The Message Magazine - Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

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THE MESSAGE
Editor: Hujjat-ul-Islam Wal Muslimeen Sheikh Shabbir H. Lakhani (Maisami)
Editorial Board: Mr. Mazher Ali Jumani, Molana Sajjad Qaimi, Dr. Hussain Kanani,
Mr. Hasnain Nanjiani.
Annual Subscription: Pak. Rs. 500/=
For subscription and suggestions contact:

6, Jiwani Garden, JM-208/2, Amil Colony, Soldier Bazar # 3, Karachi Pakistan
Email: themessage@zahraacademy.org Web: www.zahraacademy.org
Disclaimer: The Editor does not necessarily agree with the views expressed in the matter
published herein. The views and opinions presented in the Journal reflect the views of the authors
and not of the Journal or its Editorial Board or the Publisher.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)
02
From The Editors Desk
03
Your Daily-Life Questions Answered
04
A Glance at the Life of Holy Prophet (S)
06
A Biography of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (A.S.)
29
Appointing Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.) as the Next Imam by

Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S)
39
7
8
9
10
9th Rabi al-Awwal A Day of Rejoicing and Celebration

Peace Treaty of Imam Hasan Mujtaba (A)
The Migration of the Prophet: the Source of Historical
Transformation
Imamate at Childhood
46
48
52
58
Kids Corner
11
Always Speak the Truth
61
12
Recommendation for Helping Others
62
13
Monotheism in Worship & Fear from the Resurrection Day
63
Published by
Zahra (S.A.) Academy

Institute of Islamic Education, Development & Relief
The Message
Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)
1. Verily the truth is not
known through men; know
the truth (first) and you will
know its people.
glory be to Him; thus because of it (i.e. the same

wealth) the latter entered
Paradise whereas the former entered the Fire.
2. The servant of Allah is free

so far as he remains content. The free man is a slave
as long as he is greedy.
8. The best of people in the

sight of Allah is he who
likes to act according to
what is right even if it
brings him loss and misery
more than what is wrong,
even if it brings him profit
and increase of wealth.
3. Planning before action will

preserve you from regret.
4. He who is negligent in his
work is afflicted with anxiety.
5. The fruit of the jealousy is
the misery of this world
and the Hereafter.
9. Worry is half of old age.

10. Wisdom is a tree that
grows in the heart and produces fruit on the tongue.
6. Whoever utters the name

of Allah on some food that
he eats will never be asked
(to account for) the bounty
of that food.
11. The foolishness of a man is

recognised by three things:
idle talk, answering something he was not asked, and
being careless in matters.
7. The greatest of regrets on

the Day of Resurrection will
be the regret of a man who
gained wealth through
means of disobedience Allah, which was then inherited by a man who spent it
in the obedience of Allah,
12. The worst enemy of man is

his rage and lust, and he
who suppresses them will
make his status elevate and
will reach his goal.

2
The Message
From The Editors Desk

given by Islam and also the
most important responsibility
of time so by decree of Imame-Ummat Imam Khomeini
(r.a.) the week between 12th
Rabi-ul Awwal and 17th Rabiul-Awwal each year is celebrated as Unity Week.
In the name of Allah, the

all mercy, the ever mercy.
Brothers and Sisters,

Salam Alaikum.
Zahra (s.a.) Academy Pakistan
extends heartiest greetings
and felicitations to the Household of Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.), the Holy
Imams (a.s.) especially Imame-Zamana (may the Almighty
Allah hasten his return), to
the Muslim ummah and the
followers and lovers of the
Holy Ahlulbait (a.s.) on the
blessed occasion of Wiladat of
last Prophet of Allah (s.w.t.)
Hazrat Muhammad-e-Mustafa
(s.a.w.w.) and our sixth Holy
Imam, Hazrat Imam Jafar
Sadiq (a.s.).
It is our prayer that his birth

anniversary may serve to
unite the Muslim nation, to
keep them safe, and to allow
their continual development.
Please remember us and all
Momineen,
especially
the
oppressed ones, in your
prayers as we remember you
in ours. We thank all those
who showed their confidence
in our system and gave us a
chance to serve the Muslim
Ummah. May the guidance &
blessings of Allah (SWT) be
with you and your family!
Because of different traditions

Sunni
Muslims
celebrate
Wiladat of Rasool Allah
(s.a.w.w.) on 12th Rabi-ulAwwal while Shia Muslims
celebrate it on 17th Rabi-ulAwwal. As the Unity amongst
Muslims is a responsibility
Long live Islam,

Long live Pakistan.
Editor,
Shabbir H. Maisami (Lakhani)
The Message
Your Daily-Life Questions Answered

Q.1: In the event of separation, who is entitled to
the custody of children,
the father or the mother?
sible sea animals]. But other

than fish, like lobster, and
similarly the fish that does not
have scale is forbidden.
Ans.: The right of the custody

of the children is for the
mother for the first two years
of the childs age, whether the
child is a male or a female.
After that, it is obligatory on
her to give the custody to the
father if he asks for it. At the
same time, the father should
not prevent the mother from
corresponding with her child
as this is a right for both the
child and the mother.
Q.4: I would like to know

the depth and extent of a
husband's obligations for
maintenance and expenses of the wife. Is it true
that the husband should
provide the same level of
life as the wife had before
marriage?
Ans.: The husband is obliged
to provide his wife with food,
clothing and housing in conformity with her social status
and dignity; dignity meaning
the same level of life that she
had before marriage.
Q.2: Is it necessary for a

woman to cover her feet
in front of a stranger?
Ans.: Yes, it is necessary.
Q.5: Is it permissible to
perform prayers near a
grave or in a graveyard?
Q.3: What type of sea food

is allowed? Are crabs,
lobsters, shrimps allowed
to eat?
Ans.: It is makrooh (abominable) to perform prayers in a

graveyard,
between
two
graves, on a grave, or opposite to the grave.
Ans.: It is not permissible to

eat from marine animals
anything except fish that has
scale; shrimp is considered
from that category [of permis-
Q.6: Is it permissible for a

man to wear a watch that
The Message
perform these acts, he should

fast for 3 consecutive days.
contains parts made from

gold or a watch whose
strap is made of gold? Is it
permissible to say salat
with it?
Q.8: Is it permissible to
listen to revolutionary
songs accompanied by
sounds of piano, lute,
drum,
wind-pipe,
and
electronic piano?
Ans.: It is not permissible for

men to wear gold objects
such as a gold chain, a gold
ring and a gold watch, even
though the gold may be white
in color. Wearing gold plated
objects is also not allowed
and prayer in them would be
invalid.
Ans.: If the music accompanying it is that which is

suitable for entertainment and
amusement gatherings, it is
not permissible to listen to it.
Q.9: In Qur'ani sajda is it
obligatory to place all 7
organs on the ground?
Q.7: If someone says: "I

swear to God I won't do
this deed" and then does it
again. What is the Kaffarah for it?
Ans.: The obligatory precaution is that in the obligatory

Sajda caused by the Qur'anic
verse, a person should place
his forehead on a mohr, or any
other thing on which sajda is
allowed, and also one should
keep other parts of one's body
on the ground, as required in a
sajda of prayers.
Ans.: If a person takes an

oath that he will perform an
act (e.g. that he will fast) or
will refrain from doing an act
(e.g. that he will not smoke),
but does not intentionally act
according to his oath, he
should give Kaffarah for it,
which means he should set a
slave free, or should fully feed
10 indigent persons, or should
provide them with clothes.
And if he is not able to
Q.10: Is it permissible for a

lady to spend her iddatulwafat at her sons house
living in another city?
Ans.: Yes, it is.
The Message
A Glance at the Life of Holy Prophet (S)

By: Hojjat al-Islam Shaykh Muhsin Qara'ati
Among all the Prophets, the

Holy Prophet is the only
Prophet about whose life even
ordinary matters have been
recorded in history and this is
a great accomplishment of the
Muslim nation because the
biographical sketches of other
Prophets have been written
after a lapse of considerable
time with alterations and
incorrect accounts by some of
their followers. However on
the life and attributes of the
Holy Prophets many books
were written in Arabic language some details of which
have been mentioned in our
discussions on the signs of the
Prophets. Thus it seems
pertinent to give a brief
account of the conduct and
character of our Holy Prophet.
It would be profitable for all
the Muslims to know the
details of the Prophet's
character, morals, and private
life. Whatever is written in the
following pages has been
derived from Biharul Anwar,

vol. 16; Sirah-i Ibn Hisham,
Kuhlul Basar, Tafsir al-Mizan,
vol. 6 and other authentic
books.
His
Compassion
Sympathy:
and
Before the advent of Islam, it

so happened that people were
worried about the appalling
conditions of famine. Abu
Talib, the uncle of the Holy
Prophet was also equally
perturbed because he had a
large family to support and his
resources were limited. The
Holy Prophet decided with his
uncle Abbas to go to Abu
Talib and in order to lessen
the burden of his daily expenses, each one of them
should take one son of Abu
Talib. Thus Abbas took Ja'far
and the Holy Prophet brought
Imam Ali to his house and
became his guardian from his
very childhood. This was one
example of the compassionate
nature
Islam.
of
the
Prophet
of
The Message
he was sitting before Allah's

bounties.
His Morals:
His Family Life:
The Holy Prophet used to

sleep on the floor on a simple
mat. He cobbled his shoes
and patched his clothes
himself. He smiled away any
disgraceful remark. He would
go to buy things for himself.
Despite the fact that most of

the wives of the Holy Prophet
were of advanced age,
mothers of orphaned children,
and were of varying nature
and disposition, he treated
them nicely as is mentioned in
the Holy Qur'an: Treat them
kindly ...[1] Though some of
his wives treated him so badly
that his companions used to
advise him to leave them for
the good. But he used to say
that the shortcomings of a
woman should be weighed
with some of her good
qualities also. One should not
divorce one's wife on her
minor fault or slight unpleasant behavior because women
possess some good qualities
and noble attributes also.
Anas bin Malik says, "For

years I was in the service of
the Holy Prophet but never
even for once did he reprimand me on my fault. The
Holy Prophet milked the shegoat himself, greeted the
children first and accepted the
invitation of his slaves. He
would never make a disparaging remark about the food
which was not of his liking. He
was particular about cleansing
his teeth with Miswak, applying perfume and taking bath
on Fridays. While going out of
the house he put on white
dress. While taking his food,
he would never lean upon
anything so that there might
not be any sign of pride when
The Holy Prophet said:

"Anyone who is affluent with
regard to wealth and property
but still remains stingy with
his wife and children is not
amongst us". [2]
The Message
After the passing away of his

beloved wife, Lady Khadija
the Holy Prophet treated all
those ladies who were her
intimate friends with high
esteem and favour.
His Initiative in Greeting

the Children:
The Holy Prophet used to call
the name of the boys and
girls with respect. He gave
special instructions about
respecting the girls. In his
code of conduct the injunction
for giving respect to the
females is present. This is the
view of the Holy Prophet. But
once when on the birth of a
female child the father of the
child became so furious that
his face turned black. The
Holy Qur'an says:
The Holy Prophet used to say:

"I treat my family members
better than anyone else". [3]
The Holy Prophet observed
justice with his wives so
strictly that even during his
serious illness his bed was
made each night by regular
turns in every wife's chamber.
His Feelings for the Newborn:
When the glad news of the

birth of their daughter is
announced to them, their
faces turn gloomy and black
with anger. [5]
A newborn baby was brought

to the Holy Prophet for
blessings or for giving him a
name. The new-born passed
urine in the lap of the Holy
Prophet and the parents as
well as the people standing
around became very much
embarrassed. At this the Holy
Prophet said: "Don't mind.
The little one is getting
frightened of your making a
noise. I shall have my clothes
washed". [4]
Under such ghastly condition

of the society, respect for the
sons and daughters particularly of the daughter was a
conspicuous thing. The Holy
Prophet said: "The best of
your offsprings are the daughters, and the sign of a woman's auspiciousness is that her
first-born is a daughter". [6]
A companion of the Holy

Prophet was sitting with him.
When he heard the news of
the birth of his daughter he
became displeased. The Holy
Prophet then said to him:
"When earth is her abode, the
sky is her shelter and her
livelihood is secure with Allah,
why have you become so
unhappy? She is like a flower
spreading its fragrance and
she will stand you in good
stead". [7]
The Message
happened to be a solar
eclipse, people thought it was
as a consequence of the
demise of the son of the Holy
Prophet. At this the Holy
Prophet assembled the people
and said: "The occultation of
the sun was not due to the
sad demise of my son,
Ibrahim". Thus the Holy
Prophet got the people saved
from falling into ignorance,
superstition and undue love.
His Hospitality:
A man told the Holy Prophet

that he had never kissed his
child. The Holy Prophet said:
"This is the sign of your cold
bloodedness".
Salman Farsi, the loyal

companion
of the
Holy
Prophet said: "I happened to
visit the Holy Prophet at his
house. He offered me the
same pillow which was the
only one in his own use".
In the matter of giving equal

treatment to all the children,
the Holy Prophet said: "If you
kiss a child before another,
you should kiss the other one
also".
Such a treatment of his

visitors was not particularly
shown to Salman Farsi but it
was for every Muslim.
He was not an Opportunist:
One day each of the foster

brothers and sisters of the
Holy Prophet separately came
to the Holy Prophet. He
treated the sister with greater
respect than the brothers.
One of the sons of the Holy

