender to what I want, I will wear you out regarding what you want, and [in the end] only what I want shall come to be. ” [2]
Ibn Abbas has been quoted as saying, “The first to be called on to enter Paradise on the Judgment Day will be those who praise Allah Almighty under any condition. ” [3]
Ibn Mas`ud is quoted as having said, “Should I lick a piece of burning timber, and it burns whatever it burns, keeping whatever it keeps, it is dearer to me than I say about something which happened that I wished it did not, or about something which did not happen that I wished it did. ”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be with him and his progeny, is quoted as having said, “Allah Almighty, through His wisdom and greatness placed spirituality and ease in acceptance [of Allah’s decrees] and in conviction, and He made grief and sadness in doubt and rage. ” [4]
[Imam] Ali son of [Imam] al-Hussain, peace be with them both, has said, “Asceticism is
p: 118
[divided into] ten portions: The highest degree of asceticism is the lowest degree of piety. The highest degree of piety is the lowest degree of conviction. And the highest degree of conviction is the lowest degree of acceptance [of Allah’s decrees]. ” [1]
[Imam] al-Sadiq, peace be with him, has said, “The attribute of acceptance is that you accept what you like and what you do not like. Acceptance is a ray of the light of Gnosticism. One who accepts forgets about all his choices. One who truly accepts is one who is truly accepted, and acceptance combines in it the meaning of adoration. The meaning of acceptance is the pleasure of the hearts.
I have heard my father, Abu Muhammad al-Baqir, peace be with him, say, ‘One whose heart is attached to an existent is a mushrik [committing shirk, apostasy]. One whose heart is attached to something which he will [eventually] lose commits kufr [disbelief]. Both such persons are outside the norm of acceptance. And I wonder about one who claims to worship Allah while disputing with Him about whatever He decrees! Accepting Gnostics are far from it. ’”
It has been narrated that Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, Allah be pleased with him, was afflicted in his last days with weakness, old age and incapacitation [blindness]. He was visited by [Imam] Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir, peace be with him, who asked him about his condition. He said, “I am in a status in which I prefer old age over youth, sickness over health and
p: 119
death over life. ”
Al-Baqir, peace be with him, said, “As for me, O Jabir, if Allah causes me to age, I shall love old age, if He keeps me young, I shall love young age. If He causes me to fall sick, I shall love sickness. If he heals me, I shall love healing and good health. If He causes me to die, I shall love death, and if He decrees to keep me alive, I shall love to stay alive. ”
When Jabir heard the Imam (ع) say so, he kissed his face and said, “Surely the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, told the truth when he said, ‘You shall live long enough to meet one of my sons whose name is the same as mine, who prowls knowledge like an ox ploughs the land,” so he was called “Baqir”, one who prowls the knowledge of the early generations and of the last, that is, he splits it open and gets to the pith, the heart, the essence of it.
It has been narrated that al-Kulaini, through his isnad (reference) to Abu Abdullah, peace be with him, says, “The head of obedience to Allah is patience and acceptance of whatever comes from Allah, be it something one loves or hates, and whenever a servant of Allah is pleased with Him regarding anything which he loves or hates, he will have goodness in whatever he loves or hates. ” [1]
Through his isnad back to this
p: 120
same Imam, peace be with him, the latter says, “One who knows Allah Almighty the most; is one who is the most pleased with whatever Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, decrees. ” [1]
Through his isnad also to the Imam (ع) , the latter says, “Allah Almighty has told his Prophet: 'I do not turn My believing servant from something except that I decree goodness in it for him; so, let him accept My decree, let him be patient about My affliction, and let him thank My blessings, for I shall write him, O Muhammad, in the company of the Truthful Ones with Me. '” [2]
He, peace be with him, has said, “Among what Allah, the most Exalted One and the most Great, inspired to Moses, peace be with him, was this: 'O Moses son of Imran [Amram]! I have not created anything dearer to Me than a believing servant: When I afflict him [with a trial], I do so for his own good. When I grant him health, it is for his own goodness.
When I keep away something from him, it is for his own good, and I know best what My servant needs for his own good; so, let him persevere when I afflict him, let him appreciate My blessings, and let him accept my judgment, for I shall then write him down among the Truthful Ones with me if he does what pleases Me and obeys My command. '” [3]
It has been said this to [Imam] al-Sadiq, peace be with
p: 121
him: “Through what criterion a believer is identified as such? ” He said, “It is through full surrender to Allah and acceptance of whatever He decrees on him, be it something with which he is pleased or displeased. ” [1]
It has been narrated in books of the Israelites that a servant worshipped Allah Almighty for a very long period of time, so he saw in a vision that his so-and-so female companion was in Paradise. He asked about her and hosted her for three days and nights in order to observe how she behaved.
He used to stand for prayers during the night as she remained asleep. He kept fasting as she was not. He, therefore, said to her, “Have you done anything else other than what I have observed? ” She said, “By Allah, I have not done anything other than what you have seen and I am not familiar with anything else. ”
He kept insisting on her to remember something till she said, “I remember only one single attribute: Whenever I was in hardship, I did not wish to be in prosperity; whenever I was sick, I did not wish to be healthy, and whenever I was under the sun, I did not wish to be in the shade. ” The worshipper put his hands on his head and said to her: “Is this just an attribute?! This, by Allah, is a great attribute which an adoring servant of Allah finds to be very difficult to achieve. ”
---------------
[1]: This is narrated in some difference in wording in Al-Tamhees, Vol. 61, p. 137; Da’aim Al-Islam, Vol. 1, p. 223; and it is cited by Al-Faydh Al-Kashani in his work Al-Mahajja Al-Baydaa, Vol. 7, p. 107.
[2]: Al-Mahajja Al-Baydaa, Vol. 8, pp. 67, 88. Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, pp. 26, 142.
[1]: Al-Mahajja Al-Baydaa, Vol. 8, p. 88.
[2]: Al-Kulaini has narrated something similar to this text in Vol. 2, pp. 141, 203 of his book Al-Kafi. Al-Majlisi cites it in Vol. 82, p. 143 of Bihar Al-Anwar.
[3]: Al-Mahajja Al-Baydaa, Vol. 8, p. 88; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 143.
[1]: Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 143.
[2]: Al-Rawandi, Da'awat, p. 71. Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 143.
[1]: Al-Rawandi, Da'awat, p. 74. Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, Vol. 2, pp. 235, 6010 with a wording variation.
[2]: Al-Tawhid, pp. 4, 337.
[3]: Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 143.
[4]: Al-Mahasin, pp. 17, 47; Mishkat Al-Anwar, pp. 12, 13; Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, Vol. 1, pp. 382, 2493; Muntakhab Kanzul-Ummal, Vol. 1, pp. 178, 256, 257.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 6, 50.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 1, 49.
[1]: Ibid. , Vol. 2, pp. 2, 49.
[2]: Ibid. , Vol. 2, pp. 6, 50.
[3]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 7, 51. Al-Mufid, Aamali, Vol. 2, p. 93. Al-Tusi, Aamali, Vol. 1, p. 243. Al-Mu'min, Vol. 9, p. 17. Al-Tamhees, pp. 55, 108. Mishkat Al-Anwar, p. 299.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 12, 52.
Acceptance, Patience and Perseverance
The station of acceptance is much higher
p: 122
than that of patience. Rather, the ratio of patience compared to acceptance among the people who know the truth is the same as disobedience compared to obedience: Love requires finding pleasure in affliction because one yearns for the company of the one whom he loves much more when he is afflicted than when he is not; so he desires his presence and company. Patience requires hating affliction and finding it hard till patience forces one to accept it. Hating something is the opposite of feeling at ease with it; thus, patience and love are antitheses of each other.
Also, patience is a demonstration of perseverance which, in the tradition of love, is the most contemptible of all and the worst indication of hostility as a poet has said:
He is good at demonstrating perseverance to the foes while finding incapacitation with the loved ones to be quite ugly.
From this onset, people who know the truth have said that patience is the most difficult station for people in general, the most undesirable along the path of love and the most uncommon along the path of Tawhid (oneness of Allah).
It is the hardest for the people in general because one is not trained on taming himself, nor is he palated with patience when afflicted, nor is he accustomed to self-control, so he cannot tolerate affliction, and he cannot be among the people of love so he may find pleasure in affliction.
If the Truthful One, praise to Him, tests him with affliction, he cannot
p: 123
tolerate it and is overwhelmed by impatience, finding it hard to suppress himself from showing it because he does not feel comfortable with it.
It is the most undesirable along the path of love because love requires feeling comfortable in the presence of the loved one, finding pleasure in affliction because this means the presence of the one because of whom there is an affliction while preferring what the loved one wants, whereas patience requires hating affliction as indicated above, so there is a clash here.
It is most uncommon when it comes to Tawhid because one who perseveres claims the strength of firmness, the claim of steadfastness and the strength to withstand recklessness of the nafs. Tawhid requires the fusing of the nafs; so, it [patience] becomes the most uncommon because proving one’s self in the path of Tawhid is the ugliest of abominations.
Rather, surrender, despite its great station and loftiness among people who examine Tawhid is [only] among the first of its venues. This is so because their conduct is to fuse themselves into Tawhid. Surrender is the annihilation of one’s will in order to submit to the will of the Truthful One, the most High, to truly stand with whatever Allah Almighty wants.
The distant stations between patience and acceptance have already been made clear to you: distant stations and tough paths.
Acceptance has three degrees arranged in strength the same way as they are in wording as follows:
First Degree: One looks at the position of affliction, the action that
p: 124
necessitates acceptance, so he realizes its impact and feels its pain, yet he accepts it, even desires it, seeking it with his intellect even if his nature dislikes it. Such folks seek rewards of Allah Almighty for it, hoping for an increase in his nearness with Him and for winning Paradise the expanse of which is like that of the heavens and the earth, the one prepared for the pious.
