Fundamentals of Islam
Fundamentals of Islam
Usool -ad-Deen (Roots of Religion)
Tawheed - (Oneness of God) - The most fundamental aspect of all beliefs revolves around the total acceptance of the Absolute and Perfect Creator. Belief in the Originator of all causes and effects with no effect on Him and that He is One, Everliving, Beneficent and Merciful. He has neither a colleague nor a partner. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him. The Almighty God is Unique and is Absolute in the Absolute sense. No entity in His Universe can ever comprehend His true state and none should even bother to try for it will lead to futility and insanity. Yet there is no doubt in any sane mind that His existence precedes all and His presence is Absolutely ubiquitous (everpresent). For anyone to say that God does not exist is a liar and a fool because such a person can NEVER disprove His existence, whether scientifically or philosophically, or for that matter in any method known. Because He is Absolute and none is like Him, no one in the relative world can ever physically define Him, and thus all idol worshippers and those who ascribe a shape or a body to Him are wrong. Ascribing a shape to the One who is beyond our limited perceptions would be tantamount to lying and giving a false appearance and a false representation. In addition, to believe that one can see God in the physical sense of sitting on a throne like some mythical being is certainly an untrue statement and should never be accepted. The Almighty Creator brings to existence everything with utmost Perfection and nothing in His Universe is imperfect. Thus to state that the Creator has created imperfect things is certainly a false statement. He is the One and Only and is Absolutely independent of anything and everything that exists. Glorified be His names, the Most High!
'Adl - (Justice) - Essentially part of Tawheed. Belief that God is Just. He will reward or punish any person according to his deeds and thus the notion of predestination (where all decisions are God's and not any one else's) in one's deeds does not exist. It is absolutely forbidden in Islam to believe that the Almighty, Merciful Allah planned our destiny and that the good and the bad are just His Will and there is no choice for us between them (God forbid!). Those who ascribe to such lies do so because they want to blame their own evils on Allah and claim the good for themselves! Although the attribute of Allah's Justice is not a separate entity of Allah for certainly the Almighty God can never be compartmentalized nor defined in any relative terms, it is nonetheless absolutely compulsory to believe and fully understand the importance of this attribute in Islam so as not to allow the evil suggestions of Iblees (curse of Allah be upon him and his progeny) and his companions from leading us astray.
Nubuwwat - (Prophethood) - Belief in the Prophets (PBUT) of God who excel all other persons for whom they are sent for. All prophets of Allah are perfect and sinless (ma'soom). Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH&HF) is the last of the prophets sent by God and the sealer of prophets for NO more are to come, EVER! The total number of prophets (PBUT) that were sent by God to mankind is 124,000 and every nation on earth was given guidance through them. In fact, all major religions today on earth can be traced to have these divinely guided teachers as their original propagators of the Truth of Allah. The best of His messengers all came from the same tree i.e. family lineage and many of them are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an which describes who they were and what their mission on earth was. It is important to note that no prophet on earth ever negated or rejected any of the other divinely ordained prophets and thus their message was always the same and one in purpose. Each established the law of the One and Only God and showed the way of life for humans to observe. From the very first creation of mankind, there was always a prophet on earth which was Prophet Adam (PBUH). This guidance from the Merciful Allah to establish His complete laws continued to the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) who exemplified the letters of the law in his most perfect behavior. He completed and perfected the one and only True religion, Islam. With the revelation of the last Holy Book, the Qur'an, which is the most protected and perfect book of God with us, he established as part of his mission, every concievable and practical law for mankind to follow in order to attain spiritual perfection. Great prophets such as Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Yaqoob (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Musa (Moses), Yahya (John), and Isa (Jesus), - (Peace be upon them all) - all came from the one blessed lineage of Prophet Adam (PBUH) and ended with the last Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH&HF). It is also important to note that anyone who ascribes imperfections or mistakes to these divinely guided personalities is ascribing it directly to Allah who is certainly free from such. Acceptance of such ideas is also rejection of the message of Allah entirely. Thus with prophethood, a believer has to accept in their complete message without any reservations of possible errors or mistakes.