Prophet was Ibrahim who
expired early in his infancy.
When after his death there
The Message
When the people inquired

about this distinction, the Holy
Prophet replied:
his teeth with Miswak, and

reciting a few verses of the
Holy Qur'an, he got himself
busy with the worship of
Allah. Some of his wives used
to say to him: "You are
innocent and infallible and yet
you do a lot of imploration!"
The Holy Prophet would
answer them by saying:
"Should I not try to be a
grateful servant of Allah".
"As this sister used to respect

her parents, I have greater
regard and love for her". [8]
Sometimes the guests of the
Holy Prophet overstayed their
welcome even after finishing
with their meals and got
themselves busy in conversation but still he tolerated it. At
last a Qur'anic verse was
revealed saying:
During the month of Ramadan, the Holy Prophet used to

free his slaves. While offering
prayers he trembled with fear.
When he offered his prayers
alone he prolonged his
bowing and prostration but in
congregation he shortened
them. One of his companions
who was appointed to lead
the congregational prayers
was instructed by him to
recite a short Surah after
Surah al-Hamd so as not to
prolong the duration of the
prayers in congregation.
If you are invited, you may

enter, but be punctual (so
that you will not be waiting
while the meal is being
prepared). When you have
finished eating, leave his
home, and do not sit around
chatting among yourselves.
This will annoy the Prophet
and he will feel embarrassed
to tell you. [9]
His Extreme Dedication:
The Holy Prophet used to
wake up from his sleep after
midnight. After prostrating
himself before Allah, brushing
His Insight and Sagacity:

While solving any problem,
the Holy Prophet used to
10
apply his foresight, and sense

of justice.
The Message
Prophet's insight as well as

the sense of justice that the
dispute was settled amicably.
When the different tribes of

Arabia rebuilt the Holy Ka'ba,
the dispute arose as to which
tribe should install the sacred
Black Stone (Hajar ul aswad)
at its original place. This
dispute was going to create
an ugly situation. A man
suggested that whoever came
to the Masjidul Haram first of
all in the early morning should
be made to arbitrate between
them. The following morning
the Holy Prophet was the first
to come to the Holy Ka'ba and
hence he was accepted as an
arbiter in this dispute. The
Holy Prophet then ordered
them to bring a sheet of cloth.
When the cloth was brought
he placed the sacred Black
Stone in the middle of the
sheet of cloth and asked
every chief of the tribes to lift
it from each corner and carry
it near the Holy Ka'ba. Thereafter, the Holy Prophet picked
up the sacred Black Stone and
placed it at its original place.
It was because of the Holy
The Holy Prophet in the

Battlefield:
Imam Ali says: "The Holy
Prophet used to be always on
the forefront in the battlefield
to face the enemy. And in the
Battle of Trench when it was
decided to dig a trench
around the city of Madina, the
Holy Prophet was the first to
pick up the pickaxe for
digging the earth and he
continued digging the trench
along with his followers until
the trench was completely
ready". The Holy Imam
further says: "In the battlefields whenever we Muslims
were faced with some difficulty, we took shelter of the Holy
Prophet and sought his help
and protection".
His Decisiveness:
The Holy Prophet was never
prepared to ignore his ideological programme or any of
its principles for the sake of
increasing the number of his
11
The Message
followers. Some people from

Ta'if came to the Holy Prophet
and said: "We can profess
Islam provided that you give
us permission for idol-worship
and exempt us from offering
prayers". The Holy Prophet
rejected
their
conditions
straightaway. He did not care
to increase the numerical
strength of his followers at
the cost of the fundamental
principles of Islam.
On the way he saw a slavegirl who was crying. The Holy

Prophet asked her the cause
of her trouble. She said: "My
master gave me four dirhams
to buy things from the bazaar
but I lost that amount of
money. I am afraid of going
back home because of my
master". The Holy Prophet
gave that girl four dirhams
and bought a dress for
himself for four dirhams. On
his way back home he saw a
man who was without proper
clothes. The Holy Prophet
gave his dress to this man
and came back to the bazaar
to buy another dress for the
remaining four dirhams left
with him. On his way back
again the Holy Prophet saw
the same slave-girl still
standing there. She lamented
that since she was already
late for home she was scared
of her master who would beat
her for this. The Holy Prophet
accompanied the slave-girl to
her
master's
house.
In
deference
to
the
Holy
Prophet's coming to his house
His Piety and Devotion:

Once the Holy Prophet gave
twelve Dirhams to Imam Ali to
buy a dress for him (the
Prophet). The Holy Imam
went to the bazaar and
brought a dress costing the
same amount of money. The
Holy Prophet seeing the dress
said: "If the dress had been
simpler, it would have been
better. If the shopkeeper
agrees to take back the dress,
return it to him". The Holy
Imam returned the dress and
brought back twelve dirhams
to the Holy Prophet. This time
the Holy Prophet went along
with Imam Ali to the bazaar.
12
the master not only excused

the slave-girl but also freed
her. The Holy Prophet then
said: "Those twelve dirhams
were so auspicious that they
enabled two needy ones to
clothe themselves and a slavegirl to become free".[10]
The Message
quently the Jew who shadowed the Holy Prophet until

the following day embraced
Islam, and distributed his
money in charity in the name
of Allah. He said: 'I was not
actually meaning to harm the
Holy Prophet, for my intention
was to test the Holy Prophet's
high qualities of character ".
Indeed if we care to cut down

our personal expenditure we
can help the needy to procure
some of their basic needs.
His Loyalty:
Ammar Yasir, one of the
celebrated companions of the
Holy
Prophet
narrates:
"Before the announcement of
the Prophethood of the Holy
Prophet, he and I together
used to tend the cattle. One
day I suggested to the Holy
Prophet that a certain place
was most suited for tending
our cattle and we should go
over to that pasture. The Holy
Prophet agreed. On the
following day I found that the
Holy Prophet had already
reached there but he was
holding his sheep off and was
not allowing them to graze.
On my asking the reason for
this the Holy Prophet said:
"There was an agreement
The Holy Prophet owed a few

dirhams to a Jew. One day he
came to the Holy Prophet and
demanded his money but the
Holy Prophet had no money
with him to pay off his debt.
The Jew said: "I will not leave
this place until you give me
my money back". He stayed
there till it was the Zohr
(midday prayers) time. People
offered their Zohr prayers.
Then the time for evening,
dusk and night prayers came
and the Jew was still there to
pester the Holy Prophet. At
last the people became
annoyed. But the Holy Prophet said: "We are not supposed
to be unjust to him". Conse-
13
The Message
between us that both of us

together would graze our
sheep and thus it was not
proper on my part to graze
my sheep without you doing
the same at the same time".
gear to him so that he should

be under protection while
entering Makkah. Safwan
returned from Jeddah and
asked for a grace time of two
months until he could think of
embracing Islam. But the Holy
Prophet gave him the grace
period of four months instead
of two months.
His Method of Teaching:

While teaching the people
Islamic faith and moral
conduct or answering questions, the Holy Prophet used
to repeat his instructions
three times so as to drive the
idea home.
Safwan remained with the

Holy Prophet on his many
travels and after finding
himself enchanted by the
personality
of
the
Holy
Prophet and move by the
powerful force of his preachings, voluntarily professed
Islam as his religion.
His Sheltering the Enemy:

In the eighth year of the
migration, when the Holy
Prophet left Madina at the
head of an army and conquered Makkah, he entered
the Holy Ka'ba and smashed
up all the idols in it. Safwan,
one of the chiefs of the
idolaters, who belonged to the
tribe of Umayya fled away to
Jeddah which was at a
distance of a few miles from
Makkah. Some people interceded with the Holy Prophet
for his pardon. The Holy
Prophet then sent his head-
The Holy Qur'an says:

If the pagans ask you to give
them refuge, give them
asylum so that they may hear
the words of Allah. Then let
them return to their towns for
they are ignorant people.[11]
According to Islamic jurisprudence in Jihad (the Holy War
against the infidels) the giving
of shelter and asylum to
infidels have been stressed.
14
His Behavior
Enemies:
with
The Message
replied: "I reciprocated his

greeting in his own words that
is, "The same on you" which
he had wished for me".
the
On the occasion of the

conquest of Makkah, the Holy
Prophet pardoned even his
blood-thirsty enemies and not
only that he even pardoned
the unbelieving woman who
had conspired to kill him by
cooking for him a poisoned
meal.
Affectionate Treatment of
His Friends:
While on a journey people
used to divide work among
themselves and the Holy
Prophet, too, had his work to
do himself. He used to collect
the firewood for cooking food.
Despite his worthy companions desire not to let him
work, the Holy Prophet would
not agree to it. Once when
the Holy Prophet alighted
from the camel's back and
went to tether the animal to a
tree,
some
companions
rushed forward to do that
little job but the Holy Prophet
did not accept the help of the
companions and instead said"
"You too should not throw
yourself upon the help of
other".
Once an enemy of Islam

happened to come to the Holy
Prophet and instead of
greeting him with the celebrated
Islamic
Greeting
"Assalam u Alayka" (Peace be
in you) he said "Assamu
Alayka" (Death be on you)
and insolently repeated these
words several times, but
despite possessing the means
for revenge, the Holy Prophet
replied back by saying "Wa
Alayka" (Same be to you).
Some of those who were
present there became very
furious at the insolent behavior of the enemy. They said to
the Holy Prophet: "Why did
you not retaliate upon your
enemy?" The Holy Prophet
Some Special Traits of the

Holy Prophet
The Holy Prophet readily
accepted the invitation of the
15
The Message
slaves and he considered it

necessary to hold them in
high regard like other notables of the tribes. However he
would entrust their leadership
to those who were held in
respect by them.
never agreed and instead

prayed to Allah to show them
guidance.
Whenever he shook hands
with somebody he would not
withdraw until the other
person withdrew his hand
first.
The Holy Prophet was not

mindless of good or bad
behavior. He used to encourage as well as admonish
people as the occasion
demanded. He was always
much concerned about the
proper guidance of the
people. In this context the
following Qura'nic verse was
revealed to him:
Whenever he went on riding

he never allowed anybody to
follow him on foot and instead
he asked the people to go
separately until he met them
on the appointed place.
The Holy Prophet never
disappointed a beggar. A
woman sent his son to the
Holy Prophet and asked for
his dress. When the son came
to the Holy Prophet he gave
him his dress. On this occasion the following Qur'anic
verse was revealed to him.
We have not revealed the

Qur'an on you that you should
be burdened, but as admonition for whom who fear. [12]
In a gathering the Holy
Prophet gave so much individual attention to each other
and every person that he
thought that he was the only
favorite of the Holy Prophet.
Do not be niggardly or
extravagant that you may
later feel reprehensive and
constrained. [13]
Whenever he happened to
attend a gathering he always
seated himself at a lower
Sometimes the companions

suggested to the Holy Prophet
to curse the enemies but he
16
The Message
place. He would readily accept

a present howsoever humble
it was.
ted a theft, I would have not

spared her even from the
punishment".
Whenever he found any

Muslim or a companion
missing in a meeting, he
would immediately inquire
after him. If he happened to
be on a journey, he would
pray for his safe return and if
he happened to be sick he
would pray for his speedy
recovery.
The Holy Prophet paid

particular attention to the
captives and the slaves and
he himself married a captive
woman and thus by this
action of his the Muslims
started showing regard to the
captives and they freed many
of them. The Holy Prophet
asked the people to be kind to
the captives and to feed them
and clothe them like themselves and to call them by
their names so as not to give
them a feeling of inferiority.
He would ask the people to

sit in a circular seating arrangement so as not to give
any distinction to anyone over
the other.
The Holy Prophet treated

the poor and the rich alike
and during the conversation
he never allowed irrelevant or
controversial things to be
discussed, besides he never
found fault with anybody nor
did he indulge in laughter.
In matters of enforcing
laws, he never showed special
favour to anybody. Once, one
of his companions interceded
with him for a woman of a
famous tribe to excuse her
punishment. At this the Holy
Prophet said: "By Allah! I am
not the one to relax the
punishment
ordained
by
Divine
commandment
in
favour of anybody. If my own
daughter Fatima had commit-
His Concern of the Common Man:

Unlike those leaders who fled
away from the scene of
trouble and hardship or those
17
The Message
who left their friends in the

lurch and migrated from their
town or country, the Holy
Prophet stayed in Makkah all
the time and instead sent his
followers to migrate to
Abyssinia (Ethiopia). While
migrating to Madina, the Holy
Prophet first sent a batch of
the loyal followers to Madina.
built up there, but most of the

young people gave their
opinion for fighting the battle
outside Madina. Here we see
that the Holy Prophet gave
preference to the opinion of
young and zealous fighters
over that of others including
his own, and as such they all
marched forward towards
Uhud to face the enemy.
What is more interesting is
that the verse 159 of Surah
Ale Imran was revealed after
the set-back of the Muslims in
the Battle of Uhud. [14]
His Consulting the People:

In all those matters where
there was no special command from Allah and they
were left to the people's
discretion, the Holy Prophet
very often used to consult
them before taking any
decision. As for example on
the occasion of the Battle of
Uhud, the Holy Prophet set up
an advisory council and
consulted the people as to
whether the believers should
fight the battle outside Madina
or they should remain within
the city of Madina. The Holy
Prophet himself and a few of
his companions were of the
opinion that the battle should
be fought in Madina and
accordingly defense should be
The above-mentioned verse

was revealed despite the fact
that after accepting the
opinion of the companions,
Muslims had to suffer defeat.
Allah says in the same verse
as follows:
Forgive them and ask Allah to
forgive (their sins) and consult
with them in certain matters.
But when you reach a decision trust Allah. Allah loves
those who trust Him. [15]
His Behavior
Opponents:
18
with
His
The treatment of the Holy

Prophet with his opponents
was based on the following
Qur'anic injunction:
The Message
mislead you but they mislead

no one save themselves. [19]
Some of them speak ill of the
Prophet saying, 'He listens to
everything and believes what
he hears'. (Muhammad) tell
them, 'He only listens to what
is good for you, believes in
Allah and has trust in the
believers. He is Mercy for the
believers among you. Those
who speak ill of the Messenger of Allah will face a painful
punishment'. [20]
If they (the unbelievers)

propose peace, accept it, and
trust in Allah. [16]
Of course, in another verse
we read that if the doubts
arise the agreement should be
revoked. The Holy Qur'an
says:
If you are afraid of treachery
of some of your allies, you
may disregard your treaty
with them. Allah does not love
the treacherous ones. [17]
Muhammad, say to the

followers of the Bible, 'We
must come to a common
term. Let us worship no one
except Allah nor consider
anything equal to Allah, nor
regard any of us as our lord
besides Allah. [18]
The Holy Prophet considered

military
preparations
for
fighting against the enemies of
Islam, the necessity of coaching of youngster for the art
and skill of archery and similar
other skill of paramount
importance. He used to say
that in exchange for one single
arrow that was shot at the
enemy of Allah, its maker, its
buyer who handed it over to
the soldiers of Islam and the
one who shot it at the enemy
were ensured of Paradise.
A group among the followers

of the Bible would love to
In the case of hypocrites, we

see that the Holy Prophet
The Holy Qur'an says about

the Jews and the Christians as
follows:
19
The Message
ordered the demolition of a

Masjid that was built by the
hypocrites. On the occasion of
the Battle of Tabuk some
hypocrites were conspiring
against Islam in a room of a
public inn. When the Holy
Prophet learnt of such a
conspiracy he ordered the
storming of the room where
the plot was being hatched
and accordingly the believers
stormed the room over the
heads of the hypocrites, (and
those who survived were
treated harshly). The Holy
Prophet did not offer the
funeral prayers for these
hypocrites. However, he was
lenient towards the infidels
when they wanted some more
time to take a decision about
their embracing Islam.
May the hands of Abu Lahab

perish! May he too perish! His
property and worldly gains will
be of no help to him. He will
suffer in a blazing fire and so
too will his wife (who threw
thorns and firewood in the
Prophet's way). Around her
neck will be a rope of palm
tree. [21]
Indeed the disruptionist's
hands should be cut off no
matter even if he happens to
be the uncle of the Holy
Prophet. In this connection
there is clear injunction in the
Holy Qur'an that believers
cannot ask for the forgiveness
of the infidels and polytheists.
The Holy Qur'an says;
After it was made clear that
the pagans are to be the
dwellers of Hell, the Prophet
and the believers should not
have sought forgiveness from
Allah for them even if they
may have been relatives. [22]
Family affiliations had no

influence
on
his
taking
ideological decisions. It was
the uncle of the Holy Prophet
for whose condemnation a
strongly
worded
Qur'anic
verse was revealed. The Holy
Qur'an says:
In the following verse Allah

encourages the Holy Prophet
lest the enemy's plot might
shake his decision.
20
Do not yield to the disbelievers or the hypocrites, ignore

their annoying you and trust
in Allah. Allah is your allSufficient Protector. [23]
The Message
Holy Prophet whose praise

has been done by Allah
Himself, whom Allah takes
him through the heavens and
by whose auspicious presence
the angels' abode becomes
blessed.
Exercise patience and let it be

only for the cause of Allah. Do
not be grieved about them
nor be disappointed at their
evil plans. [24]
It is the Holy Prophet whom

the Divine carrier takes away
from the Holy Masjid (the
Ka'ba) in Makkah to Baytul
Muqaddas (the Masjid in
Jerusalem). The Holy Qur'an
says:
But they (the idols) will not be

able to help them. Instead the
disbelievers as the troops of
the idols will be brought
before Allah. [25]
An Apology to the Holy

Prophet:
Glory to Him who carried His

servant during the night for a
visit from the Holy Mosque (at
Makkah) to the Aqsa Mosque
(at
Jerusalem).
Whose
precincts We have blessed,
that We may show him some
of Our signs. [27]
While writing on the merits of

the Holy Prophet I am feeling
helpless because of my limited
knowledge. As a matter of
fact an appreciation on the life
and attributes of the Holy
Prophet can only be undertaken by a person of the
caliber of Imam Ali as it is the
On the one hand these

exalted destinations are the
proof of the exalted personality of the Holy Prophet. On the
other hand we find his attributes and personal qualities of
love and affection and refined
thoughts and sympathetic
behavior towards all. "Once a
Muhammad, exercise patience

against what they say, glorify
your Lord with His praise
before sunrise and sunset.[26]
21
The Message
thirsty cat keeps an eye on

the water container meant for
the Prophet's ablution. The
Holy Prophet instead of using
that water for ablution places
it before the cat. The Holy
Prophet is harder than the
rock against the enemies and
is softer than snow toward his
friends. He foregoes his
personal rights against his
enemies also but in the
implementation of the laws he
is very strict, so much so that
he swears that he would not
forgive even his own daughter, if she ever committed any
wrong". [28]
At the time when on the

murder of one person the
entire tribe used to rise for
taking revenge upon the
murderer's people and several
of their innocent people were
put to death, the Holy Prophet
stopped this heinous custom.
That was the time when
savagery was at its peak. The
Holy Prophet said that if
anyone would drive his animal
even on his journey to Makkah too fast, his testimony
would not be considered
reliable because the one who
cruelly fatigues his animal is
hard-hearted. The example of
compassion and mercy that
the Holy Prophet set before
the people in those days
became the sign of the
success and grace of the
nation. The Holy Qur'an says:
How dare we talk about the

attributes of the Holy Prophet? We read in Nahjul
Balaghah (Peak of Eloquence)
that when nobody could read
or write, the Holy Prophet
stressed the acquiring of
knowledge by saying that it
was obligatory for all the
Muslims. Now after the
passage of fourteen centuries
we see that everybody is
clamoring
for
acquiring
knowledge.
Believers, listen to Allah and

the Messenger when they call
you to that which gives you
life. [29]
The command of Allah is not
without meaning when He
says about the Holy Prophet
of Islam as follows:
22
The Message
He who obeys the Messenger

obeys Allah. [30]
You have attained a high

moral standard. [34]
He does not speak out of his

own desire. [31]
The Holy Qur'an which

describes this world a poor
and insignificant thing makes
the position of the Holy
Prophet exalted. There can be
no better appreciation of the
Holy Prophet than the one
given in the Holy Qur'an as:
He will grant you a majestic

triumph. [32]
How can one attempt to write
something in praise of the
Holy Prophet when Allah
Himself has exalted his name
and his mission in the following words?
(Muhammad),
We
have
granted you abundant virtue.
So worship your Lord with full
dedication and sacrifice. It is
surely your opponents whose
line will come to end. [35]
(Muhammad), haven't We
comforted your heart and
relieved you of the burden
which had been a heavy
weight upon your back, and
exalted your fame? Surely
with hardship there is ease.
With hardship indeed there is
ease. So when you are free,
work diligently and turn to
your Lord with all your
love.[33]
And in the Hereafter too, Allah

dignified the position of the
Holy Prophet as an interceder.
What can I write about the
highly exalted attributes of
the Holy Prophet whose birth
extinguished
the
leaping
flames of the Fireplace of
Persia, and whose installation
as Prophet removed all
disturbances
and
chaotic
conditions from the land.
When he was born, the
foundation of the palace of
Kisra, the ancient monarchs of
It is not possible that in these

few pages we may throw light
on the high morals of the Holy
Prophet about whom Allah
Himself says in the following
verse of the Holy Qur'an:
23
The Message
Persia (Iran), were shaken.

When he was assigned to
Prophethood
the
entire
humanity got wonder-struck.
It was he, whom the Holy
Qur'an declared the "Mercy
for the whole Universe". Who
can write and how can we
write about such a unique
personality?
In the state of prostrating

himself before Allah he
submits his forehead and
heart before Allah and when
his two grandsons (Imam
Hasan and Imam Husayn) find
him under that position and
ride on his back, he prolongs
his prostration so that their
feeling might not be hurt.
How to speak of him, who at
one and the same time is
dedicated to the worship and
remembrance of Allah and is
also mindful of the feelings of
the two children! The people
should take lesson from this in
the matter of upholding the
rights of children, men,
women and the laborers and
they should be ashamed of
raising empty slogans.
What can I say about him,

who reaches such a lofty
place of honour that he
becomes the guest of Allah on
the night of Me'raj; and yet
who, in his humbleness,
declares that he would not
turn down the invitation of a
slave and would travel a far
off distance in order to share
a simple food with him?
For his journey to the heavens, Buraq, a Divine carrier,
was provided to him, while at
his own, he never hesitated to
ride on a mule. The Archangel
Jibra'il who brings the Divine
revelation to him conveys him
the greetings of Allah, and he
himself is so humble in
disposition that he first greets
the children.
The Holy Prophet remains

cheerful with the people while
he is in their company He
sheds tears also at the demise
of his son, Ibrahim. But in
either case he does not
exceed the limit and does not
do anything against the Will of
Allah.
24
The Message
the total number of those

killed was not more than 1700
from both sides in all the
battles of Islam against
enemies.
False Accusations:
Is it correct to make false
allegations
against
Islam
whose Prophet gives a grace
period of four months instead
of the two asked for, on the
day of the conquest of
Makkah; makes the house of
his arch-enemy as sanctuary
of peace; announces general
amnesty and pardons to all
his opponents and bears with
patience hardships for fifteen
years at the hands of the
infidels of Makkah, and if he
takes his sword in hand to
protect himself and his faith
and to defeat the nefarious
designs of his enemies and
asks the believers to wage
Jihad (Holy War) against them
so as to emancipate mankind
from treachery, savagery,
oppression, and to liberate
man from all kinds of domination and subjugation? Certainly not.
Sometimes the opponents find

fault with the Holy Prophet
that he married too many
wives and mislead the people
by insinuating, God forbid,
that he was lustful, although
the fact is that the Holy
Prophet passed the youthful
years of his marital life with
only wife, the revered Lady of
Islam, Khadija-tul Kubra up to
the age of fifty years, and his
wedding with her was solemnized at the initiation of Lady
Khadija when she was forty
and the Holy Prophet was
twenty five years old.
Lady Khadija had already
rejected the offer for marriage
of several other men who
wanted to marry her because
of her financial standing. But
Lady Khadija proposed to the
Holy Prophet because he was
found to be a trustworthy,
truthful and righteous person
enjoying high reputation in
Sometimes the opponents say

that Islam was spread at the
point of the sword and this is
not correct because from
historical facts and evidence
25
The Message
the whole of the Arabian

Peninsula and besides, she
had already heard from her
uncle Warqa bin Nawfal the
prophecies of the preceding
Prophets about the appearance of the Holy Prophet as
the Prophet of Allah and of
her marriage with him.
Prophet were of varying

temperament and dispositions
and as such it was not easy to
get along with them. The
husbands of some of these
wives were martyred while
fighting against the infidels
and as such they needed
protection for themselves and
the orphans. If they had not
been married to the Holy
Prophet they would have
reverted to infidelity. One
among them was Sauda
whose husband died after he
had migrated to Abyssinia and
she was left without any
patron and supporter. Umm
Salama was another such wife
who was of old age and was
mother of orphaned children.
Zaynab was also another wife
of the Holy Prophet who was
the daughter of his aunt from
the father's side. She was first
married to Zayd bin Harith,
the slave and adoptive son of
the Holy Prophet. Her marriage with Zayd did not last
long and she was divorced by
him. Then she married the
Holy Prophet.
The Holy Prophet spent 25

years of his married life with
Lady Khadija and spent her
wealth in the preaching of
Islam and to relieve mankind
from ignorance and tyrannies
although there were some of
the choicest girls wanted to
marry him, but he always
refused their offer. The other
wives of the Holy Prophet
were married to him only after
the demise of his first wife
Lady Khadija and that too
when he had passed the age
of fifty. These women were of
elderly age and were widows
and had orphaned children
and hence he had to lead a
hard and strenuous life with
them instead of life of ease,
comfort,
and
indulgence.
These wives of the Holy
26
The Holy Prophet married

Zaynab at Allah's command so
that the very root and basis of
a wrong custom might be
abolished. According to this
custom of the Age of Ignorance nobody was allowed to
marry the wife of his adopted
son and in this case since
Zayd was the adopted son of
the Holy Prophet, the latter
could not marry Zaynab, the
divorced wife of the former.
But Allah ordered this marriage in order to abolish this
custom at the hands of the
Holy Prophet himself.
The Message
Habiba, Safiya and Maymuna.