This section of acceptance is relevant to the pious.
An example for it is one seeking bloodletting and cupping from a doctor who is familiar with the details of his illnesses and what is required to heal him: He realizes that there is pain in this action, yet he accepts it, desires it, feeling greatly appreciative of the one who performs the bloodletting or cupping.
Also similar to it is one who travels seeking material gain: He realizes the hardship of travel, but his love for the fruit of his trip placates for him the hardship of traveling, accepting it. No matter what a calamity from Allah Almighty befalls him, being convinced that the reward stored for him by far exceeds his extreme expectations, he accepts it, desires it, loves it and thanks Allah Almighty for it.
Second Degree: One also realizes the pain, yet he loves it because it is desired by the one whom he loves. One who is overpowered by love seeks and loves whatever pleases the one whom he loves. This exists as we see how people love each other.
p: 125
Such love has been described by those who express it in their poetry and prose. It only means noticing the outward picture with the eyes.
But this beauty is only skin on bones and love filled with filth and dirt: It starts from a contemptible drop of sperms, and it ends with a filthy stink, while one between this status and that keeps carrying his feces [wherever he goes].
One who looks at his lowly beauty does so with lowly eyes that err quite often about what they see: They see what is small as big and what is big as small, what is distant as near and what is ugly as beautiful.
If one imagines being controlled by this love, how could it be impossible for him to love the eternal perpetual beauty the perfection of which cannot be realized with one’s foresight where erring is not possible, where death does not end such beauty but remains alive with Allah after one dies happy and pleased with whatever Allah sustained him, benefiting by death with more awareness and discovery.
This is obvious when one contemplates on it, and it is supported by a host of religious literary legacy about the conditions and statements of those who love. Some of this legacy will, God willing, be quoted. This is the status of those who are near to Allah.
Third Degree: One invalidates his sense of pain to the extent that what is painful happens to him yet he does not feel it, and he
p: 126
is wounded yet he does not realize it.
An example for it is a warrior: When he is angry or afraid, a wound may afflict him but he does not feel it till he sees blood gushing out, so he sees it as evidence that he was wounded. When someone runs because he has committed something dubious so a thorn pierces through his foot, he does not feel the pain because his heart is occupied by something else. One who goes through cupping or shaves his head with something which causes pain does not feel the pain even after the person performing the cupping or the shaving finishes.
All this is due to the fact that when the heart (mind) is occupied with something, it does not realize or sense anything else besides it.
Similarities to it exist in the concerns of people of this life, in being busy with it, in coveting it, so much so that they do not feel the pain, the hunger, the thirst and the fatigue. There are many examples which one can see with his eyes: The one who is passionately in love and who is deeply immersed in looking at the one whom he/she loves.
He may be afflicted by something which causes pain or grief, but due to his passion, he does not realize it because extreme love is taking control of his heart. All this is so when such pain or grief comes from someone else other than the one whom he/she loves; so,
p: 127
imagine if it comes from the one whom he/she loves!
The heart’s preoccupation with love and passion is one of the strongest mental occupations. If you imagine this about light pain, imagine it about a great pain regarding a great love: Love, too, can be imagined as doubling many times in power just as pain can be imagined.
When love for beautiful pictures can be strongly felt with the sense of vision, love for beautiful pictures can likewise be mentally visualized through the noor (celestial light) of Divinely-bestowed vision. Their greatness cannot be compared with any other greatness. One for whom a glimpse of it is revealed may be dazzled, so much so that he is stunned and he enters into a swoon, not feeling what happens to him.
It is narrated that a woman stumbled, so her nail was removed. She smiled. She was asked, “Do you not feel the pain? ” She said, “The pleasure of its reward has removed from my heart the bitterness of its pain. ”
Someone treated someone else of an illness which afflicted him. But he did not treat himself. He was asked about it, so he said, “Whatever pain is received because of the one you love is not painful at all. ”
Reference to a Group of Ancestors Whose Acceptance of Destiny is Transmitted by Scholars in Addition to the Above
Be informed that what we have stated in the chapter about patience from a group of prominent ones includes acceptance of destiny with regard to the death of sons and the like. Let us here mention general matters:
When the pain of [Prophet] Job, peace be with
p: 128
him, intensified, his wife said to him, “Why do you not supplicate to your Lord so He may remove your affliction? ”
He said to her, “Wife! I lived in power and prosperity for seventy years; so, I want now to live the same period in affliction, perhaps thus I will have thanked Allah for what He has blessed me, so patience is most befitting me for what He has tested me. ” [1]
It is also reported that Jonah (Prophet Unus) , peace be with him, said once to Gabriel, peace be with him, “Take me to the one who adores [his Maker] the most from among the people of the earth. ” He took him to a man whose hands and legs were cut off due to leprosy, and both his vision and hearing had gone, too, yet he kept saying, “Lord! You permitted me to enjoy them as long as You willed, and You have taken away whatever You will, keeping for me my hope in You, O most Kind, the One Who is the most connected with His servants! ” [2]
It has also been narrated that Jesus, peace be with him, passed once by a man who was blind, leukodermic, handicapped, both his sides hit with hemiplegia and his flesh scattered around him because of leprosy, yet the man kept saying, “Praise to Allah Who has healed me from what He has afflicted many from among His creation. ” Jesus, peace be with him, said to him, “Man! What affliction can I see that it
p: 129
has been kept away from you?! ”
The man said, “O Spirit of Allah! My condition is better than those in whose heart Allah did not place knowledge of Him which He has placed in mine. ” Jesus (ع) said to him, “You have said the truth. Stretch your hand to me. ”
The man stretched his hand to Jesus and instantly he was turned into the most beautiful of all people, having the best form, Allah having removed all his suffering. The man accompanied Jesus (ع) and worshipped with him. [1]
Someone has narrated saying, “In my youth, I went to Abbadan and saw a blind man who was also leprous, mentally retarded and epileptic. Ants were eating of his flesh. I raised his head and placed it in my lap with the desire to learn and repeat what he was saying. He woke up and said, ‘Who is this busy-body who is intercepting my connection with my Lord? By Him do I swear that if He cuts me to pieces, I will never increase in anything but in more love for Him. ’
Due to extreme itch, someone’s leg was severed from the knee down. He said, “Praise be to Allah Who took away from me one (limb) , leaving three. By Your Dignity! If you took away, you have kept. If you afflict, you heal. ” He did not miss a single act of adoration that night.
Someone said, “I have won from every station a position save acceptance of destiny. I have nothing of it except
p: 130
its smell. Despite this, if He permits all creations to enter Paradise while lodging me in hell, I will still be pleased with Him. ”
One Gnostic was told once, “You have earned the extreme end of acceptance. ” He said, “No, I have not won the extreme end of acceptance but a status of acceptance; had Allah made me a bridge over hell on which all creations pass to Paradise, then He filled hell with me, I would still love His wisdom and accept His allotment for me. ”
This is the speech of one who knows that love has consumed his concern, preventing him from feeling the pain of fire. Such a status taking control of one's soul is not impossible, but it is distant with regard to weak conditions during this time, and a deprived weakling should not renounce the condition of the strong, thinking that what he is incapable of doing is also not doable by others.
Imran ibn Haseen, may Allah be pleased with him, suffered once from a stomach pain. He remained lying on his back for thirty years unable to stand up or even sit. A hole was made in his bed through which he would relieve himself as a toilet. His brother al-Alaa visited him and kept weeping for his condition. He said to his brother, "What are you weeping about? "
He said, "I weep for seeing you in such an awful condition. " He said, "Do not weep; if Allah loves it for me, I, too, love
p: 131
it. " Then he said to his brother, "Let me tell you something perhaps Allah will make it beneficial for you, but I want you to keep it confidential till I die: The angels visit me, and I feel very comfortable with them. They greet me and I hear their greeting. Thus, I know that this affliction is not a penalty; it is the reason behind this great bliss. If one sees this [sight of the angels] in his affliction, why should he not be pleased with it? "
Some people have said, "We visited Suwaid ibn Shu'bah. We found a shirt thrown, but we did not think that there was anything underneath it till he removed it. His wife said to him, 'May your wife be sacrificed for your sake! Should we provide you with food or drink? ' He said, 'My lying down has over-extended, the hipbones have become exhausted and worn out. I have not been eating or drinking since—and he stated the number of days—yet it does not please me for this status to disappear as much as a piece of clipped nail. '"
It has been narrated about someone who suffered acutely of sickness for sixty years. When his condition worsened, his sons visited him and said, "Do you wish to die so you may rest from your condition? " He said, "No. " They said, "What do you, then, want? " He said, "I want nothing; I am only a slave, and only the Master has a will over His slave and the
p: 132
judgment. "
It has also been said that the sickness of Fath al-Musilli intensified. Besides his sickness, he was afflicted with poverty and exhaustion. He said, "My Lord and Master! You afflicted me with ailment and poverty; such are Your deeds with the prophets and messengers; so, how can I thank You for the blessing which You have bestowed on me? "
Be informed that supplication repels affliction. The removal of ailment and the safeguarding of sons do not clash with accepting destiny. Allah, Glory belongs to Him, has ordered us to worship Him with supplication, urging and encouraging us to plead to Him and regarding the abandoning of supplication as a sign of haughtiness while doing it is an act of adoration, promising us to answer our pleas. He called on His Prophets and the Imams, peace be with them, to do likewise and to enjoin others to supplicate. Citations from their statements are innumerable. Allah Almighty has praised those among His servants who plead to Him saying:
"They used to call upon Us with love and fear (love for rewards and fear of punishment) " (Qur'an, 21: 90).
Among the obligations of the pleading person is that he, during his supplication, must be obedient to the command of his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, by pleading for what He has ordered him to plead. Had He not ordered him to plead for it, and had He not commanded him and permitted him to plead, he would not have dared to oppose His decree. In
p: 133
fact, this is a sort of acceptance for those who accept, those who discipline themselves, those who perform the obligations associated with supplication.