Imamat - (Guidance) - Belief in the divinely appointed leadership after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) to protect and guide mankind with the revealed Truth, the Holy Qur'an and the true practices of the Holy Prophet himself. The roles of these leaders is an integral part in the protection of all the Messengers and their divine Messages. The Almighty Allah appointed through the Holy Prophet himself, twelve Guides (Imams) to protect mankind from misrepresenting and misinterpreting the Truth. Belief in this is most important in Islam and no doubts about their positions should be allowed. They are indeed sinless (ma'soom) and perfect in the highest sense of the word. The Imams have direct knowledge from God, and their verdict is the verdict of God. After the Holy Prophet, only they can interpret and guide mankind in every aspect of life and death and all believers must acquire guidance from them or else they will certainly be lost. They do NOT bring any new laws nor do they ever innovate their own laws. They always exempliy and elucidate the practical (Sunnah) and the written (the Holy Qur'an). It is also important to note that they NEVER disagree with each other in their manners and duties nor in their representations of the Divine Laws. They are from the best and the most blessed and purified lineage of the last Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUT) and their names are as follows: (1) Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet who called him his only brother in this world and in the next, (2) Imam Hasan son of Ali, (3) Imam Husain son of Ali, (4) Imam Ali son of Husain, (5) Imam Muhammad son of Ali, (6) Imam Ja'far son of Muhammad, (7) Imam Musa son of Ja'far, (8) Imam Ali son of Musa, (9) Imam Muhammad son of Ali, (10) Imam Ali son of Muhammad, (11) Imam Hasan son of Ali, and the last and living Imam Muhammad son of Hasan, the establisher of the Truth till the end of this world (PBUT). There is no successor to the Twelfth Holy Imam Muhammad ibnul Hassan (PBUH) and he is LIVING today but is in occultation and appears only to those who are most in need and to those who are most virtuous and pious. By the Command of Allah, he will reappear to all when he will establish true justice on earth and will rule mankind compassionately with utmost perfection as is the Will of the Almighty Allah. He will abolish the evil establishments on earth and mankind will live under true guidance as should have been many centuries ago!
Qiyaamat - (Resurrection) - Belief in the Day of Judgement when all human beings shall be raised from the dead and all their good and bad deeds shall be ultimately judged and recompensed accordingly. This belief is most essential WITH the belief in the One True God. The Day of Judgement will prove to all in this Universe that the Almighty Allah is the Creator of all from nothing and is the Absolute Master. His divine presence shall be most apparent on this important Day for all to witness. It is a judgement Dayfor His creatures to know themselves and their relationship to the Creator Allah. Just as pursuit for justice is inseperable in any society on earth, so is the Ultimate Day of Justice inseparable for mankind.
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Janabe -e- Fida
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Abbas - The Standard Bearer of Husain
Janabe -e- Fida
In the name of Allah the Beneficient the Merciful
The Muslims in the life time of the Prophet (saw ) were brought up
to learn the Quran as _Ibadat_ ( Devotion ), to recite it as _Devotion_, to
write it down as _Devotion_, to teach their children and other people and
make them learn it by heart and understand it as _Devotion_. They became
so familiar with it that they used the Verses of the Holy Quran in their
daily conversation. History records that Janab e Fidah, the noble Abysinian
housemaid of Hazrat Fatima Az Zahra, the Lady of Paradise, the daughter of
the Holy Prophet ( saw ) was in the habit of using the verses and words of
the Quran in her Conversation.
Abul Qasim Qashiri relates the dialogue between Fidah and
Abdullah bin Mubarak; I saw a woman passing through the desert who had
fallen behind the caravan, and asked her " Who are You and where are you
from ?."
She said : " Say Sallam !.... Soon shall ye know it ."