Safiya of course was the
daughter of the tribal chief of
a big Jewish tribe of Bani
Nuzayr. When she was taken
prisoner, the Holy Prophet
married her and established
relationship with a big tribe.
In short, many of the wives of
the Holy Prophet were those
who had passed the age of
youth and personal charm,
and most of them had been
married once or twice before,
and had orphaned children
with them, and whom the
Holy Prophet married when he
was past fifty, an age which
by no means can be regarded
as an age of youthful and
lustful desires and by that
time he had attained great
reputation already, and that
many a beautiful girl aspired
to marry him. This is the proof
of the fact that the purpose of
the Holy Prophet in contracting various marriages was
based on pious and noble
cause only and as such no
sane person can dare attack
his personal character.
Juwayria, another wife of the

Holy Prophet was a captive.
Her marriage with the Holy
Prophet motivated the Muslims to treat the captives with
great regards and kindness so
much so that they freed many
of them. Besides, with a view
to maintain cordial relations
among
various
influential
tribes, to prevent disruption
among them, and to promote
internal stability, the Holy
Prophet married such women
as Ayesha, Hafsa, Umm
27
The Message
Besides keeping these wives,

the Holy Prophet most often
passed his nights in offering
prayers and remembering
Allah as he did in his youth
also. The Holy Qur'an says
about his dedication and
worship of Allah as follows:
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
You, who have enwrapped in

a mantle, worship (Allah) for
only a few hours at night.[36]
It is only we who even for the
sake of one wife forsake
Allah. If the number of wives
does not prevent anyone from
getting
right
guidance,
spiritual
enlightenment,
performing religious duties of
offering prayers, attending
jihad, uplifting the society and
doing justice to wives themselves and instead it becomes
the source of their support
and protection, there cannot
be any reason for criticism.
Notes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Surah Nisa, 4:19

Mustadrak, vol. 2, p. 643
Wasa'il, vol. 14, p. 122
Kuhlul Basar
Surah Nahl, 16:58
Mustadrak, vol.2, p.614,615

Wasa'il, vol. 15, p. 101
Biharul Anwar, vol.16, p. 281
Surah al-Ahzab, 33:53
Biharul Anwar, vol.16. p. 215
Surah at-Taubah, 9:6
Sura Ta Ha, 20:2
Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:29
Tafsir-i Namuna, vol.3, p.142
Surah Ale Imran, 3:159
Surah al-Anfal, 8:61
Surah al-Anfal, 8:58
Surah at-Tauba, 9:61
Surah Lahab, 111:15
Surah at-Tauba, 9:113
Surah al-Ahzab, 33:48
Surah an-Nahl, 16:127
Surah Ya Sin, 36:75
Surah Qaf, 50 39
Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:1
Biharul Anwar, vol. 16
Surah al-Anfal, 8.24
Surah an-Nisa, 4:80
Surah an-Najm, 53.3
Surah al-Fath, 48:23
Surah al-Inshira, 94:17
Surah al-Qalam, 68:4
Surah al-Kauthar, 108:13
Surah Muzzammil, 73:13

28
The Message
A Biography of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (A.S.)

By: Muhammad Nasir Husayni Alai
Ja'far ibn Muhammad alSadiq, the sixth Imam, was

revered by both Sunni and
Shia Muslims for his deep
Islamic scholarship, piety, and
academic
accomplishments.
This article offers a brief
biography of his life, the
distinctive features of his
Imamate compared to other
Imams,
his
educational
achievements, and his political
confrontations.
on the same day the Prophet

was born 136 years earlier.
He was named Jafar by his
holy father, Imam Baqir (a).
In response to Daris Kanani
as to why he was called Jafar,
the sixth Imam responded,
Oh Daris! Your father ignorantly called you Daris, which
is the name of an offspring of
Satan, while my father out of
knowledge named me Jafar,
which is the name of a brook
in Heaven.[2] His great
father was Imam Muhammad
Baqir (a) and his mother was
Umm Farwah bint Qasim ibn
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. His
epithets are Aba Abdillah, Aba
Ismail, and Abu Musa.[3]
Although the Imam is most

renowned as the initiator of
Shia Islamic fiqh, called Jafari
jurisprudence, his extensive
knowledge in a variety of
fields had a great academic
impact on the people of his
time, Tawhid al- Mufaddal, a
compilation of his teachings,
reflected
his
extensive
knowledge, particularly on the
wonders of creation.
His appellations are also alSadiq, Sabir, Fadil, Tahir,

Qaim, Kafi and Munji; the
most famous one is al-Sadiq.
As to why he was called alSadiq (the truthful), while all
Imams are truthful in the real
sense of the word, Imam
Sajjad (a) is quoted as saying,
The sixth Shia Imam (a) was

born on a Monday or Friday
on the 17th of Rabiul Awwal
83 or 86 A.H.[1] He was born
29
The Message
The dwellers of Heaven know

Jafar ibn Muhammad as alSadiq because a descendant
of his called Jafar would
falsely claim to be Imam. That
is why he is known as Jafar
al-Kazzab (the liar).[4] Jafar
al-Kazzab
attempted
to
present himself as the successor of Imam Hassan Askari
(a). However, by Allahs grace,
Imam Mahdi (a) would prove
his false claim to the Shias.
The distinction between the
sixth Imam and this descendant of his through five generations proves his veracity.
1. The great number of

Caliphs during his Imamate
The sixth Imam was a contemporary of seven Caliphs,
namely:
1. Hisham ibn Abdul-Malik

(105-125 A.H.),
2. Walid ibn Yazid AbdulMalik (125-126 A.H.),
3. Yazid ibn Walid ibn AbdulMalik (126),
4. Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn
Abdul-Malik (70 years in
126 A.H.),
5. Marwan ibn Muhammad
known as Marwan Himar
(126-132),
The Distinctive Features of

his Imamate
The turbulent lifetime of
Imam al-Sadiq (a) began in
83 A.H. and ended in 148 A.H.
He spent thirty one years of
his life in the presence of his
holy father.
6. Abdullah ibn Muhammad

known as Saffah (132-137), &
7. Abu Jafar known as
Mansur Dawaniqi (137158).[5]
No other Imam was a contemporary of this great
number of Caliphs, and Imam
Sajjad (a) and Imam Hadi (a)
were contemporary with at
most six Caliphs during their
Imamate.
Compared to other Imams

before and after him, the
period of Imam al-Sadiqs
Imamate is politically distinctive and noteworthy in two
respects:
30
The Message
footsteps. The school established by Imam Baqir (a) was

expanded by Imam al- Sadiq
(a). Students trained in this
school include:
2. Different dynasties
In contrast to the political
situations of other Imams,
during the Imamate of Imam
al-Sadiq (a), the Umayyad
dynasty was replaced by the
Abbasid one. Thus, his
confrontation with the governments of his time, his
backing the Shii uprisings, his
advising the Shias to adopt
an appropriate approach to
confront tyrants, and so forth
are noteworthy.
1. Hisham ibn Hakam,

2. Muhammad ibn Muslim,
3. Aban ibn Taghlab,
4. Hisham ibn Salim,
5. Mumin Taq,
6. Mufaddal ibn Umar,
7. Jabir ibn Hayyan,
8. Mualli ibn Khanis,
The holy Imam (a) was not

only active in the era of
freedom, but he also lived
under the extremely dictatorial and tyrannical regimes.
9. Muawiyyah ibn Ammar, &

10. Ali ibn Yaqtin.[6]
Some of these students were
so advanced and well trained
that they were the pivots of
their fields. For example,
Hisham ibn Hakam wrote
thirty one books[7] and Jabir
ibn Hayyan authored more
than two hundred twenty
books[8] on various subjects,
especially on rational and
natural subjects and chemistry, which was called alchemy
then. That is why Jabir ibn
Hayyan is known as The
Father of Chemistry.
3. Training Students
In order to train his students,
Imam al-Sadiq (a) made the
most out of the time when
there was no dictatorship and
cruelty because the Abbasids
and the Umayyads were in
political conflict with one
another over power.
In doing so, Imam al-Sadiq
(a) followed in his fathers
31
The Message
Imam
al-Sadiqs students
were not limited to Shias;
rather, Sunnis also benefited
from his knowledge. Many
well-known Sunni leaders
were directly or indirectly the
Imams students. Foremost
among these leaders is AbuHanifah who studied under
the Imam for two years. He
talked of these two years as
the
foundation
of
his
knowledge, saying, Had it
not been for those two years,
Numan (Abu-Hanifah) would
have been destroyed.[9]
elevate Shia Islam. Hence,

the twelver-Imam Shiism is
called Jafari Shiism.
According to the renowned
leader of the Hanafi sect,
Abu-Hanifah, When Mansur
Dawaniqi summoned Jafar
ibn Muhammad (a), he told
me, People are fond of Jafar
ibn Muhammad (a). In order
to denounce him, think of
some difficult questions.
So I thought of forty difficult
questions. One day Mansur
was in Hayrah and summoned me. When I went to
him, I saw Jafar ibn Muhammad (a) sitting on his right
side. Mansur turned to him
and said, This is AbuHanifah.
The Imams Breadth of

Knowledge
The spread and modification
of Shii Islam is indebted to
the scientific endeavors of
Imam al-Sadiq (a). On different occasions, the Imam
made use of the political
pressures in society caused by
the transfer of power from the
Umayyads to the Abbasids to
revive the principles of Shii
thought that the governments
prevented their dissemination
to define the injunctions of
Islamic law (sharia) and to
Yes, I know him, he replied.

Then Mansur added, O AbuHanifah! Share your questions
with Abu-Abdillah.
I started posing the questions.
For every question I asked
him, he explained all about
my opinion, the view of
people of Medina and the Shii
32
opinion on it. On some

questions, he agreed with us,
on others with people of
Medina, and still on some
others he disagreed with both
of us. This way, I raised forty
questions and he answered
all. Reaching this point, I
pointed to Imam al-Sadiq (a),
saying,
The Message
refuted the analogical reasoning of Abu-Hanifah.

The Imam said, I have heard
you issue an Islamic ruling
(fatwa) based on analogical
reasoning.
Yes.
Woe to you! The first one
who expressed ideas based on
analogical
reasoning
was
Satan. When Allah ordered
him to prostrate himself
before Adam, he said, I will
not, because You have
created me out of fire and
him out of soil, and fire is
superior to soil.
[He is] the most knowledgeable of people, aware of their

disagreements on Fatwas and
jurisprudential issues.[10]
According to the famous
scholar of the 3rd century
A.H., Abu-Bahr Jahizh,
Jafar ibn Muhammad (a) is a
person whose knowledge is
world-famous. It is said that
Abu-Hanifah and Uthman
Thawri were his students. This
suffices for demonstrating his
high scholarly status.[11]
Then, in order to invalidate

analogical reasoning, the
holy Imam mentioned some
instances of Islamic legal
rulings opposed to this
principle. He said, Which one
is worse, killing somebody
unjustly or committing adultery?
Besides strengthening the

principles of Shii thought,
Imam al-Sadiq (a) particularly
endeavored to refute the
principal thoughts of other
sects. In a debate between
him and Abu-Hanifah, he
Killing someone unjustly.