One of its marks of acceptance is that if his plea is not answered, he does not feel any pain because of that, for it is quite possible one pleads for something which, if granted, would bring him harm with which only Allah Almighty is familiar.
It is also recorded that one may keep pleading to Allah Almighty for something to the extent that the angels sympathize with him, so they would say, "Lord! Have mercy on Your believing servant and answer his plea! " Allah Almighty will then say, "How shall I rid him of something with which I have mercy on him? "
Yes, if one feels apprehensive about the possibility that Allah Almighty did not answer his plea because he is distant from Him, something which brings about disappointment, presentiment, expulsion and exclusion, there is no harm in it, for a believer's perfection lies in his holding his nafs in contempt, looking at it as a low thing even if his plea is answered: He does not think that such an answer is due to his high status with Allah Almighty and his nearness to Him.
Rather, this may be due to the contempt and hatred of Allah Almighty of his voice, from the angels being harmed by his stink, so they plead to Allah Almighty to speed up answering his plea so these angels may be relieved.
Also,
p: 134
the reason behind delaying answering the plea is due to Allah Almighty and His angels loving his voice, enjoying the pleasure of his silent pleas, so the angels ask Allah Almighty to delay answering it. Also, as reports have narrated, a believer is always between anticipation and apprehension: It is through them that good deeds stand, wrongdoings are avoided, and deeds that please the Almighty are desired.
---------------
[1]: This text is narrated with some wording variation in Vol. 1, p. 40 of Tanbih Al-Khawatir and on p. 127 of Irshad Al-Qulub.
[2]: Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 153.
[1]: Ibid.
Weeping
point
Be informed that weeping by itself does not clash with perseverance or with accepting destiny; rather, it is a human norm of behavior, an indication of one's humanity, an expression of affection towards kinsfolk or a loved one; so, there is no harm in demonstrating it, nor is there any harm in getting out to the open as long as it does not contain conditions which bring about Wrath or show alarm and thus take away rewards, such as one tearing his garment or beating his face or beating on the thigh, etc.
It has been reported about the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, weeping during tragic times, and before him about Adam, peace be with him, and after him about his progeny and companions despite their acceptance, perseverance and firmness.
The first to weep was Adam, peace be with him, over his son Able whom he eulogized in well known verses of poetry, grieving for him a great deal. If anything is hidden, there is nothing hidden about Jacob (Ya'qoub) , peace be with him, who
p: 135
wept over Joseph (Yousuf) till his eyes turned white out of grief for Yousuf, Joseph, peace be with him.
Among famous narratives are those quoting Imam al-Sadiq, peace be with him, as saying, "[Imam] Zainul-Aabidin, peace be with him, wept over his father for forty years, fasting during the day and standing for prayers during the night. When it was time for him to break his fast, his servant would bring him food and drink, placing it in front of him as he would say, 'Eat, Master. '
He (ع) would say, 'The [grand]son of the Messenger of Allah (ص) was hungry when he was killed. The [grand]son of the Messenger of Allah (ص) was thirsty when he was killed. ' He would keep repeating these statements and weeps till his food becomes wet from his tears. He continued to do so till he joined Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great. " [1]
One of his slaves reported saying, "He [Imam Zainul-Aabidin] went out to the desert, so I followed him. I found him prostrating on a rough rock.
I stood as I kept hearing his inhalation and weeping. I counted one thousand times his repeating this statement: ' لا اله الا الله حقا حقا، لا اله الا الله تعبدا و رقا، لا اله الا الله ایمانا و صدقا There is no god save Allah, truly it is true; There is no god save Allah, I worship Him and I am His slave; There is no god save Allah, I believe in it and
p: 136
it is true. '
Then he raised his head from his prostration; his beard and face were awash by his tears. I, therefore, said, 'Master! Is it not time yet for your grief to come to an end and to your weeping to be less? ' He said to me, 'Woe on you! Jacob son of Isaac son of Abraham, peace be with them, was a prophet the son of a prophet and the grandson of a prophet.
He had twelve sons. Allah kept one of them away from him, so he grew grey hair on account of his grief, his back was bent due to his sadness and his eyesight was gone because of his weeping even while his son was alive in the life of this world. And I saw my father, brother and seventeen of my family members slain; so, how can my grief come to an end, and how can my weeping decrease?! " [1]
Anas ibn Malik said once, "I went in the company of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, to visit Abu Saif al-Qayn who was foster-father of Ibrahim [Abraham, son of the Prophet by his wife Mary the Copt]. The Messenger of Allah (ص) took Ibrahim and kept kissing and smelling him.
Then he went after that to visit him [Abu Saif al-Qayn] when Ibrahim, peace be with him, was drawing his last breath. The eyes of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with
p: 137
him and his progeny, kept shedding tears. Abdul-Rahman ibn Awf said to him, 'Even you, O Messenger of Allah [cry]?! '
He (ص) said, 'O son of Awf! It is mercy,' repeating his statement. Then the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, 'The eye is tearful, the heart grieves, and we do not say anything but whatever pleases our Lord. We, on account of your parting, O Ibrahim, are grieved. " [1]
Asmaa daughter of Zaid is quoted as having said that when the son of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, namely Ibrahim, peace be with him, passed away, the Messenger of Allah (ص) wept. Someone consoling him said to him, "You are the greatest in magnifying Allah's right, the most Exalted One, the most Great. "
The Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "The eye sheds its tears, the heart grieves, and we do not say anything that brings the Wrath of the Lord. Had it not been a just destined promise, one that includes everyone [death], and the last one will follow the very first, we would have grieved for you in a way better than we already have and we, O Ibrahim, are grieved because of you. " [2]
Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) took the hand of Abdul-Rahman ibn Awf and went to see Ibrahim as the latter was drawing his last breath. He placed Ibrahim in his lap and said to him,
p: 138
"O son! I cannot help you against the will of Allah in anything at all," shedding his tears.
Abdul-Rahman said to him, "O Messenger of Allah! Do you weep?! Did you not prohibit weeping? " He (ص) said, "I prohibited lamenting in two foolish and licentious sounds: the sound made on hearing a sporting tone, merry-making and Satan's windpipes, and the sound made on a calamity befalling: the scratching of cheeks, the tearing asunder of shirts, and the tone of Satan.
But this [weeping is a sign of] mercy: One who is not merciful to others will not receive mercy [from the Almighty]. Had it not been a just matter, a true promise, a path which we all tread upon, our last will catch up with our first, we would have grieved more intensely than this; we are on your account [O Ibrahim] grieved; the eye is tearful, the heart is sad, and we do not say what angers the Lord, the most Exalted One, the most Great. " [1]
Abu Umamah is quoted as having said that a man visited the Prophet (ص) when his son [Ibrahim] had died and saw his eyes filled with tears, so he said, "O Prophet of Allah! Do you shed tears for this child?! I swear by the One Who sent you with the truth, I buried twelve sons during the time of Jahiliyya each and every one of them was younger than him. I tossed each one in the ground. "
The Prophet (ص) said, "So what
p: 139
if mercy departed from you?! The heart is grieved, the eye is tearful, and we do not say anything that angers the Lord; we are over Ibrahim grieved. "
Mahmoud ibn Labeed has said that an eclipse of the sun took place when Ibrahim son of the Messenger of Allah (ص) died, so people said, "The sun has eclipsed for Ibrahim's death. " The Messenger of Allah (ص) , he went on, came out when he heard about it.
He praised Allah and lauded him then said, "O people! The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, and they do not eclipse for the death or the life of anyone. If you see them eclipse, you must rush to the mosques to pray. "
Then his eyes were filled with tears. People said, "O Messenger of Allah! Do you weep while you are the Messenger of Allah?! " He (ص) said, "I am only human; the eye sheds its tears; the heart senses the tragedy, and we do not say anything that angers the Lord. By Allah, O Ibrahim, we are grieved on your account. " [1]
Khalid ibn Ma'dan is quoted as having said that when Ibrahim son of the Prophet (ص) died, the Prophet (ص) wept, so it was said to him, "O Messenger of Allah! Do you weep?! " He (ص) said, "A fragrant flower which Allah gifted to me, and I used to smell it. "
On the day when Ibrahim died, he (ص) said, "Any grief
p: 140
in the heart or in the eye is mercy; grieving with the tongue or hand is an act of Satan. " [1]
Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar narrated saying that the Prophet (ص) went out to bury [his son] Ibrahim. Then he sat on his grave. When he was taken down into the grave, the Messenger of Allah (ص) saw him, so he wept. When the sahaba (companions) saw that, they, too, wept, so much so that their voices rose.
Abu Bakr went to him and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Do you weep while prohibiting us from weeping?! " The Prophet (ص) said, "The Prophet (ص) said, "The eye sheds its tears, the heart is in pain, and we do not say anything that angers the Lord, the most Exalted One, the most Great. "
Al-Saaib ibn Yazid is quoted as having said that when al-Tahir son of the Prophet (ص) passed away, the Prophet (ص) wept, so it was said to him, "O Messenger of Allah! Have you really wept?! " He (ص) said, "The eye purs, the tear subdues, and the heart grieves; we do not disobey Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great. " [2]
In his Sahih, Muslim narrates saying that the Prophet (ص) visited his mother's grave, so he wept and all those around him wept, too. [3]
It has also been narrated that when ‘Uthman ibn Maz'un died, the Prophet (ص) uncovered the sheet to see his face; he kissed him on the forehead then wept for a long time. When the coffin was raised, he
p: 141
(ص) said, "Congratulations to you, O ‘Uthman! The world did not confuse you, nor did you confuse it. " [1]
Sa`d ibn Abadah complained once [about being sick], so the Messenger of Allah (ص) went to visit him. When he entered his room, he saw him in a coma. He (ص) asked, "Has he died? " They said, "No, O Messenger of Allah. " The Messenger of Allah (ص) wept. When people saw how he wept, they, too, wept. He (ص) said, "Do you not hear [me say this]? Allah does not torment one because of his eyes' tears, nor because his heart grieves. Rather, He torments because of this— pointing to his tongue—or He may show mercy. " [2]
It has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ص) received a message once about his granddaughter being sick. He (ص) said, "To Allah belongs whatever He takes, and to Allah belongs whatever He gives. " He (ص) went to see her accompanied by some of his companions.