( Chapter 6 Verse 67 )
I learned that she expected me to greet her and say Assalam o
Alaikum first, before any question. I did as she reminded, and inquired why
she was in this desert.
She answered :
" Whomesoever God guideth, then none shall beguille . "
( Chapter 39 Verse 37 )
I gathered that she was left behind and thus restless, so I asked
again are you a human being or a jinn ?
She returned :
" O children of Adam ! Be Ye adorned at every time of prostration ."
( Chapter 7 Verse 31 )
I discovered that she was a human being, so I continued my
enquiry,
Where are You coming from ?
She said : ".... Who are called to from a place far off. "
( Chapter 41 Verse 44 )
I found out that she was coming from a place far off and
inquired her destination.
She immediately responded :
" ........ And for God is incumbent upon mankind the Pilgrimage of
the House..... " ( Chapter 3 Verse 97 )
I realized that she was going for Hajj ( Pilgrimage of the Kaaba ),
and asked her how many days she had been travelling ?
She told me :
" Indeed created We ( God ) the heavens and the earth
and what is between them to in Six days . "
(Chapter 7 Verse 54 ) and ( Chapter 50 Verse 38 )
I concluded it was six days. I requested her to have food and
water if she was so inclined.
She politely indicated :
" We ( God ) made them not such bodies that do not eat food, and
they will not abide ( in this world ) for ever. " ( Chapter 21
Verse 8 )
She accepted my refreshment. Then to catch the caravan,
I suggested her to make haste.
She reminded me again :
" God tasks not any soul beyond ( individual ) ability...... "
( Chapter 2 Verse 286 )
I told her that if she could'nt do so, let her ride on the back of my
camel behind me.
She recited another Quranic Verse :
" If there were therein gods besides Allah, then verily both ( the
heavens and the earth ) would have been disordered ...."
( Chapter 21 Verse 22 )
It was a reminder of piety that when a man was not a husband of
a woman, it was un-lawful to ride together on the same animal. [ It is an
Islamic Law concerning the relatives of persons of prohibited degree -
Namahiram ].
Qashiri says that he got down and requested her to ride the
camel.
She occupied the seat and recited :
" Hallowed is He who subjected this ( animal ) unto us ."
( Chapter 43 Verse 13 ).
She thanked Allah who brought the animal under her control. When
we reached the caravan, I asked her do you know any one among them ?
She recounted :
" O Dawud ( David ), We have appointed thee a vicegerent in the
earth .........."
( Chapter 38 Verse 26 );
" And Muhammad is not but an Apostle ...... "
( Chapter 3 Verse 144 );
" O Yahya ( John the Baptist ) ! Hold thou the Book fast !"
( Chapter 19 Verse 12 );
" O Musa ( Moses ) ! Verily it is, I am God the All-Mighty ."
( Chapter 27 Verse 9 )
I understood that Dawud, Muhammad, Yahya and Musa were the names of
her sons. When the boys appeared, I asked her who they were ?
She said in her habitual manner :
" Wealth and Children are the adornment of this World "
(Chapter 18 Verse 46 )
I recognized them as her sons. The woman looked at her
sons with the feeling of contentment and uttered
" ... O my father ! Employ him verily the best of those
who canst employ is the strongman and trusted ones. "
( Chapter 28 Verse 26 )
In these words of the Quran, she informed the sons
indicating towards me that
" ..... This man offered me a gift ( i.e help ), so
verliy God giveth manifold increase to whomsoever He willeth . "
( Chapter 2 Verse 261 )
The sons grasped their mothers indications, and so they paid me
twice as much as I ought to have been paid. To satisfy my
curiosity I asked the sons, Who is this honorable Lady that speaks
nothing but the Quran ?. They responded that she was their mother,
the housemaid of Hazrat Fatima Al Zahra ( peace be upon her and
her progeny ), the daughter of the Holy Prophet ( saw ) and the
Wife of Amir Al Momineen. She was raised under the shade of
supreme knowledge and piety of the daughter of the Prophet ( saw
). Since 20 years she spoke nothing but the Quran in her daily
conversations.