Now if acting upon analogical
reasoning is to be correct,
why are two witnesses
33
The Message
enough to convict somebody

of murder, but four are
necessary
for
convicting
somebody of adultery? Is this
Islamic ruling in accordance
with analogical reasoning?
then he reproaches you for

having entertained you, what
will you think of him?
I will consider him ungenerous. Is Allah ungenerous?
So what is meant by the
blessings about which man
will be questioned?
No.
Which one is more important,
prayer or fasting? Prayer.
This blessing is the love for

us, the Prophets Household
(a).[12]
So why is it incumbent on
menstruating women to make
up for obligatory fasting, while
this is not the case with
obligatory prayer? Is this
Islamic ruling concurrent with
analogical reasoning?
Tawhid of Mufaddal: A
Reflection of the Imams
Knowledge
Mufaddal ibn Umar Kufi was a
student of Imam al-Sadiq (a)
who was instructed by the
Imam for four days and
compiled the Imams teachings in the form of a treatise
called Tawhid of Mufaddal.
This book includes complicated and hidden facts about the
world from humankind to
astronomy.
No.
I was told you have commented on this Quranic verse,
Verily you shall be questioned about the blessings on
the Day of Judgment, as
follows, Allah will rebuke
people for eating delicious
foods and drinking cold water
in the summer.
I am going to tell you about

the Divine philosophy in
creating the universe, with its
animals, wild ones, and
insects; that is, all living
Yes, I have commented on it

this way. If somebody invites
you over and serves you
delicious food and cold water,
34
beings, animals and plants,

from fruit trees to the edible
and inedible plants, so that
[people] may learn a lesson.
The Message
ever, part of the Imams

struggle was based on not
recognizing any illegitimate
government. According to
Imam al-Sadiq (a), a legitimate government has its
roots in Allahs order, not in
social contract, coercion, and
the like.
Afterwards, the Imam spoke

of the wonders of creation as
Mufaddal
wrote
them
down.[13]
Imam al-Sadiqs Confrontation with the Tyrants of
his Time
For example, consider the

following
valid
narration
reported by Umar ibn Hanzalah. It is considered accepted
(maqbul) by some scholars
due to the reliability of its
chain of authorities; some
others consider it a sound
hadith. Umar ibn Hanzhalah
related: Imam al-Sadiq (a)
was asked about two Shias
who had a dispute over debt
and inheritance, and turned to
the illegitimate ruler or judge
for a verdict on it. He was
asked if this (turning to them)
was allowed.
The Imam spent 21 years of

his Imamate under the
tyrannical rule of the second
Abbasid caliph, Mansur. The
struggle strategies the Imam
recommended to his followers
included adopting a nonviolence policy, covert and
overt struggle and defensive
policies, showing the Shias
the appropriate policy of not
cooperating with the government, supporting the Shia
uprisings while not helping
those who wanted to align
Imam al-Sadiq (a) with
themselves.[14]
The Imam (a) replied, Whoever turns to the illegitimate

ruler
or
judge
whether
rightfully or not and asks him
for a verdict definitely asks
Taghut (false deity) for a
Each
above-mentioned
strategy is beyond the constraints of this paper. How-
35
The Message
verdict. Also, it is wrong that

he should accept something
by the verdict of Taghut even
though it is his vested right
because he enjoys it by the
judgment of Taghut. Allah has
ordered people to disbelieve
in Taghut. He said in the Hoy
Quran:
actually denies Allah and this

is tantamount to associating
somebody with Allah.[15]
In
the
above-mentioned
narration, Imam al-Sadiqs
saying is well- documented by
his referring to the divine
word.[16]
Considering the verses before
and after it, that is, verses 5868, the Quranic verse Imam
al-Sadiq (a) mentioned enjoys
a unique theme. If we consider all 10 verses together, it
will be made completely clear
that the rule of Taghut and
turning to him are illegitimate
and unlawful. In some parts
of these verses,[17] Allah
even swears by Himself, and
He sees those who ask
somebody other than the
Messenger of Allah for a
verdict on their disputes as
faithless. In some other part,
He views the faith of those
who accept the judgment of
Taghut as imaginary. In a
nutshell, Allah regards turning
to Taghut and submitting to
him as false and wrong.
They want to turn for

judgment [in their disputes] to Taghut, though
they were ordered to
disbelieve in him, (4:60).
The Imam (a) was asked
again, So what should they
do?
He responded, They should
turn to
somebody who
narrates our Hadiths, takes
our halal and haram into
account and knows our
injunctions. Whatever verdict
he gives, they should be
content with it because I have
appointed him a judge. So if
they belittle his verdict which
is based on our injunctions,
they definitely underestimate
the verdict of Allah and deny
us. Whoever denies us
36
In this narration, Imam alSadiq (a) extended this

Quranic verse beyond the
time of the Holy Prophet[18]
to the future. Thus, when
Shia have dispute over an
issue and there in no Infallible
(a), they should turn to a
jurisprudent because three
characteristics,
namely
narrating hadiths, taking halal
and haram into account and
knowing the injunctions, are
not consistent with qualities of
anybody but jurisprudents.
Therefore, as for the time
when there is an Imam but he
is inaccessible or when he is
in occultation, the permanent
ruling has been made clear.
The Message
Another hadith by the sixth

Imam reads as follows, We
are those obeying whom Allah
has made obligatory, while
you obey the one for whose
ignorance
people
cannot
provide any pretext before
Allah.[21]
The sixth Imam also warned
jurisprudents
and
hadith
narrators against having any
tie with the illegitimate
government of that time,
saying, Jurisprudents are the
trusted agents of the Prophets. If you see them turning
to the kings and intimately
cooperating with oppressors,
be suspicious of them and do
not trust them.[22]
The word taghut from the

root of tughyan, means
rebelling against Allah and
breaking divine laws, or any
means of revolt and rebellion
against Allah.[19]
Imam al-Sadiq (a) prevented

his companions from associating and cooperating with the
court of the caliphate. Once a
companion asked him, Sometimes Shias become poor and
short of money, and they are
offered to build houses and
dig a canal for the Abbasids.
What do you think of this
job?
Imam al-Sadiq (a) is also

quoted as saying, Whoever
does not judge by right and
truth, and people seek his
judgment, is considered a
taghut.[20]
37
The Message
The Imam replied, I do not

like to tie a knot or to put a lid
on water-skin for them even
though they pay a high wage,
because those who help the
oppressors will be thrown into
a tent of fire until Allah gives
His verdicts on all servants.[23]
11. Imam al-Sadiq (a) and the

Four Islamic Sects, vol. 1, p.
55.
Notes:
14. Wasail-ul- Shia, Hurr Ameli,

vol. 18, p. 99, Hadith no. 1.
12. See its details in Bihar-ulAnwar, vol.10, p. 220-221,

no. 20.
13. The Conduct of the Shia
Leaders, Mahdi Pishwai, pp.
353-410.
1. The Virtues of Abi Talibs

Household, Ibn Shahr Ashub,
vol. 4, pp. 279-280
15. Nisa, 65.

16. The example of Signs on the
Occasions of the Revelation
of the Quranic verses, Dr.
Muhammad
Baqir
Muhaqqiq, pp. 215-216.
2. Bihar-ul-Anwar,
Allama
Majlisi, vol. 47, p. 27.
3. The Virtues of Abi Talibs
Household, vol. 4, p.281.
17. Nemuneh Quranic Commentary, vol. 3, p. 443.
4. Illal-u-Sharayi,
Shaikh
Saduq, vol. 1, p. 234.
18. ibid.
5. The History of the Caliphs,

Suyuti, pp. 281-312.
19. Usul Kafi, Kulayni, vol. 1,

p.186, Hadith no. 3.

Four Islamic Sects, vol. 1, pp.
69-77.

Four Islamic Sects, vol. 2, p.
21
7. Rijal, Khui, vol. 19, p. 271.
21. Wasail-ul- Shia, vol. 12, p.

129, Hadith no.6
8. Al-Fihrist, pp. 420-423.

9. Imam al-Sadiq (a) and Four
Islamic Sects, vol. 1, p. 70.
22. Bihar-ul-Anwar, v.47, p. 184.

23. Nemuneh Quranic Commentary, vol. 3, p. 456.
10. Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol.47, pp.

217-218

38
The Message
Appointing Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.) as the

Next Imam by Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S)
By: Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi
Imam Abu Muhammad Hasan

al-Askari (a.s.) spent his short
life in sufferings and distresses. The Abbasid kings spared
no effort in oppressing him.
They moved him from a
prison to another. They
subjected him to confinement
and imposed on him economical blockades.
had brought good news about

and told that he would be the
greatest reformer that mankind had never seen like him
throughout all stages of
history. The Prophet (a.s) told
that the Awaited Imam (a.s.)
would spread political, social
justice all over the world,
would do away with all kinds
of injustice and oppression,
and defeat all tyrants and
oppressive powers in the
world.
They prevented him from

meeting with his followers as
they prevented Ulama and
scholars from contacting with
him to take away from the
fountain of his sciences. And
this, as I think, was the worst
distress the imam suffered.
They tried more than once to
assassinate him but Allah
protected him from their plots.
He would do away with

polytheism and atheism, and
raise the banner of faith and
truth. He would revive the
annulled laws of Allah. Therefore, the Abbasids tried to kill
Imam al-Askari (a.s.) to be
sure he would not leave any
offspring. Imam (a.s.) said
about that, They claimed that
they wanted to kill me in
order to cut off my offspring,
but Allah falsified their saying,
and praise be to Allah.[1]
There were some reasons that

made the Abbasids bear a
grudge against Imam Hasan
al-Askari (a.s.). Here are
some of them: First, the
Abbasids feared the Awaited
Imam whom the Prophet (S)
39
The Message
Second, the Abbasids bore

envy towards Imam Hasan alAskari (a.s.) for his popularity
and the great respect that all
classes of society showed
him, whereas the authority
was in the hand of the
Abbasids
who
received
nothing of respect or honor
from people. Therefore, they
plotted day and night to do
away with him.
suffered the bitterest distresses from the Abbasids because

he was the master and chief
of the Alawids and the imam
of Muslim at that time.
Now, let us come back to the
last days of Imam Hasan alAskari (a.s.).
Appointing
Imam
AlMahdi as the Next Imam
Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.) is the
hope, not only for Muslims,
but for all oppressed human
beings who suffer slavery,
oppression, and subjection.
He is the Savior who will free
the will of man and save
peoples and nations from the
oppression of the corruptive
regimes who have turned this
world into unbearable hell.
Third, the Alawids rose in

many revolts against the
Abbasid rule since its beginning, aiming at achieving the
political justice of Islam and
applying its economic and
social programs in life. Those
revolts were supported by
great masses of people in the
different Muslim communities
that harmed the dignity of the
rule and shook its throne and
were about to overthrow it.
Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.) was and

is a great miracle in Islam.
Allah concealed his birth, as
he had concealed the birth of
Prophet Moses (a.s.), because
the
Abbasid
government
looked for him and in his
remaining alive (in occultation) throughout the long
stages of life is also a miracle
Those revolts filled the hearts

of the Abbasids with hatred
and grudge against the
Alawids, and so they ordered
their policemen to chase
every Alawid. It was naturally
that Imam al-Askari (a.s.)
40
for Islam, and in his reappearance and announcing the

pure principles of Islam is
another miracle too.
The Message
went in the house. Then, he

came out holding a three-yearold boy, whose face was
(bright) like a full moon, on his
shoulder and said, O Ahmad,
were it not for your honor near
Allah the Almighty and near
His authorities, I would not
show you my this son. He was
named and surnamed like the
messenger of Allah (a.s.). He
will fill the earth with justice
and fairness after it has been
filled with injustice and oppression. O Ahmad, he, in this
nation, is like al-Khidhr (Elijah)
and Thul Qarnayn. By Allah, he
will hide in an occultation,
during which no one shall be
saved except one whom Allah
fixes on the belief in his
imamate and supplicating Allah
to hasten his deliverance. I
said, Is there any sign so that
I may be sure? The young boy
said, I am the representative
of Allah in His earth and the
avenger on His enemies. Do
not look for a sign after a
proof!
The following are some of the

traditions transmitted from
Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.)
concerning the Imamate of
his son al-Mahdi (a.s.).
1. Ahmad bin Ishaq bin
Saeed al-Ashari said, Once,
I went to al-Hasan bin Ali
(a.s.) intending to ask him
about the successor after him.
He said to me before I asked
him, O Ahmad bin Ishaq,
Allah the Almighty did not
deprive the earth since He
created Adam, and He will not
deprive it until the Day of
Resurrection, of an authority
over His people. By him (the
authority)
distresses
are
pushed away from the people
of the earth, by him rain falls
down, and by him the blessings of the earth are emitted.
I said to him, O son of the
messenger of Allah, who is the
imam and successor after
you? He got up hastily and
I left delightedly. On the

following day, I came back to
41
The Message
him and said, O son of the

messenger of Allah, my
delight was so great for what
you favored me with. Would
you please tell me what norm
with
al-Khidr
and
Thul
Qarnayn was?
2. Muhammad bin Uthman alUmari narrated that his father

said, Once, I was with alHasan bin Ali (al-Askari) when
he was asked about the
tradition transmitted from his
father that the earth would
not be empty from an authority from Allah over His people
until the Day of Resurrection,
and
that
whoever
died
without knowing the imam of
his age would die as an
unbeliever. He said, This is
true as day is true.
He said, Long occultation.