The mother took out a little girl to him whose breath was irregular, so he (ص) felt pity for her and his eyes poured down their tears. His companions looked at him [critically], so he (ص) said, "What is wrong with you so you look at me like that? This is mercy [feeling of pity] which Allah places wherever He wills; Allah is merciful to those among His servants who are merciful to others. " [3]
Usamah ibn Zaid is quoted as having said that Umama daughter of Zainab [daughter of Jahsh, cousin of the
p: 142
Prophet and later his wife] was brought to the Prophet (ص) as her breath was quite irregular. He (ص) said, "Whatever Allah takes belongs to Him, and whatever Allah gives is His; everyone is destined to see his day," then he wept. Sa`d ibn Abadah said, "Do you weep while you prohibited weeping?! " The Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "It is mercy which Allah places in the heart of His servants; Allah is merciful unto those from among His servants who are merciful to each other. " [1]
When Ja`far ibn Abu Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was martyred, the Messenger of Allah (ص) went to see Asmaa, may Allah be pleased with her. He said to her, "Get the children of Ja`far out for me. " They came out, whereupon he (ص) hugged and smelled them then shed tears. Asmaa asked him, "O Messenger of Allah! Has Ja`far been killed? " He (ص) said, "Yes, he has been martyred today. " [2]
Abdullah ibn Ja`far has said, "I recollect how the Messenger of Allah (ص) visited my mother and eulogized to her the death of my father. She looked at him as he kept rubbing on my head and on that of my brother while his eyes were shedding their tears, so much so that his beard started dripping.
Then he said, 'Lord! Ja`far went to receive the best reward; so, bestow Your blessing on his sons in the very best way in which You have done for any of Your servants. ' Then he (ص)
p: 143
said, 'O Asmaa! Shall I give you some glad tiding? " She said, "Yes, please, may both my parents be sacrificed for your sake! ' He said, 'Allah Almighty has made two wings for Ja`far whereby he flies in Paradise. '"
Abi-Abdillah (The father of Abdullah: Imam Hussein) , peace be with him, quotes his father who quotes the Prophet (ص) saying that when he came to know that Ja`far ibn Abu Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, and Zaid ibn Harithah were martyred, he mourned them both whenever he entered his home. He said, "They both used to talk to me and entertain me, then death took them away. " [1]
Khalid ibn Salamah has said that when the Prophet (ص) came to know about the death of Zaid ibn Harithah, he went to Zaid's house where a small daughter of Zaid came out to him. When she saw the Messenger of Allah (ص) , she scratched her face [in grief], whereupon the Messenger of Allah (ص) wept and sobbed, so he was asked, "What is this [that you are doing], O Messenger of Allah?! " He said, "It is the [crying of a] lover feeling anxious about the one he loves. " [2]
When Sa`d ibn Mu`adh, may Allah be pleased with him, died, the Messenger of Allah (ص) wept a great deal.
He (ص) once said the following to the mother of Sa`d ibn Mu'adh: "Will your tears dry and your grief subside, for the Arsh (Allah’s throne) has shaken on account of your son? "
It is said that the Messenger
p: 144
of Allah (ص) would weep, and he would wipe his face but no sound would come out of him. " [1]
Al-Baraa ibn `Azib is quoted as having said, "While we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah with him and his progeny, he saw a group of people, so he said, 'Why have these folks gathered together like that? ' He was told that they were digging a grave.
The Messenger of Allah (ص) immediately went out from among his companions in a hurry and knelt down on the grave. I faced him in order to see what he would do. He wept till the ground became wet from his tears, then he addressed us saying, 'Brothers! It is for the like of this that you should be prepared. '" [2]
He (ص) has also said, "Nobody has control over his grief; it is an expression of affection for one's brother. " [3]
---------------
[1]: Al-Luhuf fi Qata Al-Tufuf, p. 87.
[1]: Ibid. , p. 88.
[1]: Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 105.
[2]: Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 1506, 1589; Muntakhab Kanzul-Ummal, Vol. 6, p. 265.
[1]: Al-Taazi, pp. 8-9 with a minor wording variation. It has been narrated in different wording in Al-Tirmidhi's Sunan, Vol. 2, pp. 1011, 1237; and in Al-Jaami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 290. Something similar to it is narrated in Muntakhab Kanzul-Ummal, Vol. 6, p. 265 from Abd ibn Hameed.
[1]: Something similar to it is narrated in Al-Kulaini's Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 7, 208 from Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Abul-Hassan Mousa, peace e with him. It is also narrated in some variation in its wording by Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah as recorded in Al-Bukhari's Sahih, Vol. 2, pp. 42, 48 and by Muslim in his Sahih, Vol. 2, pp. 628, 630.
[1]: Al-Jaami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 709 with minor wording difference.
[2]: This tradition is cited in Al-Jami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 207.
[3]: Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 671; Al-Nisaa'i, Sunan, Vol. 4, p. 90; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Vol. 3, pp. 218, 3234.
[1]: This tradition is cited in Al-Jami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 568.
[2]: Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 106. Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 2, pp. 636, 924 with minor wording difference.
[3]: Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 100, Vol. 7, p. 151, Vol. 8, p. 166 and Vol. 9, pp. 141, 164; Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 2, pp. 635, 923; Al-Ta`azi, p. 10; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 506, 1588; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Vol. 3, pp. 193, 3125 and Al-Nisaa'i, Sunan, Vol. 4, p. 22 with a difference in its wording.
[1]: Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. 5, pp. 204, 207 with a minor wording difference.
[2]: Al-Waqidi, Al-Maghazi, Vol. 2, p. 766 with a minor wording variation.
[1]: Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, pp. 113, 527 with a minor wording difference.
[2]: Makarim Al-Akhlaq, p. 22.
[1]: Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. 4, p. 456; Al-Mustadrak ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 206; Al-Jami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 360.
[2]: Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. 4, p. 294. Something like it is narrated in Ibn Majah's Musnad, Vol. 3, pp. 1403, 4195.
[3]: Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, Vol. 2, pp. 113, 5135. It is narrated with minor wording variation in Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Vol. 1, p. 158.
When the Prophet (ص) returned from Uhud to Medina, he was met by Hamna daughter of Jahsh. People offered condolences to her on the occasion of the martyrdom of her brother Abdullah ibn Jahsh. She said, "Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return). "
She prayed the Almighty to forgive him. Then people consoled her on the martyrdom of her uncle Hamzah, so she said, "Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return). " She prayed the Almighty to forgive him, too. Then she
p: 145
was consoled on the martyrdom of her husband Mus`ab ibn `Umayr, whereupon she cried and wailed; therefore, the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "A woman's husband surely has a special status with her" due to his having witnessed how she persevered about the death of her brother and uncle and how she cried over her husband. [1]
Then the Messenger of Allah (ص) passed by the homes of the Ansar from among Banu Abd al-Ashhal. He heard weeping and wailing over those who had been killed [during the battle of Uhud], so his eyes were immediately tearful, and he wept. Then he said, "But Hamzah has none to weep over him…"
When Sa`d ibn Mu`adh and Aseed ibn Hudair returned to the homes of Banu al-Ashhal, they both ordered their women to go and mourn the uncle of the Prophet (ص) [Hamzah]. When the Prophet (ص) heard their weeping over Hamzah, he came out to them as they were at the mosque's gate crying. He (ص) said to them, "Go back, may Allah have mercy on you; you have indeed consoled in person. "
The mentor narrates in his Tahdhib, through isnad traced back to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be with him, saying that "Ibrahim (Abraham) , Friend of the most Merciful One, pleaded to his Lord to grant him a daughter who would mourn him after his death. " [2]
Ibn Mas`ūd is quoted as having said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "One who slaps cheeks and tears garments does not belong to us. " [3]
Abu Umamah has
p: 146
said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "May the Almighty curse one who scratches her face, who tears her garment, who wails and laments. " [1]
He (ص) is quoted as having prohibited people from walking behind a coffin while wailing and weeping. [2]
Amr ibn Shu'ayb quotes his father quoting his grandfather saying that it is very much held in contempt by the Almighty when one eats while not being hungry, sleeps without having stayed late at night, laughs without having seen something unusual, makes a noise of wailing when calamity falls, and blows a windpipe when prosperous. " [3]
Yahya ibn Khalid has said that a man went to see the Prophet (ص). He asked him, "What voids rewards at the time when calamity befalls someone? " The Prophet (ص) said, "It is when someone slaps one hand with the other; when one is first afflicted, if he accepts it, he, too, will be accepted [by the Almighty], and if he is wrathful, wrath shall fall upon him. " [4]
Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, has said, "When Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, died a stranger in a strange land, I said that I would cry over him in a way which people will talk about. I was about to cry when a woman came with the intention to entertain me, so the Messenger of Allah (ص) welcomed her and said, 'Do you want to permit Satan to enter a house from which Allah kicked him out? ' I, therefore, did not proceed with
p: 147
crying. "
Imam al-Baqir (ع) is quoted as having said, "The severest form of one's alarm status is screaming while weeping and wailing, slapping the face and chest, pulling the hair. When one resorts to wailing, he abandons patience; one who demonstrates patience, says 'Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon' (We belong to Allah, and to Him is our return) , praising Allah, Great is His Mention and accepts what Allah does, his rewards will be with Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great One. One who does not do that will be subjected to destiny while being held in contempt, and Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, will void his rewards. " [1]
Imam al-Sadiq (ع) has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "If one beats with his hand his thigh, he voids his rewards. " [2]
---------------
[1]: Ibn Hisham, Seera, Vol. 3, p. 104.