May Allah Bless her soul ( Amen ! ) ........
Reference : -
Essence Of The Holy Quran
The Eternal Light by
Ayatullah Agha Haji Mirza Mahdi Pooya
Edited by Syed Muhammad Murtaza &
Husain P Taylor ISBN 0-944880-02-9
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Web Site:
Abbas - The Standard Bearer of Husain
The shifting sand dunes of Karbala were smeared with blood. Near one of wash dunes, on the bank of Alkoma, lay the prostrate figure of a youth with blood gushing out from innumerable wounds. The crimson life-tide was ebbing fast. Even so, it seemed as if he was anxiously expecting somebody to come to him, to be near him before he breathed his last. Through his starched throat he was feebly calling somebody. Yes, Abbas was anxiously expecting his master to come to him before he parted with his life, as he had come to the side of all his devoted friends who had laid down their dear lives for him and in espousing his cause.
It is said that before a man's death al the past event of his life pass before his mind's eye in a flash-back. In his last moments Abbas was experiencing this. He was seeing himself as a child in Medina following Husain with a devotion which was considered unique even for a brother. He was seeing the events of that hot and sultry day in Kufa when his illustrious father Ali was addressing a congregation in the mosque and he, as a child, with his characteristic devotion, was looking at the face of his beloved brother watching him intently so that he could attend to his wishes on an instant command. Seeing from the parched lips of Husain that he was feeling extremely thirsty, how he had darted out from the mosque and returned with a tumbler full of cool, refreshing water and in the hurry to carry the water as quickly as possible to quench the consuming thirst of his dearest brother, how he had spilled water on his own clothes. He was recalling how this incident had made his illustrious father stop in the midst of his speech, with tears rolling down his cheeks at the sight of his young son all wet with water. He was remembering his father's reply to the queries from his faithful followers as to what had brought tears in his eyes, that Abbas who had wetted his body with water in the process of quenching Husain's thirst would in the not too distant future wet his body with his own blood in attempting to quench the thirst of his young children. He was vividly seeing the scene on the 21st Ramazan, way back in 40 Hijra, when his father mortally wounded, was lying on his death-bed and entrusting his children and dependents to the care of the his eldest brother, Hasan - all except him. Seeing that his father had commended all but him to the care of Hasan - how he, a child of 12, had burst out into uncontrollable tears. His father, on hearing him sobbing, had called him to his side and given his hand in Husain's hand with the words:
Husain, this child I am entrusting to you. He will represent
me on the day of your supreme sacrifice and lay down his life
in defending you and your dear ones, much as I would have done
if alive on that day.
How his father had turned to him and affectionately told him:
Abbas, my child, I know your unbounded love for Husain.
Though you are too young to be told about it, when that
day dawns, consider no sacrifice too great for Husain and
his children.
He saw before his mind's eye that parting with his aged mother Fatima in Medina. How she had affectionately embraced him and reminded him of the dying desire of his father to lay down his life in the defense of Husain and his dear ones.
A faint smile of satisfaction flickered for a brief moment on his parched lips a smile of satisfaction that he had fulfilled his father's wish; that he had performed his duty for which he was brought up. It just flitted for a moment and vanished as other scenes came before his mind's eye. He was re- living the events of the night before. He was seeing Shimr stealthily coming to him; and talking to him about his ties of relationship; about the protection he had been promised for Abbas by the Commander of Yazid's forces, only if he would leave Husain and go over to Yazid's camp; about the promises of riches and rewards that he would get; how he had spurned the suggestion of Shimr with the utmost disdain to the chagrin of that servile minion who had sold his soul for a mess of pottage. How he had scared away that coward by his scathing rage saying:
You worshipper of Mammon, do not think that Abbas will be
lured by your tempting offer of power and pelf. If I die in
fending my master, Husain, I shall consider myself the luckiest
person. O coward, remember that valiants die but once. Nobody
is born to live eternally. By betraying my master, you have
betrayed the Prophet, whose religion you profess to follow.