I said, O son of the messenger of Allah, shall his (alMahdis) occultation last long?
Imam al-Askari (a.s.) said,
Yes, by my Lord, until many
of those, who believe in this
matter
(occultation
and
reappearance), shall apostatize, and no one shall remain
(believing)
except
those
whom Allah has taken from
them a covenant on our
guardianship, fixed faith in
their hearts, and supported
them with a mercy from Him.
O Ahmad, this is a command
from Allah, a secret from the
secrets of Allah, and an
unseen matter from the
unseen (matters) of Allah.
Take what I told you, and be
from the grateful; you shall be
with us in Illiyin.[2][3]
Someone asked him, O son of

the messenger of Allah, then,
who shall be the authority and
imam after you? He said, My
son Muhammad is the imam
and the authority after me.
Whoever dies without knowing (acknowledging) him shall
dies as an unbeliever. He will
be in an occultation where the
ignorant will be confused,
deniers will perish, and
daters[4] will tell lies. Then,
he will reappear, and as if I
see white flags fluttering over
his head at the hill of
Kufa.[5]
42
3. Imam Abu Muhammad

(a.s.) said, Praise be to Allah
Who did not take me out of
this life until He made me see
the successor after me. He is
the most similar in shape and
morals to the messenger of
Allah (a.s.). Allah will protect
him in his occultation and
make him reappear to fill the
earth with justice and fairness
after it will be filled with
injustice and oppression.[6]
The Message
denies the first of us. My son

will have an occultation where
people will be in doubt about
it except those whom Allah
preserves.[7]
The
Imam
Himself
Comforts
Imam Abu Muhammad (a.s.)

perceived from behind the
unseen that he would leave
this life and go near his Lord.
He said to his mother, In the
year 260 I shall suffer bad
fever from which I shall be
afflicted
4. Musa bin Jafar al-Baghdadi

narrated that he had heard
Imam Abu Muhammad alHasan bin Ali al-Askari (a.s.)
saying, (It is) As if I see that
you will disagree after me on
my successor. Surely, he, who
believes in the imams after
the messenger of Allah (a.s.)
but denies my son, is like one,
who believes in all prophets
and messengers of Allah but
denies the prophethood of the
messenger of Allah (Muhammad) (a.s.), because the
obedience of the last of us is
like the obedience of the first
of us, and one, who denies
the last of us, is like one who
She was distressed, and

sorrow overcame her. She
began crying. Imam Abu
Muhammad (a.s.) calmed her
down saying, The fate of
Allah must take place. Do not
worry!
On the 8th of Rabi-ul-Awwal,
in the year 260, he died as he
had predicted, while he was
twenty-eight years old. [8]
Assassination of the Imam
Al-Mutamid,
the
Abbasid
tyrant, could not bear Imam
Abu Muhammad (a.s.) any
43
The Message
longer, for he saw and heard

people every when and
everywhere glorify the imam
and prefer him to all the
Alawids and the Abbasids.
Finally, he made up his mind
to do away with the imam. He
assassinated him by poisoning
him.[9] The poison reacted on
his body, and he began
suffering bitter and severe
pains, while being patient,
resorting to Allah.
To The Best of Abodes

The imams health got worse,
and the physicians were
despondent of his recovery.
Death began approaching him
quickly. At those last moments of his life, Imam alAskari (a.s.), mentioned Allah,
glorified Him, and prayed Him
to take him nearer to Him. His
lips were busy reciting verses
from the Holy Qur'an. He
turned towards the Qiblah,
and after not long, his pure
soul flew towards the Heaven
surrounded by the angels of
the Beneficent Lord.
The Governments Confusion

The Abbasid government was
very confused when Imam
Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) became
seriously
ill.
Al-Mutamid
ordered five of his trusted
statesmen, among whom was
Nahrir, to remain in the
imams house and report to
him about every new happening. He also ordered a committee of physicians to test
the imams health day and
night. After two days, he
ordered the physicians not to
leave the imam alone because
his state was very grievous.[10]
It was the greatest loss

Muslims suffered in that age.
They lost their leader, reformer, and instructor who loved
and helped their weak, poor,
and orphans.
The imams body was (ritually) washed, enshrouded, put
in the coffin, and carried to be
prayed on by Muslims. Eesa
son of al-Mutawakkil led the
prayer by al-Mutamids order.
After the prayer, he uncovered the imams face before
44
the Hashemites, the Abbasids,

army leaders, government
clerks, state officials, judges,
and physicians and said to
them, This is al-Hasan bin Ali
bin Muhammad bin ar-Reza
(peace be on them). He died
a natural death in his bed. Soand-so of Ameerul Muminins
(al-Mutamid) servants and
trusted men, So-and-so of
judges, and So-and-so of
physicians were present with
him. Then he covered his
holy face.[11]
The Message
virtues and favors and talking

with great sorrow and regret
about the great loss they
were afflicted with.
Notes:
The painful news spread

everywhere in Samarra. It
was a great shock for Muslims
who hurried up to the imams
house while crying and
weeping. Government offices
and all markets were closed.
It was like the Day of Resurrection in Samarra.[12]
Samarra had never witnessed
before, a day of escorting like
this. Waves of human beings
and flowing masses of people
from all classes and societies
came to escort the holy
corpse of this pure imam
(a.s.) while mentioning his
1.
Kifayat al-Athar.
2.
Illiyin is the highest

position in the Paradise.
3.
Ikmaluddeen by Sheikh
as-Saduq, p.216-217.
4.
Those
who
defines
certain dates for the reappearance
of
the
awaited imam (a.s.).
5.
Kifayat al-Athar.
6.
Kifayat al-Athar, Ikmaluddeen, p.228.
7.
Kifayat al-Athar.
8.
Muhaj
p.274.
9.
Al-Irshad, p.383.
ad-Daawat,
10. Al-Irshad, p.383.

11. Al-Irshad, p.383.
12. Al-Irshad, p.383, Encyclopedia of al-Bustani,
vol.7 p.45.

45
The Message
9th Rabi al-Awwal

A Day of Rejoicing and Celebration
Source: www.hujjat.org
9th of Rabi al-Awwal is the

day of Eid. It is our greatest
Eid and the Eid of our followers, as narrated to Ahmad ibn
Ishaq al-Qummi by Imam
Muhammad al-Hadi (a.s.).
foremost of which is dedication and loyalty to the Imam

of the Time (a.s.).
Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi
was a great companion of
Imam Hassan al-Askari (a.s.).
On the 9th Rabi al-Awwal,
Muhammad Hamadani and
Yahya Baghdadi came to visit
him and were informed that
Ahmad was busy performing
Ghusl for that day. When they
inquired what the Ghusl was
about, they were told that
Ahmad had heard from Imam
Muhammad
Taqi
al-Hadi
(a.s.), who said:
With heavy hearts, we take

this opportunity to bid farewell
to the Martyrs of Karbala as
the Ayyam-e-Aza come to an
end. We will have to wait for
another year to witness and
experience majalis, matam,
Ashura, Arbaeen, mourning,
and Azadari at this scale. As
we remove the black cloth
from the walls, we salute the
Martyrs of Karbala and declare
that we are with you, we are
with you, surely we are
against your enemies. We will
endeavor to perform your
Ziyarat, and will endeavor to
shed tears in your remembrance every Thursday night.
Furthermore, we will strive to
apply the principles you stood
for in our daily lives; the
9th of Rabi-ul-Awwal is the

day of Eid. It is our greatest
Eid and the Eid of our followers.
After performing his Ghusl
Ahmad ibn Ishaq said to the
two visiting men: I have
performed Ghusl because
today is the Eid of 9th Rabi-alAwwal.
46
9th of Rabi al-Awwal is also

known as Eid-e-Zahra meaning the festival of Fatima alZahra (s.a.), because three to
four years after the tragedy of
Karbala, it was on this day
that joy and happiness was
restored in the family of AhlulBayt (a.s.). From the tragedy
of Karbala in 61 A.H. till this
day, the family members of
the Holy Prophet (S) had
continuously mourned and
grieved the martyrdom of
Imam al-Husayn (a.s.).
The Message
and said, I thank Allah who

kept me alive to this day so
that I could see the heads of
the tyrants who killed my
father. He then instructed the
members of his family to
remove the clothes of mourning, adorn themselves and
celebrate the day with joy and
happiness.
9th Rabi al-Awwal is the first
day of the Imamate of our
Living Imam, Imam al-Mahdi
(a.s.). It is true that an Imam
is an Imam from birth but
every Imam assumed the
official role of his Imamate
after the death of the previous
Imam. The reason why we
celebrate, in particular, the
Imamate of our Living Imam
(a.s.) is to perhaps remind
ourselves of his presence and
about
our
responsibilities
towards him. Imam Hassan alAskari (a.s.) passed away on
8th Rabi al-Awwal 260 A.H.
and our 12th Imam (a.s.)
assumed his Imamate formally
at a young age of 5 years on
9th Rabi al-Awwal 260 A.H.
Then Mukhtar bin Ubaydullah

as-Saqafi,
together
with
Ibrahim bin Malik al-Ashtar
and others rose to avenge the
blood of Imam al-Husayn
(a.s.). They arrested every
killer of Karbala and executed
them. Finally, Mukhtar arrested Umar ibn Sad and
Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad. He
beheaded them and sent their
heads to Imam Sajjad (a.s.) in
Medina. These two heads
reached the Imam (a.s.) on
9th Rabi-ul-Awwal and on
seeing them, Imam Sajjad
(a.s.) went into prostration

47
The Message
Peace Treaty of Imam Hasan Mujtaba (A)

Edited excerpts from the book, A Probe into the History of Ashura
By: Ayatollah Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Ayati
After Imam Ali, Imam Hasan

attained to the caliphate. At
this time the Muslim society
had assumed a peculiar form.
Their strength had been
divided almost evenly, and if
Imam Hasan had continued
fighting against Muawiyah
neither of the two parties
could expect victory without
severe bloodshed. The result
of such a fighting would have
been disastrous for the
Muslims. Hence, Imam Hasan
was faced with a situation in
which he had no alternative
but to come to terms with
Muawiyah
and
prevent
senseless bloodshed. If he
had persisted in fighting it
would have resulted in gain to
the Eastern Roman Empire on
the external front and to the
Khawarij within the Islamic
territories.
fighting with Muawiyah had

been continued only Allah
knows what calamity would
have fallen on the Muslims
from the side of the Eastern
Roman Empire and what
dimensions the danger from
Khawarij would have assumed, and what the history
of Islam would have been!
Hence, Imam Hasan retired
from the caliphate and thus
safeguarded the blood of the
Muslims and the strength of
Islam, and prevented the
external and internal enemies
from taking undue advantage
of the situation. This does
not, however, mean that he
surrendered to Muawiyah and
recognized him as the caliph
and the Commander of the
Faithful.
One of the conditions of the
Peace Treaty between Imam
Hasan and Muawiyah reads
thus: "Hasan bin Ali makes
Peace on the condition that
If those 400,000 or 500,000