[2]: Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, pp. 465, 1524.
[3]: Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. 1, p. 386; Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 104; Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 1, pp. 99, 165; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 504, 1584; Al-Nisaa'i, Sunan, Vol. 4, pp. 20, 21; Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, pp. 93, 45.
[1]: Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, Vol. 2, pp. 405, 7252; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 505, 1585; Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 83, p. 93.
[2]: Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 504, 1583.
[3]: Al-Jami' Al-Saghir, Vol. 2, pp. 268, 6216.
[4]: Bihar Al-Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 93.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 1, 222.
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 4, 224 with a minor wording variation.
Significance of saying "Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon”
It is recommended, when calamity befalls someone, that the latter should say: Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return).
Allah Almighty has said:
"… [Those] who say, when afflicted with calamity, 'To Allah do we belong, and to Him do we return' are the ones on whom God's blessings and mercy (descend) , and they are the ones who receive guidance" (Qur'an, 2: 156-7).
The Prophet (ص) has said, "If one has four merits, the greatest noor of Allah will be in him: one who sets his reliance on his testimony that There is no god save Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, one who, when afflicted with a calamity,
p: 148
says Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return) , one who, when he earns something good, says Alhamdu-Lillah (Praise belongs to Allah) , and one who, on committing a sin, says Astaghfirullaha wa Atoobo Ilayh (I seek Allah's forgiveness, and I repent to Him). " [1]
Imam al-Baqir (ع) is quoted as having said, "Whenever a believer is afflicted with a calamity in the life of this world and says Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return) when overwhelmed by the calamity, if he perseveres upon being hit by the calamity…, Allah will forgive his past sins except major ones for which Allah Almighty mandated the penalty of the fire.
Whenever in the future he remembers a calamity that had befallen him and he says Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return) at that time, praises Allah, the most Exalted and the most Great, Allah will forgive every sin which he had committed between the first time and the latter time of saying the mentioned supplication, except major sins. " [2]
Both these traditions have been narrated by al-Sadūq. Al-Kulaini II has rendered their isnad to Ma`ruf ibn Kharbudh citing Imam al-Baqir (ع) without mentioning the exception referred to above with regard to major sins. [3]
Al-Kulaini, through his isnad to Dawud ibn Zirbi cites al-Sadiq (ع) as saying, "If one remembers his sin, even after a long while, and says Inna Lillahi
p: 149
wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon, Alhamdu-Lillahi Rabbil `Aalamin, Allahomma Ajirni ala Musibati wa Akhlif Alayya Afdala Minha (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return, praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds; Lord! Grant me rewards for my calamity and compensate me with something better than it) , he will have the same reward which he had received when he was first afflicted. " [1]
Muslim has quoted Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, saying that the Messenger of Allah (ص) enjoined saying, "Any Muslim who is afflicted by a calamity and who says as he has been commanded by Allah:
Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon, Alhamdu-Lillahi Rabbil `Aalamin, Allahomma Ajirni ala Musibati wa Akhlif Alayya Afdala Minha (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return, praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds; Lord! Grant me rewards for my calamity and compensate me with something better than it) , Allah will surely compensate me for that calamity with something good.
When Abu Salamah died, I said, 'Who among the Muslims is better than Abu Salamah?! His was the first family that migrated to the Messenger of Allah; I made the statement, so Allah compensated me with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny. " [2]
Al-Tirmidhi has narrated through his isnad to the Messenger of Allah (ص) saying, "When the son of a servant of Allah dies, Allah Almighty would say to His angels, 'Have you taken the soul away of the son
p: 150
of My servant? ' They would answer in the affirmative. He would say, 'Have you taken away the fruit of his heart? '
They would again answer in the affirmative. He would then say, 'What did My servant say? ' They would answer by saying, 'He praised You, said Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (We belong to Allah, and to Him is our return). ' The Almighty would then say, 'Build My servant a home in Paradise and call it بیت الحمد Bayt al-Hamd, Home of the Praise. " [1]
A similar tradition is narrated by al-Kulaini from Imam al-Sadiq (ع) who quotes the Prophet (ص). [2]
---------------
[1]: Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, pp. 514, 111; Al-Khisal, pp. 49, 222.
[2]: Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, pp. 111, 515.
[3]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 5, 224.
[1]: Ibid. , Vol. 3, pp. 6, 224.
[2]: Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 2, pp. 631, 918.
[1]: Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, Vol. 2, pp. 243, 1026.
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 4, 218.
On Mourning
Mourning is permissible with good praise, the enumeration of one's virtues while employing truthfulness because Fatima al-Zahra, peace be with her, did so when she said, "O father! How close he is to his Lord! O father! To Gabriel do I mourn him. O father! One who responded when his Lord called on him. " [3]
It is narrated that she took a handful of the dust of his grave, peace and blessings of Allah with him and his progeny, and placed it on her eyes then composed this poetry:
What harm is there if one sniffs Ahmad's soil
That he forever never smells dear ones at all?
Calamities were poured on me had they been
Poured on days, they would have been turned into nights. [4]
It has already been stated how the Prophet (ص) ordered [his uncle] Hamzah to be eulogized.
Abu Hamzah quotes Imam al-Baqir (ع) saying, "The son of al-Mughirah died, so Umm Salamah asked the Prophet
p: 151
(ص) to permit her to go to mourn him, and he (ص) did so; he was her cousin. She said these lines:
I mourn the son of his father, the father of his son, the youth of the tribe,
Protector of the truth, glorious, one who aspires to reach the peak.
He was the relief during bad years, the brimful river, the rations.
The narrative continues to say that the Messenger of Allah (ص) did not find anything wrong with what she did, nor did he make any comment. [1]
Ibn Babawayh has narrated saying that Imam al-Baqir (ع) stated in his will that he should be mourned during the pilgrimage season for ten years. [2]
Younus ibn Ya`qub quotes Imam al-Sadiq (ع) as saying, "[Imam] Abu Ja`far, peace be with him, has said to me, 'Take out of my wealth such-and-such for female mourners who should mourn me for ten years at Mina during the time when pilgrims stay there. '" [3]
The companions said, the reason is to attract people's attention to the Imam’s merits and raise the status of such merits so that people may emulate them and so people may know the status of the members of this Household, peace and blessings be with them, in order to follow in their footsteps especially since taqiyyah (hiding beliefs in fear) is removed after death…, mourning someone by attributing what is wrong is prohibitive. Such mourning will be counting merits which do not exist.
Also prohibitive is stranger men hearing the voice of women mourning, and so is slapping
p: 152
and scratching the cheeks, hair pulling and such behavior. It is on this premise that wailing is prohibited.
The Prophet (ص) has said, "I dissociate myself from anyone who shaves [his moustache and beard] and who pulls his/her hair and raises his/her voice (during mourning). " [1]
Speaking to Fatima, peace be with her, when [her cousin] Ja`far ibn Abu Talib was killed, he (ص) said, "Do not wail or lament, and whatever I have said, I have articulated nothing but the truth. " [2]
Abu Malik al-Ash`ari quotes the Prophet (ص) as saying, "If the wailing woman does not repent, she will be resurrected on the Judgment Day wearing a shawl of tar. " [3]
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri is quoted as having said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) condemned the wailing woman and the one who listens to her. " [4]
He (ص) is also quoted as having said, "One who slaps the cheeks [in agony] and tears clothes is none of us. " [5]
This prohibition is understood to apply to what is regarded as wrongdoing, and this is the common denominator between it and the previous reports.
As regarding how to conclude such a loss, there are useful benefits in it which include the following:
It is highly commendable to offer condolences to the family of the deceased, actually it is for certain commendable. It is offering a consolation and an advice to take to patience when afflicted by calamities. It is meant to distract one's attention from the calamity and persevere rather than surrender to grief and depression.
The way to do that
p: 153
is to surrender to the command of Allah, the most Sublime, the most Great, and to attribute what has happened to His justice and wisdom. And it is by remembering the rewards which Allah has promised those who persevere and praying for the deceased person and consoling the grieved person by taking his mind away from his calamity. There are many traditions about recommending it and urging the believers to do it:
Amr ibn Shu'ayb quotes his father quoting his grandfather saying that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said once, "Do you know what rights a neighbor has on his neighbor? It is taking to assist him when he seeks help, to loan him when he asks for a loan, to visit him when impoverished, to console him when afflicted by a calamity, to congratulate him when something good happens to him, to visit him when he falls sick, to walk behind his coffin when he dies, not to build the house higher than his and thus block the movement of wind except with his permission, to give him a gift when you buy fruits, and if you do not do so, let it reach him discreetly. Do not let your children show it off to his children and thus cause them to be angry. Do not let him envy you for wealth coming your way except that you take a measure of it and give it to him. " [1]
Bahz ibn Hakim ibn Mu'awiyah ibn Jidah al-Qushayri quotes his father quoting his
p: 154
grandfather saying, "I said [to the Messenger of Allah (ص) ], 'O Messenger of Allah, what rights does my neighbor have on me? ' He (ص) said, 'When he falls sick, you should visit him…,' and he kept counting the same as above. " [1]
As the rewards for it, Ibn Mas`ūd quotes the Prophet (ص) as saying, "One who consoles someone afflicted by a calamity will receive the same rewards which the first receives. " [2]
Jabir ibn Abdullah [al-Ansari], may Allah be pleased with him, has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said:
"One who consoles someone who has been afflicted with a calamity will receive the same rewards which he receives without diminishing any of his rewards; [3] one who shrouds a Muslim will be outfitted by Allah with bracelets of gold, green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade (Qur'an, 18: 31) ;
Allah will build a house in Paradise for one who digs a grave for a Muslim, and when one brings about ease to one suffering from a hardship will be shaded by Allah on a Day when there will be no shade save His. "
Jabir also quotes the Prophet (ص) as saying, "One who offers condolences to a bereaved person will be outfitted by Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, with outfits of piety, and He will bless his soul among the souls He blesses. " [4]
The Prophet (ص) was asked about handshaking during offering condolences. He said, "It brings comfort to the believer; one who consoles an afflicted person will receive
p: 155
rewards equal to that of the afflicted person. "
Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar ibn Hazm quotes his father quoting his grandfather saying that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ص) saying, "One who visits a sick person remains in mercy, and when he sits by his side, he will be drenched into it.