Muslims had attacked one
another on that day and
48
he will not be under an

obligation to call Muawiyah,
the Commander of the
Faithful". It meant that he did
not recognize Muawiyah to be
the caliph and the Commander of the Faithful. Those, who
think that by retiring, Imam
Hasan bin Ali surrendered to
Muawiyah and Muawiyah
became the caliph of the
Muslims and Hasan bin Ali
also became one of his
obedient subjects, should
keep in mind this valuable
narration by Ibn Athir which
refutes this false belief:
The Message
They, therefore, marched

towards Iraq and reached the
palm-grove of Kufa. In the
meantime Imam Hasan had
left Kufa and was on his way
to Madina. When Muawiyah
came to know that the said
Khariji had revolted along with
his five hundred men, he
wrote a letter to Imam Hasan,
possibly with a view to
strengthening
the
Peace
Treaty with the Imam.
He wrote thus: "I understand
that Farwa bin Nawfal Khariji
is proceeding to Kufa along
with five hundred men. I,
therefore, direct you to go
and fight against him and
ward him off, and after you
have vanquished him there
will be no objection to your
proceeding to Madina".
"After Hasan bin Ali retired

and Muawiyah became the
caliph, Farwa bin Nawfal
Ashjaie Khariji, who had
deserted the Khawarij earlier
along with five hundred men
and gone to the city of Zur
said:
Imam
Hasan
received
Muawiyahs letter when he
had arrived at Qadisiya. He
sent him the following reply:
"O Muawiyah! You have
appointed Hasan bin Ali to go
like one of your officers and
to ward off a rebellious
Khariji. I, Hasan bin Ali, have
"Now there is no doubt about

the fact that we should fight
against Muawiyahs administration. As Muawiyah has
come at the helm of affairs
and become the caliph we
must wage war against him".
49
The Message
retired, in the interest of the

Muslims, from the caliphate,
which is my right. If I had
wished to fight against one of
the people of the Qibla i.e.
with a Muslim, whoever he
might be, and to which ever
sect he might belong, I would
have fought against you in the
first instance".
should fight and kill and

weaken each other and be
annihilated, and the external
and internal enemies should
take undue advantage of this
situation '.
After the martyrdom of Imam
Hasan, Imam Husayn did not
also rise up in arms against
Muawiyah during the last ten
years of his rule (49-60 AH)
and did not undertake that
campaign against him - the
campaign, which he considered necessary during the
regime of Yazid. However, he
continuously criticized and
reprimanded Muawiyah and
denied his rightfulness to the
caliphate in the same manner
in which his brother Imam
Hasan had done.
The Imam meant to say that

he desisted from fighting
against Muawiyah in spite of
the latter's being deviated
from Islam as compared with
all others. It will be observed
that the Imam did not say: "I
have recognized you as the
caliph".
On the other hand he wrote:
"I let you go and did not fight
against you". And possibly a
better interpretation of the
words "I let you go" may be
this: 'I have set you at liberty
in the field of politics and
have myself retired only in the
interest of Islam and to avoid
the bloodshed of the Muslim
i.e. I considered it futile that
these two forces of Islam
which are evenly balanced
After the martyrdom of his

brother Imam Hasan, Imam
Husayn wrote the following
letter to Muawiyah that has
been reproduced by Ibn
Qutayba Denuri:
"O Muawiyah! Are you not
the same person who killed
Hujr bin Ady and his pious
50
friends unlawfully? They were

the persons, who condemned
heresy and ordered the
people to do good and
restrained them from evil. You
killed them cruelly after
granting them security and
making firm promises and
covenants with them. By
doing so you defied Allah and
considered the Divine covenants to be frivolous.
The Message
them on date-palm
Allah be praised!
trees.
"O Muawiyah! It appears that

you are not a member of the
Muslim community and the
Muslims have no connections
with you. Fear Allah and
beware of the Day of Judgment, because Allah has a
document from which nothing,
whether small or big or good
or bad, is omitted and everything is taken into account.
You must remember that Allah
does not forget these acts of
yours, that is, you kill people
on mere suspicions and false
accusations and have made a
boy, the ruler of the Muslims,
who drinks wine and plays
with dogs.
Are you not the man who

associated Ziyad, the son of
an unknown father, with your
father Abu Sufyan and called
him your brother, as Ziyad bin
Abu Sufyan, and supposed
that he is the son of Abu
Sufyan although the Holy
Prophet has said: "The child
belongs to the man on whose
bed (i.e. in whose house) he
is born and the woman giving
birth to the child is married to
him and the adulterer is to be
stoned to death as commanded by Allah. And then you
have appointed Ziyad to rule
over the Muslims so that he
may kill them and amputate
their hands and feet and hang
"O Muawiyah! I see that you

have
destroyed
yourself,
spoiled your faith and made
the Muslim ummah helpless".
This was the manner in which
Imam Hasan and Imam
Husayn, addressed and wrote
letters to Muawiyah and
called him to account.

51
The Message
The of Historical Transformation

Excerpts from the book, A Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet of Islam
By: Dar Rahe Haqqs Board of Writers
tolerance.
The
Prophet
struggled with the enemies of
Islam in Makkah for 13 years
and resisted all their torments
and obstructions, but the
opponents of Islam did not
give up their devilish beliefs
and manner and utilized all
their power to destroy Islam.[1] Under such circumstances, the universal mission
of the Holy Prophet of Islam
necessitated his migration to
a calm, suitable place and to
find a new arena for his work
and mission.
Going
Into
Exile
To
Achieve The Divine Goal
The Holy Prophet of Islam
was well aware of the fact
that people who were plunged
in prejudice, superstition, and
ignorance would not abandon
their beliefs and ways easily
and that it would take extensive struggle, severe hardships, and sincere selfsacrifice to save them from
the pit of corruption and guide
them onto the path of virtue
and monotheism. He could
easily read in the faces of the
people of Makkah, the opposition to Islam and their bigoted
determination to fight the
Muslims.
Yathrib - Ready To Submit

To Islam
At the time of the pilgrimage
to the Ka'aba, some of the
men of importance of the
Khazraj tribe came to Makkah
and met with the Holy Prophet in the Masjid al-Haram. He
explained the divine faith of
Islam to them and encouraged them to believe in this
The divine foresight of the

Holy Prophet of Islam had
given him a dark image of the
future. With such an insight
and divine knowledge, he held
high the banner of prophecy
and adopted patience and
52
religion, which is the faith of

peace and fraternity. The
Khazraj chiefs, who were tired
of their deep-rooted disputes
and conflicts with the Aws
tribe, felt that Islam was
exactly what they needed,
and so they most willingly
submitted to Islam.
The Message
Makkah to take part in the

Hajj pilgrimage held a secret
meeting with the Prophet at
midnight and swore allegiance
to support him just as they
supported and protected their
own families.[2]
The Plot To Murder The
Holy Prophet Of Islam
When the Khazrajis, who had

become Muslim, were about to
return to Yathrib, they asked
the Holy Prophet of Islam for a
missionary, and he assigned
Mas'ab ibn `Umir to accompany them. Thus, the people of
Yathrib were informed of the
rising sun of Islam and hurried
to gain information about the
new faith.
Dawn had hardly broken

when the infidel Quraysh were
informed of the allegiance of
the Yathribi Muslims. They
hurriedly attempted to frustrate it and hinder the advance of Islam. For this
purpose, they held a council
in the place where the
Quraysh gathered to pass
judgment and to consult each
other. After a great deal of
talk and consultation, it was
resolved that they select one
man from each tribe to rush
into the house of the Prophet
at night and murder him so
that the basis of the propagation of Islam would be destroyed.[3]
The most effective factor in

making the people ready and
eager to adopt Islam was
listening to the luminous
verses of the Holy Qur'an.
Mas'ab reported the conversion to Islam of the chiefs and
leaders of both the Khazraj
and Aws tribes to the Holy
Prophet. Later on, a large
number of the people of
Yathrib who had come to
But Almighty God made the

Holy Prophet aware of the
53
The Message
intrigue of his enemies and

commanded him to leave
Makkah by night.[4] The
Prophet, upon receiving this
revelation, decided to leave
his homeland and migrate to
Yathrib.
of the Holy Prophet to carry

out their satanic plot. But
since God was the supporter
and protector of the Prophet,
He saved him from harm at
the hands of the murderous
infidels.
Alis Self-Sacrifice
While reading verses from

Sura Yasin, the Holy Prophet
of Islam came out of his
house and through a by-way,
went to the Thawr cave,
which was situated outside
Makkah. Abu Bakr was
informed of the matter and
accompanied the Holy Prophet."[7]
When the Holy Prophet of

Islam was divinely commanded to migrate to Yathrib, he
called 'Ali, disclosed his secret
to him, gave him the people's
trusts to be returned to their
owners and then said, `I have
to migrate, but you must lie in
my bed'. 'Ali sincerely obeyed
the Holy Prophet and lay in
his bed, thus devotedly
exposing himself to the
dangers that threatened the
Holy Prophet of Islam.[5]
The infidels rushed towards

the Prophet's bed with drawn
swords in their hands, but to
their surprise, they found 'Ali
in his place. Upset and
enraged, they asked, `Where
has Muhammad gone? 'Ali
answered, `Had you assigned
me to watch him? Well, you
intended to expel him and he
has left the city'.[8]
'Ali's self-sacrifice was so

sincere and significant that
God praised it in the Holy
Quran.[6]
Goes To The Thawr Cave
Realizing that all their plots

were frustrated, the idol
worshipping Quraysh took
At midnight the enemies of

Islam surrounded the house
54
serious measures but all in

vain.
The Message
After fulfilling the mission

assigned to him, 'Ali joined
the Holy Prophet in Quba, but
his legs were so bruised that
he could hardly walk. The
Holy Prophet embraced him
most affection-ately, blessed
his hurt legs with the saliva
from his own mouth which
healed 'Ali's swollen legs.
Thus together they started
towards Yathrib.[14]
On The Way To Yathrib

After staying in the Thawr
cave for three days, the Holy
Prophet of Islam proceeded
towards Yathrib.[9]
One of the Makkans, Saraqa
ibn Malik, attempted to
pursue him, but his horse's
hoof sank into the ground
three times and threw him
down, so he repented and
returned to Makkah."[10]
Yathrib Eagerly Awaiting

The Holy Prophet
Yathrib had taken on an
extraordinary air and intense
excitement and eagerness had
overtaken the whole city. In
every alley and neighborhood
people impatiently awaited
the Holy Prophet of Islam.
On the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal,

the Holy Prophet of Islam
reached
a
place
called
Quba,[11] where he stayed
for a few days."[12]
Abu Bakr insistently asked the
Prophet to begin travelling
towards Yathrib, but the Holy
Prophet refused to go without
'Ali. He said to Abu Bakr,
He entered Yathrib on Friday.[15] People were overjoyed and could not stop
looking at the resplendent
countenance of the Prophet.
'Ali has endangered his own

life to save mine. He is my
cousin, my brother, and the
dearest among the family to
me. I will not leave here until
he joins me'.[13]

settled in Yathrib and there
laid the foundations of Islam
and a magnificent culture
based on justice and faith.
55
The Message
After the blessful entrance of

the Holy Prophet of Islam into
Yathrib,
its
name
was
changed into Medinat ul-Nabi,
meaning `the City of the
Prophet'."[16] That year, the
year the Holy Prophet of
Islam migrated from Makkah
to Yathrib, was recognized as
the origin of history, due to
this
significant
historical
event, the triumph of righteousness and justice.
Muslims in the cause of the

migration and laying the
foundation of Islam.
After migration to Yathrib, the
migrant Muslims had obviously rid themselves of the
torment and torture of the
infidel Quraysh and found a
peaceful, agreeable environment.
Nevertheless, they showed no
tendency
towards
selfindulgence
and
pleasureseeking. Rather they ceaselessly endeavoured to establish an Islamic civilization and
to spread the divine faith of
Islam.
The illuminating sun of Islam

gave new life to the people.
They discarded all the old
superstitious
beliefs
and
thoughts and all the wrong
deeds and manners of the
past, replacing them with the
perfect life-giving culture of
Islam.
It was these very sacrificial

efforts and hard work of the
Muslims that rescued them
from slavery and so many
miseries and brought them
honour, prosperity, and glory.
A Lesson From The Hijra

Fourteen centuries have now
passed since the momentous
historical event of the Hijra the migration of the Holy
Prophet from Makkah to
Medina. A careful study of
history reveals the sincere and
indefatigable efforts of the
It is indeed necessary for the

Muslims all over the world to
be constantly reminded of the
devotion and incessant efforts
of the Muslims in the early
days of Islam, who relied on
their faith in God and, through
56
The Message
3. Tarikhi Tabari,
p.i229;
A'lam
pp.61-62.
obeying the instructions of the

Holy Prophet, managed to
make a holy revolution and
attained great achievements.
Vol. 3,
Alwari,
4. Tarikhi Tabari, Vol. 3,

p.1231; Bihar ul-Anwar,
Vol. 19, p.60.
It is of vital significance to
Muslims in all places and at all
times to take a lesson from
the
lives
and
sacrificial
endeavors of those truly
devoted Muslims. Each year,
on the occasion of the anniversary of the migration,
sincere reflection on the lives
of these godly men and
women will effectively serve
this purpose.
5. Sirihi ibn Hishim, Vol. 1;

p.481; Tarikhi Tabari, Vol.
3, p.1232.
6. Bihar ul-Anwar, Vol. 19,
p.78.
7. Tarikhi Tabari,
p.1234.
Vol.
3,
8. A'lam Alwari, p.63.