When he stands up to return, he keeps wading in it till he reaches the place from which he had come out. If one consoles his believing brother on account of a calamity, Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, will outfit him of the outfits of dignity on the Judgment Day. " [1]
Abu Barzah has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "One who consoles a widow will be outfitted with the outfits of Paradise. " [2]
Anas [ibn Malik] has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "One who consoles his believing brother on a calamity will be outfitted by Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, with green outfits for which he will be envied on the Judgment Day. " [3]
It has been narrated that Prophet Dawud (David) , peace be with him, said, "Lord! What is the reward of one who consoles the grieved, the one who has been afflicted, seeking to please You? " He said, "His reward is that I outfit him with one of the outfits of iman (faith) with which I shield him from the Fire and get him to enter Paradise. "
He said, "Lord! What then is the reward of one who
p: 156
walks behind coffins seeking Your pleasure? " He said, "His reward is that the angels will escort him on the day he dies to his grave, and I shall bless his soul among the souls I bless. " [1]
It has been narrated that Prophet Musa (Moses) , peace be with him, asked his Lord once, "What reward shall one who visits a sick person receive? " He said, "I shall send at the time of his death angels who escort him to his grave who entertain him till the Gathering Day. "
He said, "Lord! What rewards does a person who consoles a woman who has lost her son receive? " He said, "I shall shade him with My shade—i. e. the shade of His Arsh—on the Day when there is no shade but Mine. " [2]
It has also been reported that Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) asked his Lord once, "Lord! What is the reward of one who wets his face with the tears of fearing You? " He said, "My blessings and Pleasure will be with him. " He said, "Then what is the reward of one who commends a grieved person to take to patience seeking Your Pleasure? " He said, "I shall outfit him with the outfits of iman (faith) in which he enters Paradise and shuns the Fire. " He said, "What then is the reward of one who supports a widow seeking Your Pleasure? " He said, "I shall keep him in My shade and lodge him in My Paradise. " He said, "What is the reward of one who walks behind a
p: 157
coffin seeking to please You? " He said, "My angels shall bless his body and escort his soul. "
---------------
[3]: Dhikra Al-Shi'a, p. 72; I`lam Al-Wara, p. 143; Muntaha Al-Matlab, Vol. 1, p. 466; Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Vol. 6, p. 18; Al-Mustadrak ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 1, p. 382; Al-Nisaai, Sunan, Vol. 4, p. 13; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 30, 522.
[4]: Dhikra Al-Shi'a, p. 72; Al-Mu'tabar, Vol. 1, p. 344; Muntaha Al-Matlab, Vol. 1, p. 466.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, pp. 2, 117; Al-Tahdhib, pp. 358, 1027 with minor wording variation.
[2]: Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, pp. 116, 547.
[3]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, pp. 1, 117; Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, pp. 358, 1025.
[1]: Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 1, p. 100; Al-Nisaai, Sunan, Vol. 4, p. 20; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, p. 505; Al-Jami` Al-Saghir, Vol. 1, pp. 415, 2709.
[2]: Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, pp. 116, 547.
[3]: Al-Khisal, p. 226; Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. 5, p. 342; Muslim, Sahih, Vol. 2, pp. 644, 934; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 504, 1582; Al-Mustadrak, Vol. 1, p. 383; Al-Targhib wal Tarhib, Vol. 4, pp. 12, 351.
[4]: Ahmad, Musnad, Vol. 3, p. 65; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Vol. 3, pp. 194, 3128; Al-Jami` Al-Saghir, Vol. 2, pp. 408, 7271; Al-Targhib wal Tarhib, Vol. 4, pp. 13, 351; Al-Futuhat Al-Rabbaniyya, Vol. 4, p. 129.
[5]: Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, pp. 504, 1584.
[1]: Al-Targhib wal Tarhib, Vol. 3, pp. 20, 357.
[1]: Al-Targhib wal Tarhib, Vol. 3, p. 357, in the footnote to Tradition No. 20.
[2]: Al-Jami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 801.
[3]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 4, 227 from Abu Abdullah, peace be with him who cites the Messenger of Allah (ص).
[4]: Al-Jami` Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 801.
[1]: Ibid. , Vol. 1, p. 800.
[2]: Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, Vol. 2, pp. 269, 1082.
[3]: Al-Jami` Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 801.
[1]: Al-Durr Al-Manthur, Vol. 5, p. 308. It is also narrated by Al-Muttaqi Al-Hindi in Kanzul-Ummal, Vol. 6, p. 355 with a difference in wording it.
[2]: It is narrated by Al-Kulaini in the second section of the hadith in Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 1, 226 with minor variation.
How to Console
Reports about handshaking in this regard have already been stated above.
As regarding what is agreed about in reference to the statements made and the reports dealing with offering consolations, there is nothing better in this dissertation to state more than what is recorded here, for in the following there is healing for what is in the hearts and sufficient wisdom in achieving these matters:
Imam Ali, peace be with him, has said, "Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ص) wanted to offer condolences to someone, he would say, 'May Allah reward and have mercy on you. ' And whenever he wanted to congratulate someone, he would say, 'بارک الله لکم، و بارک علیکم May Allah bless it for you, and may He shower His blessings on you. '"
It has been narrated that when a son was lost to Mu`adh, the latter's grief intensified, so much so that the Prophet (ص) came to hear about it, so he wrote him saying, "In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful. This is from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Mu'adh.
Peace be with you. I praise Allah, the One and only God; may Allah magnify your rewards, instill in you patience and bless us and yourself with thanking Him, for our lives, those of our families and masters, in addition to those of our sons…, are all among Allah's enjoyable gifts, the most Exalted One, the most
p: 158
Great, the treasured trusts which we enjoy for a known term, and they are taken away at a certain time.
He has enjoined us to thank Him when He grants us, to be patient when He tries us. Your son was one of the enjoyable gifts of Allah and treasured trusts. Allah permitted you to enjoy him gladly and happily, and He took him away from you in return for a great deal of rewards: prayers, mercy and guidance if you persevere and place your trust in Him; so, do not combine two calamities lest your reward will be voided and you will then regret what you have missed.
If you see the rewards for your calamity, you will come to know that the calamity dwarfs besides Allah's rewards; therefore, rest your hope on Allah fulfilling His promise [of rewarding you], and let your sorrow for what has afflicted you be gone, as if there was no affliction at all, and peace [be with you]. " [1]
Abu Abdullah, Imam Ja`far son of Imam Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be with them both, quotes his father quoting his grandfather saying, "When the Messenger of Allah (ص) died, Gabriel, peace be with him, came to him as the Prophet (ص) was lying in state on the ground. Ali, Fatima, al-Hassan and al-Hussain were in the house. Gabriel said to them: 'Assalamu Alaikum, Household of the Prophet;
Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full
p: 159
recompense (Qur'an, 3: 185).
Indeed, there is in Allah a solace from every calamity; everyone who dies shall be succeeded; everything that passes by shall be retracted; so, seek strength from Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great; rest your hope on Him, for the true calamity is when one is deprived of the reward; this is the last time Gabriel descends to earth'. " [1]
Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, Allah be pleased with him, has said, "When the Messenger of Allah (ص) passed away, the angels offered them [Prophet's family] condolences; they heard voices but could not see who were behind them.
They said, 'Assalamo Alaikom, O Ahl al-Bayt, wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh; indeed there is in Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, solace from every calamity and compensation for whatever is missed; so, seek strength from Allah, on Him should you rest your hope, for the depraved one is that who is deprived of the rewards, Wassalamo Alaikom wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. '" [2]
Al-Bayhaqi, in Al-Dalaa'il, has said that when the Messenger of Allah (ص) passed away, his companions looked at him and wept, having assembled around him. A man whose beard had more grey hair than black came in, and his bodily form was large and was good looking. He passed by them and wept.
Then he turned to the companions of the Messenger of Allah (ص) and said, "In Allah there is, indeed, consolation from every calamity and a recompense for whatever is left behind, and He succeeds whoever perishes;
p: 160
so, return to Allah, desire Him, for He looks at you when you are afflicted; therefore, you, too, look up to Him, for the true calamity is when one is not rewarded. "
Then he went away. Companions asked each other if they knew who the man was. Imam Ali, peace be with him, said, "Yes; he is the Brother of the Messenger of Allah (ص) , al-Khidhr, peace be with him. " [1]
---------------
[1]: This tradition is narrated in different wordings in Al-Taazi, pp. 12, 14; Muntakhab Kanzul-Ummal, Vol. 6, p. 277 and in Al-Mustadrak ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 273.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 5, 221; Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, pp. 47, 96.
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 6, 221 with a variation in its wording citing Imam Abu Abdullah, peace be with him; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 96.
[1]: Dalaa'il Al-Nubuwwah, Vol. 7, p. 269; it is also narrated by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 58, and by Al-Majlisi in his Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 97.
The Calamity of the Loss of our Prophet
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, is quoted as having said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "If any of you is afflicted by a calamity, let him remember the calamity that afflicted me, for it is the most serious of all calamities. " [2]
He (ص) has also said, "One who sees his calamity as being great should remember his calamity in my regard, for his will then seem tolerable. "
He (ص) has also said during his sickness which eventually led to his demise, "O people! Any servant of Allah who is afflicted after my death with a calamity, let him seek solace in my regard [with my own death] to divert himself from any other calamity, for no member of my nation will ever be afflicted with a calamity more hard on him than my own. " [3]
Abdullah son of al-Walid, through his own isnad, says that "When Ali, peace be with him, was wounded, al-Hassan (ع) dispatched me to al-Hussain (ع) , peace be with them, when al-Hussain (ع) was in the Madaain [as its provincial governor].
When al-Hussain (ع) read the
p: 161
letter [sent to him by his revered wounded father (ع) ], he said, 'What a calamity! How serious this calamity is! Yet the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with him and his progeny, had said, 'If one of you is afflicted by a calamity, let him remember my calamity, for he shall never be afflicted with a calamity greater than it. '" [1]
Ishaq ibn Ammar quotes Imam al-Sadiq (ع) as saying to him, "O Ishaq! Do not count a calamity for which you are granted patience and deserved rewards from Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, as a calamity; rather, a true calamity is one the person afflicted by it is deprived of its rewards because he did not take to patience when it descended on him. " [2]
Abu Maysarah (or al-Fudail ibn Maysar, according to Al-Kafi) has said, "We were in the company of [Imam al-Sadiq] Abu Abdullah, peace be with him, when a man came to him and complained about his calamity. The Imam (ع) said to him, "You have the option to either take to patience, so you will be rewarded, or you do not, so the decree of Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, affects you (while you are held in contempt). " [3]
Jabir [ibn Abdullah al-Ansari], may Allah be pleased with him, has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said once, "Gabriel, peace be with him, has said to me, 'O Muhammad! Live as long as you like, for you shall die. Love
p: 162
whomsoever you wish, for you shall part with him. And do whatever you wish, for you shall meet your deeds. '" [1]
It has been narrated that there was a man among the Children of Israel who was a scholar, an adorer of his Lord, a man of knowledge who reached the degree of ijtihad (ability to extract law) , and he had a wife of whom he was very fond. She died, so he grieved for her immensely, so much so that he took to seclusion at his house without leaving it, closing his door to the public and staying away from them; nobody could enter.
A woman from among the Children of Israel heard about what had happened to him, so she came and said that she needed to hear his judgment about a matter wherein direct communication is required. People went away as she remained at the door. He was told about her, so he permitted her to enter. She said, "Shall I ask you to issue a verdict about an issue? "
He said, "What is it? " She said, "I borrowed some pieces of jewelry from one of my neighbors and kept wearing them for quite some time, then the owners sent me a message asking for them back. Should I give them back? " He said, "Yes. " She said, "But the jewelry has been with me for such a long period of time. "
He said, "This is another reason why you should return it. " It is then that she said to him,
p: 163
"May Allah have mercy on you! Do you feel sorrowful about what Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, had lent you then took it away from you, while He has more right to it than yourself?! " It was then that he saw the wisdom in what she said, and Allah made him benefit by it. [1]
Abu al-Dardaa' is quoted as having said that Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) son of Dawud (David) , peace be with them both, had a son whom he used to love very much and who died, so he grieved immensely for him. Allah Almighty sent him two angels in human form. He asked them, "Who are you? " "Two opponents. "
He said, "Sit as opponents sit. " One of them said, "I planted something, then this person came and ruined it. " Sulayman (ع) asked the other man, "What is this man talking about? " He said, "May Allah reform you; he planted it in the road; I passed by it and looked right and left and saw nothing but plants. I took the side of the road and this was the reason it was ruined. "
Sulayman (ع) asked the other man, "What made you plant something in people's way? Did you not know that the way is a passage for people and people have to pass? " One of those two angels said to him, "Did you, O Sulayman, not know that death is people's passage and they have to go on their way? " It was as though the veil was
p: 164
removed for Sulayman (ع) ; therefore, he no longer grieved for his son. This has been narrated by Ibn Abu al-Dunya. [1]
It has also been reported that a judge from among the Children of Israel lost a son, so he grieved for him a great deal and went out aimlessly. Two men intercepted his way and asked him to judge in their dispute. He said to them, "It is from this that I fled away! "
One of them said, "This man brought his flock and passed over my plants, ruining them completely. " The other said, "This man planted between the mountain and the river, and there was no other path besides it. " The judge said, "When you planted between the mountain and the river, did you not know that it is people's passage? "
The man said to him, "What about yourself? When a son was born to you, did you not know that he will [eventually] die? Go back to your seat of judging between people. " They ascended their way; they both were angels. [2]
It has also been narrated that there was a couple, both handicapped, in Mecca who had a young son. In the morning, their son would carry them to the Mosque, spending his day looking after them. In the evening, he would carry them back home. Once, the Prophet (ص) missed seeing them, so he asked about them. He was told that their son had died. The Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "Had anyone been left for anyone, the son
p: 165
of those two handicapped persons would have been left for them. " [1]
The above has been narrated by al-Tabrani.
It is narrated that the son of Abu al-Dunya has said [quoting the Prophet (ص) commenting about the above incident], "Had anything been left because it is needed or to avoid want, that youth would have been left for his parents. "
It has been reported about some ascetic woman that she said, "Whenever a calamity is mentioned to me, I remember the Fire [of hell]; so it becomes smaller in my eyes than the particles of dust. "
---------------
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 1, 220 with a variation of its wording from Imam Abu Abdullah [Al-Sadiq], peace be with him; Al-Jami' Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 41; Al-Jami` Al-Saghir, Vol. 1, p. 72.
[3]: Al-Jami` Al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 372 with a difference in its wording; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 143.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 1, 220 with a minor difference in its wording; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 143.
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 224; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 144.
[3]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, pp. 10, 225 with a minor wording variation; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 142.
[1]: [Man la Yahduruhu] Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, pp. 298, 1363, taken for granted; Al-Jami` Al-Saghir, Vol. 2, pp. 248, 6077; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 144.
[1]: Malik, Al-Muwatta', Vol. 1, p. 237 with minor wording variation; Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 154.
[1]: Al-Majlisi, in his Bihar Al-Anwar, records the same incident on p. 154, Vol. 82.
[2]: Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 155.
[1]: This incident is recorded by Al-Majlisi in Vol. 2, p. 155 of his Bihar Al-Anwar, and it has been narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan, Vol. 4, p. 66 but worded differently.
The Faithful Tested with Calamities
One who is afflicted by a calamity should remember that calamities, trials and tribulations are all sent by Allah to those about whom He cares, those whom He likes and towards whom He directs His attention. Before one confirms this reality by looking into the Qur'an and Sunnah, he must observe those who are afflicted in this temporal abode: He will then find out that the most afflicted of all people are those of goodness and righteousness after the prophets and messengers of Allah. Sacred Qur'anic verses inform you of the same:
Allah Almighty has said:
"And were it not that (all) men might become of one (evil) way of life, We would provide, for everyone who blasphemes against (Allah) , Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses and (silver) stairways on which they ascend" (Qur'an, 43: 33) ;
" Do not let the unbelievers think that Our respite to them is good for them: We grant them respite so they may grow in
p: 166
their iniquity, but they will have a shameful punishment" (Qur'an, 3: 178) ;
"When Our clear Signs are recited to them, the unbelievers say to those who believe, 'Which of the two sides is best in position? Which makes the best show in council? ' But how many (countless) generations before them have We destroyed who were even better in equipment and in glitter to the eye?
Say: “If any men go astray, (Allah) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see God's warning (being fulfilled, either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour, they will at length realize who is in the worst position, and (who is the) weakest in strength! And Allah advances in guidance those who seek guidance, and the things that endure, the good deeds, are best as rewards in your Lord's sight and best in respect of (their) eventual returns. ” (Qur'an, 19: 73-75).
Abdul-Rahman son of al-Hajjaj has narrated saying that affliction was mentioned to Imam Abu Abdullah [al-Sadiq], peace be with him, and what Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, has in store for a believer, so he said that people once asked the Prophet (ص) about who in the life of this world is the most afflicted, tried and tested. The Prophet (ص) said, "They are the prophets then people whose conduct is the very best. A believer is tested according to the measure of his iman (conviction) and good deeds. One whose conviction is sound and action is good will
p: 167
have intensified afflictions, whereas one whose conviction is weak and so is his knowledge, his affliction will be little. " [1]
Zayd, the oil seller, has quoted Imam Abu Abdullah Hussein (ع) as saying, "Great rewards follow great calamities. Whenever Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, loves some people, He tries and tests them. " [2]
Abu Busayr quotes Imam Abu Abdullah Hussein (ع) , peace be with him, as saying, "There are on earth elite worshippers of Allah; whenever something precious descends from the heavens to earth, Allah diverts it from them to others; and whenever a calamity descends, He sends it their way. " [3]
Al-Husain ibn Alwan quotes the Imam Hussein (ع) , too, as saying, "If Allah Almighty loves one of His servants, he pours calamities on him, drowning him in them; I and you welcome the morning then the evening in such condition. " [4]
Imam Abu Ja`far al-Baqir, peace be with him, has said, "Whenever Allah, the most Blessed, the most Exalted One, loves a servant, he immerses him in affliction. When he calls on Him, He would say, 'Here I am, O My servant! If you wish I speed up fulfilling your desire, I can do it; but if I treasure it [for you], it is better for you. " [5]
Abu Abdullah, peace be with him, has said that the Messenger of Allah (ص) said, "A great tribulation is rewarded with a great reward. If Allah loves one of His servants, He tests him with a great calamity. Whoever accepts it will have won the pleasure of
p: 168
Allah, and whoever is angered by the calamity will earn Allah's wrath. " [1]
Imam Abu Ja`far, peace be with him, has said, "Allah tries the believer in this life according to [the degree of conviction in] his faith. " [2]
Najiyah has said, "I said to Abu Ja`far, peace be with him, 'Al-Mughirah says that Allah does not afflict a believer with leprosy or leukemia or… anything else. ' He said, 'He is unaware of the believer in Al-Yasin who is referred to in Surat Ya- Sin (Chapter 36 of the Holy Qur'an) ; his fingers were dried; then they were healed. He warned the disbelievers and returned to them the next day, but they killed him… A believer is afflicted with every calamity, and he dies in every way, but he does not kill himself. " [3]
Abdullah ibn Ya`fur has said, "I complained to Abu Abdullah Hussein, peace be with him, about the pain from which I was suffering—and I was quite often sick—so he said to me, 'O father of Abdullah! Had a believer come to know what rewards he earns during times of calamities, he would have wished to be cut to pieces with scissors. '" [4]
Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq [ع]) has said, "People of righteousness will always remain in a hardship; but it is for a short period and will lead to a very, very long period of felicity. " [5]
Hamdan quotes Abu Ja`far (Imam Muhammad al-Baqir father of Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq [ع]) saying, "Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, tries to get closer to a believer
p: 169
through affliction like a man trying to get closer to his wife by giving her a present; He protects him in the life of this world like a doctor protecting his patient. " [1]
Abu Abdullah (ع) has said that the Prophet (ص) was invited once to a meal. When he entered the host's house, he saw that a hen had laid an egg on a fencing wall. The egg fell on a wedge in the wall and stayed on it without falling and breaking. The Prophet (ص) was surprised, so the man said to him, "Are you surprised about this egg (which did not break)? By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have never been afflicted with a loss [as small as losing an egg]," whereupon the Messenger of Allah (ص) stood up and did not partake of that man's food at all. He (ص) said, "Allah has nothing to do with one who never suffers a loss. " [2]
Reports similar to these are numerous, so let us be satisfied with this much.