9. Sirihi ibn Hisham, Vol. 1,
Vol. 19, p.69.
It is also incumbent upon us

to teach posterity the fact that
the Muslims of the beginning
of Islam owed their glory and
greatness to their faith and
their sincere efforts and that
we must try to adopt their
manners if we want to regain
the honour and greatness that
devoted
Muslims
really
deserve.
10. Ibid., p.489; p.88.
Notes:
16. Mujim ul-Buldan maddihi

Yathrib and Majma' ulBahrin Maddihi Tharb.
11. Kamil, p.106. Quba is a

place near Medina.
12. Tarikhi Tabari,
p.1245.
Vol.
3,
13. Bihar ul-Anwar, Vol. 19,

p.116.
14. Kamil, Vol. 2, p.106.
15. Sirihi ibn Hisham, Vol. 1,
Vol. 9, p.122.
1. Kamil, Vol. 2, pp.108.

2. A'lam Alwari, pp.55-61.

57
The Message
Imamate at Childhood
By: Hujjat al-Islam Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani
Question: How is it possible

for some of the Imams to
reach Imamate while still
children?
obedient to the commands

and prohibitions of his or her
Allah (s.w.t). Thus, in accepting the authority of the
leaders appointed by Him as
well, he or she must be fully
obedient, submit to their
authority, and avoid comparing them to others or baselessly second-guessing their
appointment.
There
are
several ways to recognize the
divinely appointed Imam/Wali:
Answer
Imamate, in the view of
Imami Shias, is the practice
by the Wali (Divinely appointed authority) of his authority
over people (wilayah); in
other words, Imamate is a
Divinely-appointed station for
managing the peoples worldly
and religious affairs as well as
guiding them to the peak of
felicity and humanity. Thus,
the Imam cannot be determined or selected by the
people,
since
inherent
knowledge and inner infallibility are unseen qualities which
no one but Allah (s.w.t)
knows, and these are the two
most important qualities of
the Divinely-appointed Wali.
1. Studying their conduct and

actions.
2. Referring to the attributes
and signs that the previous
Wali has mentioned for the
succeeding Wali.
3. Seeking miracles and
verifying the presence of the
conditions
and
necessary
corollaries of Imamate.
It is possible to find out about
their lives and character by
referring to books of history
and biography, and by looking
at collections of traditions one
A monotheist who has submitted to Divine authority over

him or herself is wholly
58
can find the traditions that

have come down from the
Prophet (S); and finally by
examining at the traditions of
each Imam, one can come to
recognize the next Imam. The
Imams
(a.s.)
performed
miracles both in their lifetimes
and after their martyrdoms.
The occurrence of such
extraordinary deeds for those
who sought recourse to them
is so frequent that it is beyond
reckoning, and it is something
that everyone searching for
truth can experience.
The Message
the authority of a boy; for

ordinary people accepting
such an authority would not
be as easy as accepting older
Wali.
The contemporaries to the
young Imamsthat is, Imam
Muhammad b. Ali al-Taqi
(a.s.) who became Imam at
the age of eight, Imam Ali b.
Muhammad al-Naqi (a.s.) who
attained the Imamate at the
age of nine, and Imam alMahdi (a.s.) who became
Imam at the age of five
were no exceptions to this
rule, and they posed this very
question to Imam Ali b. Musa
al-Rida (a.s.).
So there is no specific age

necessary to attain the station
of Imamate. The spiritual,
intellectual,
and
mental
maturity required for the
position can be granted by
Allah (s.w.t) from the day of
his birth. This fact is one of
the extraordinary phenomena
that prove their Imamate, it
does not detract from it.
Obviously, from a superficial
and shortsighted viewpoint, it
appears difficult for prominent
personalities, scholars and the
old and young to submit to
For example, It has also been

narrated from al-Mahmudi
that he said, I was in Tus (an
area in Central Asia near
present-day Mashhad) in the
presence of Imam Ali b. Musa
al-Rida (a.s.). One of his
companions said, If something were to happen to the
Imam, who would be the
divinely chosen Imam after
him? The Imam (a.s.) turned
to him and said, Regarding
59
The Message
the issue of Imamate, after

me refer to my son Jawad
(Imam Muhammad b. Ali alTaqi (a.s.)). He (al-Mahmudi)
said, He is still a child!
Imam Ali b. Musa al-Rida
(a.s.) replied, Allah chose Isa
(a.s.) as His messenger
though he was younger than
Imam al-Taqi (a.s.).
and only when they felt that

they were able to answer
them (along with the textual
declarations of their Imamate)
would the Imami Shias
recognize them as infallible
Imams. The young Imams
were no exceptions to this
rule; the leaders of the Shias
would examine them to
become certain of their level
of knowledge and ability to
perform clear miracles.
In spite of these traditions

some of Imam Ali b. Musa alRidas (a.s.) followers out of
anxiety still went in search of
his successor. Some of them
went after Abdullah ibn Musa,
the brother of the eighth
Imam (a.s.). Since they
werent willing to accept
anyones Imamate without
evidence, they presented to
him some questions, and
when they found him unable
to answer they forsook him.
This is because what was
important to them was the
manifestation of this divine
aspect
in
the
Imams
knowledge. This is also why
they would apply this principle
to all the Imams and subject
them to various questions,
On the other hand, the

enemies of the Imams, who
were always waiting for an
opportunity to marginalize the
Imams and disperse the Shias
from around them, did not sit
by idly. Arranging intellectual
gatherings and the like they
strove to make the young age
of these Imams an excuse to
altogether marginalize them
from society. But the more
effort they made, the more
they debased themselves, and
the superior knowledge of the
Imams stood out to their
knowledgeable contemporaries.

60
The Message
Once a man came to Prophet

Muhammad (S) and said, "O
Messenger of Allah (SWT),
I have many bad habits.
Which one of them should I
give up first?" Prophet
Muhammad (S) said, "Give up
telling lies first and always
speak the truth." The man
promised to do so and went
home.
Kids
Corner
Always Speak the Truth
Dear kids!
17th of Rabi-ul Awwal is the
birthday of our Holy Prophet
Muhammad (S) and our sixth
Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.). On
this joyous occasion we
extend our heartiest greetings to every Muslim in the
world. We pray to Almighty
Allah to make our world
peaceful and strengthen us
to follow Islam.
At night the man was about

to go out to steal. Before
setting out, he thought for a
moment about the promise
he made with Prophet
Muhammad (S). "If tomorrow Prophet Muhammad (S)
asks me where have I been,
what shall I say? Shall I say
that I went out stealing?
No, I cannot say that. But
nor can I lie. If I tell the
truth, everyone will start
hating me and call me a
thief. I would be punished
for stealing."
Speaking the truth is a very

good habit. If you always
speak the truth, you can
save yourself from a lot of
trouble! Here is a story of a
man who did a lot of bad
things, but his promise to
speak the truth saved him.
So the man decided not to

steal that night, and gave up
this bad habit of stealing.
61
The Message
Moral: Make a promise; I

shall always speak the truth
and never break it.
Next day, he felt like

drinking alcohol, when he
was about to do so, he said
to himself, "What shall I say
to Prophet Muhammad (S) if
he asks me what did I do
during the day? I cannot tell
a lie, and if I speak the
truth people will hate me,
because a Muslim is not
allowed to drink alcohol."
And so he gave up the idea
of drinking alcohol.

Recommendation for
Helping Others
Imam Sadiq (a.s) not only did
good and solved the problems
of people, but also recommended others to do so.
A man told Imam Sadiq (a.s),
The government of Najashi
that rules Ahwaz and Fars
has obliged me to pay a tax,
but I cannot afford it.
Najashi is a sincere lover of
you; recommend him about
me. Imam Sadiq (a.s) wrote
in a letter,
In this way, whenever the

man thought of doing something bad, he remembered
his promise to tell the truth
at all times. One by one, he
gave up all his bad habits
and became a good Muslim
and a very good person.
In the Name of Allah, the

Beneficent, the Merciful.
Behave leniently towards
your brother; may Allah be
lenient with you too!
If you always speak the

truth, you can be a good
person, a good Muslim whom
Allah (SWT) likes and
favors. If Allah (SWT) - our
Creator - is pleased with us,
He will reward us with
Heaven, which is a place of
happiness and joy.
The man took the letter and

went to his own city. He
visited Najashi, gave him the
letter, and said,
62
The Message
whenever you have a request!
Imam Sadiq (a.s) has sent

you this letter. Najashi
took the letter, kissed it,
and said, What is your
request? The man answered, I cannot pay the
tax that is due on me.
Najashi asked, How much is
that? Ten thousand dirhams, the man replied.
The man took the property

and went. He went to Imam
Sadiq (a.s) after a while and
told him about what Najashi
had done. Imam Sadiq (a.s)
became very happy. That
man asked Imam (a.s), O
son of Messenger of Allah
(S)! Did you become happy
of his conduct? Imam (a.s)
replied, By Allah yes! Allah
and His Messenger (S)
became happy too.
Najashi called his ascribe

and told him, Pay the debt
of this man from my own
property! He ordered not to
take the tax of next year
from the man. Then Najashi
told the man, Did I make
you happy? Yes, the man
answered.
So
Najashi
ordered to give him a horse,
a slave, a female slave, and
some clothes, asking him the
same question every time.
The man repeated the same
answer every time. Then
Najashi said,

Monotheism in
Worship & Fear from
the Resurrection Day
The issues of Monotheism
in Worship in its best
manner, and the Fear from
the Resurrection Day are
of the significant characteristics of the family of
infallibility and purification,
the Ahl al-Bait. One of the
companions of Imam Hassan
Askari (a.s.) narrates: On
one of the days during Imam
Give this carpet on which I

received the letter of my
master, Imam Sadiq (a.s), to
this man too. And he told
the man, Come to me
63
The Message
Hassan Askaris (a.s.) childhood, I noticed he was

standing with children of his
same age. The other children were busy playing,
while the Imam (a.s.) was
standing in a corner crying
(this was the first time I
had seen him).
He said: Allah has said: "Did

you then think that We had
created you in vain, and that
you would not be brought
back to Us?"
I realized that his logic was
based on wisdom and the
Holy Quran. I was ashamed
of what I had thought.
Then, I said: Why are you
crying, while you are still a
child and have not committed any sins?
I thought that perhaps the

reason for his sadness was
because he did not have toys
like the other children. I
approached him, expressed
my kindness, and said: Ill
buy you some good toys.
His cry intensified, and he

said: Whenever my mother
wants to make fire with big
pieces of firewood, she first
puts some small pieces of
wood on fire, and then uses
them to flame the big pieces
of wood. My worries are
from being of those small
pieces of firewood for the
hellfire
He looked at me with an
angry face and said: We are
not created to play! I was
shocked by his words, such
immense knowledge and such
remarkable logic!
so I asked him: What are
we created for?
There, I understood that he

is extremely distant from
me. I departed from him.
Later on, I came to know
who that child was and to
which family he belonged
He said: [We are created]

to know [Allah] and worship
[Him]. Amazed by his
replies, I asked: Where
have you got that answer
from?
64
The Message
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Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)

From The Editors Desk

Your Daily-Life Questions Answered

A Glance at the Life of Holy Prophet (S)

A Biography of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (A.S.)

Appointing Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.) as the Next Imam by

9th Rabi al-Awwal A Day of Rejoicing and Celebration

Always Speak the Truth

Recommendation for Helping Others

Monotheism in Worship & Fear from the Resurrection Day

Zahra (S.A.) Academy

Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

glory be to Him; thus because of it (i.e. the same

2. The servant of Allah is free

8. The best of people in the

3. Planning before action will

9. Worry is half of old age.

6. Whoever utters the name

11. The foolishness of a man is

7. The greatest of regrets on

12. The worst enemy of man is

Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

From The Editors Desk

In the name of Allah, the

Brothers and Sisters,

It is our prayer that his birth

Because of different traditions

Long live Islam,

Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

Your Daily-Life Questions Answered

sible sea animals]. But other

Ans.: The right of the custody

Q.4: I would like to know

Q.2: Is it necessary for a

Q.3: What type of sea food

Ans.: It is makrooh (abominable) to perform prayers in a

Ans.: It is not permissible to

Q.6: Is it permissible for a

Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

perform these acts, he should

contains parts made from

Ans.: It is not permissible for

Ans.: If the music accompanying it is that which is

Q.7: If someone says: "I

Ans.: The obligatory precaution is that in the obligatory

Ans.: If a person takes an

Q.10: Is it permissible for a

Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

A Glance at the Life of Holy Prophet (S)

Among all the Prophets, the

derived from Biharul Anwar,

Before the advent of Islam, it

Rabi-ul-Awwal & Rabi-us-Sani 1438 AH

he was sitting before Allah's

His Family Life:

The Holy Prophet used to