---------------
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 2, 196.
[2]: Ibid. , Vol. 2, pp. 3, 196.
[3]: Ibid. , Vol. 2, pp. 5, 196; Tanbih Al-Khawatir, Vol. 2, p. 204; with some variation in Al-Tamhis, pp. 26, 35.
[4]: Ibid. , Vol. 2, pp. 6, 197.
[5]: Ibid. , Vol. 2, pp. 7, 197; Al-Tamhis, pp. 25, 34 with minor wording variation.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 8, 197. It is also narrated on pp. 20, 33 of Al-Tamhis by [Imam] Abdu Abdullah [Al-Sadiq].
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 9, 197; Mishkat Al-Anwar, p. 298.
[3]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 12, 197; Tanbih Al-Khawatir, Vol. 2, p. 204 with a minor wording difference between both texts.
[4]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 15, 198; Tanbih Al-Khawatir, Vol. 2, p. 204. It is also narrated with a minor wording difference in Al-Mu'min, pp. 3, 15 and in Al-Tamhis, pp. 13, 32.
[5]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 16, 198.
[1]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 17, 198; Tanbih Al-Khawatir, Vol. 2, p. 204. It is also narrated with a wording difference on pp. 50, 91 in Al-Tamhis.
[2]: Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, pp. 20, 198.
Conclusion
We would like to conclude this dissertation with a sacred letter written by our master, Imam al-Sadiq, Abu Abdullah Ja`far son of Muhammad (ع) , to a group from among his cousins when they were afflicted with hardship by some of their enemies by way of consoling them.
We narrate it through isnad to Sheikh Abu Ja`far al-Tusi—may Allah sanctify his soul—who quotes Sheikh al-Mufid Muhammad ibn al-Nu'man and al-Hussain ibn Ubaydullah al-Ghada'iri citing al-Sadūq Abu Ja`far Muhammad
p: 170
ibn Ali ibn Babawayh from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn al-Walid from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Saffar from Muhammad ibn al-Hussain ibn Abu al-Khattab from the great trusted authority Muhammad ibn Abu Omayr from Ishaq ibn Ammar saying that Abu Abdullah Ja`far ibn Muhammad, peace be with them both, wrote Abdullah ibn al-Hassan, when he and his family were taken captives, consoling him for what had befallen him saying the following:
In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
To the righteous descendants and good progeny from the son of his brother and cousin:
If you have been singled out—you and your family who were taken away [captive] with you—with regard to what has happened to you, you are not alone with regard to sadness, anger, depression and heart ache besides myself. I have had my share of feeling alarmed, upset and burnt by calamity as much as you have.
But I remembered how Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, has commanded the righteous to be patient and to take to solace when He addresses His Prophet, peace and blessings be with him and his progeny:
"Now wait for your Lord's command with patience, for truly you are in Our eyes" (Qur'an, 52: 48) ;
"So wait patiently for your Lord's command, and do not be like the companion of the whale (prophet Younus, Jonah) " (Qur'an, 68: 48) ;
and remember when He told His Prophet (ص) when Hamzah's corpse was mutilated:
"And if you retaliate, do it in no worse a way than
p: 171
they did to you: But if you show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient" (Qur'an, 16: 126)
and also when He says,
"Enjoin prayer on your people, and be persevere. We do not ask you to provide sustenance: We provide it for you. But the (fruit of) the hereafter is for righteousness" (Qur'an, 20: 132).
Other such verses are:
"[Those] who say, when afflicted with calamity, “To Allah do we belong, and to Him do we return. ” They are the ones on whom God's blessings and mercy (descend) , and they are the ones who receive guidance" (Qur'an, 2: 156-57) ;
"Those who patiently persevere will indeed receive a reward without measure! " (Qur'an, 39: 10) ;
"… bear with patient constancy whatever betides you, for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs" (Qur'an, 31: 17) ;
"Moses said to his people, “Pray for help from Allah, and (wait) in patience and constancy, for the earth is God's to grant as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleases, and the end is (best) for the righteous" (Qur'an, 7: 128) ;
"… those who have faith and do righteous deeds and (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy…" (Qur'an, 103: 3) ;
" We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil) , but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere" (Qur'an, 2: 155) ;
"… men and women who are patient…" (Qur'an, 33: 35) ;
"… be patient
p: 172
and constant, till Allah decides, for He is the best to decide" (Qur'an, 10: 109).
"Be informed, Uncle and Cousin, that Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, does not mind a loyal servant of His suffers for some time, and there is nothing dearer to Him than one who perseveres while being harmed, exhausted and fatigued.
And He, Blessed and Exalted is He, did not care for any period of time about the riches of this life going to His enemy. Had it not been so, His foes would not have killed His loyal servants, intimidated them, jailed them, while His enemies are secure, living in comfort, high in places, having power over others.
Had it not been so, both Zakariyya (Zacharius) and his son Yahya (John the Baptist) would not have been killed wrongfully and aggressively due to the oppression of an oppressor. Had it not been so, your grandfather, Ali ibn Abu Talib, peace be with him, would not have been killed when he undertook to follow the commandments of Allah, the most Great, the most Sublime, nor your uncle al-Hussain son of Fatima, peace be with them both, due to persecution and enmity.
"Had it not been so, Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, would not have stated in His Book the following:
"And were it not that (all) men might become of one (evil) way of life, We would provide, for everyone who blasphemes against (Allah) , the Most Gracious, silver roofs for their houses and
p: 173
(silver) stairways on which they ascend" (Qur'an, 43: 33) ;
"Do they think that, because We have granted them abundance of wealth and sons, We would hasten them on in every good? Nay! They (simply) do not understand" (Qur'an, 23: 55-56). "
"Had it not been so, this tradition would not have come to be: "Had the believer not felt saddened by it, I would have made for the unbeliever a headband of iron, so no headache can ever reach him. "
"Had it not been so, this tradition would not have been narrated: "Life in this world is not worth to Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great, the wing of a mosquito. "
"Had it not been so, Allah would not have let an apostate take of its water a handful to drink.
"Had it not been so, this tradition would not have been narrated: "Had a believer been on the summit of a mountain, Allah would have sent him an unbeliever or a hypocrite to harm him. "
"Had it not been so, this tradition would not have been narrated: "If Allah loves some people, or a servant, He would pour affliction on them/him, so they/he do (es) not get out of grief except to fall into another. "
"Had it not been so, this tradition would not have been reported: "There are no dosages dearer to Allah Almighty, which His believing servant swallows in the life of this world, than one of suppressing anger and outrage, and one of grief at the time of a calamity about which he is
p: 174
patient with good consolation and hope for His rewards. "
"Had it not been so, the companions of the Messenger of Allah (ص) would not have prayed for those who oppressed them to have a long lifespan, physical health and an abundance of wealth and children.
"Had it not been so, we would not have come to know that whenever the Messenger of Allah (ص) singled out a man to pray for mercy and forgiveness for him, the man would be martyred.
"So, O uncle, cousin, cousins and brothers, take to patience, accept, surrender and commit yourselves to Allah, the most Exalted One, the most Great; accept and be patient about His decree; uphold obedience to Him and obey His command.
"May the Almighty pour on us and on yourselves patience, and may He conclude for us and for yourselves with happiness. May He save us and yourselves from every perdition by His Might; surely He hears, and He is near. Allah blesses the Chosen One from among His creation, Muhammad the Prophet and his progeny, peace and blessings of Allah be with them all. " [1]
This is the end of the consolation ver batim as copied from the book titled Al-Tatimmaat wal Muhimmaat, and with it do we conclude this dissertation, praising Allah Almighty for what He has enabled us to achieve, blessing the Man of the Message (ص) and his progeny, the people of infallibility and equity.
It was completed by its author, the one who is in need for Allah Almighty, Zain ad-Din Ali ibn
p: 175
Ahmad al-Shami al-Amili, may Allah deal with him through His favor and forgive him through His boon.
It was completed during the daytime of Friday, the first of the anticipated sacred month of Rajab in the year 954 A. H. , praising, blessing, greeting and seeking Allah's forgiveness. All praise belongs only to Allah; His peace and blessing be with our master Muhammad, his progeny and companions.
p: 176
---------------
[1]: Iqbal Al-A'mal, p. 578 with minor wording difference. It is also cited in Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 82, p. 145 from Musakkin Al-Fuad.
- 18/08/30