On the Day of Judgement you will be doomed to eternal perdition.
I am ashamed to own any relationship with you. Had it not been
for the fact that you have come here unarmed, I would have given
you the chastisement you deserve for your impudence in asking me
to become a turncoat.
How that wretch had scampered from there seeing him roaring like an enraged lion. The thought of that unpleasant interlude contracted his brows. Or was it the excruciating pain he was suffering on account of the deep gashes he had all over his body?
Yet another scene passed before Abbas's eyes - Sakina leading 42 children, each with a dry water-bag. The children were shouting as if in chorus
Thirst, consuming thirst, is killing us.
Sakina coming to him and putting her dry water-bag at his feet and saying to him:
O uncle, I know you will do something to get water for us. Even
if you can bring one bag full of water, we can wet our parched
throats.
He could see that thirst, aggravated by the scorching heat of the desert, was squeezing their young lives out of them. The sight of these youngsters had moved him more than any other soul-stirring events of that faithful day. How he had picked up the water-bag with assurance to Sakina that he would go and bring water - God Willing.
How he had taken Husain's permission and marched out of the camp with a sword in one hand, the flag in the other, and the bag on his shoulder, with the children following him in a group up to the outer perimeter of the camp. How Husain had repeatedly requested him to avoid fighting as much as possible and confine himself to the task of bringing water!
His thoughts switched over to the events that had preceded his fall from the horse. With the object of procuring water for his dear little Sakina, he had charged on the enemy who held the river banks. He had run through the enemy ranks like a knife through butter. Again this surging onslaught the cowards could not stand and had run helter-skelter shouting for protection. For a moment it seemed as if Ali, the Lion of God, had descended from heaven. In no time Abbas was near the rivulet. He had jumped down from the horse and bent to fill the water-bag. When it was filled to the brim, he had taken some water in his cupped hand to drink and satisfy his killing thirst. But, on second thoughts, he had thrown the water away. How could he drink water when Sakina and the children were still withering without it? How could he be so callous as to forget that his master Husain had not had a drop of water since the last three days. He had turned to his horse which had been let loose so that it could satisfy its thirst. The animal had been intently looking at its master as if to say:
I too am aware that, so long as our master and his children
remain without water, our thirst cannot be quenched.
With the water-bag filled he had jumped into the saddle with one thought uppermost in his mind, to get the water to the anxiously waiting children as quickly as possible. Seeing him galloping towards the camp of Husain, the enemy had turned. Somebody had shouted from the enemy ranks that if Husain and his people got water, it would be difficult to fight them on the battlefield. Though it was an uneven fight, he fought them with valour which was so characteristic of his fathers Though he was thirsty and hungry, he charged on them and scattered them. The mercenaries of Yazid were running like lambs in a fold when charged by a lion. Seeing that a frontal assault on a man so brave was not possible, they had resorted to a barrage of arrows. When arrows were coming form all sides, Abbas had only one thought in his mind, how to protect the water-bag than his life. Seeing that Abbas was preoccupied with this thought, one treacherous foe, hiding behind a sand-dune, had rushed out and dealt a blow on his right hand and cut it off. In a flash Abbas had transferred his sword to his left hand and the standard he was bearing he had hugged to his chest. Now that the Lion of Ali was crippled, the foes had found courage to surround him. A blow from an enemy's sword severed his left arm. The odds were now mounting against him. He held the bag with his teeth and protected the flag with his chest pressed on the horse's back. Now the paramount thought in his mind was to reach the camp somehow or the other. A silent prayer had escaped his lips:
Merciful Allah, spare me long enough to fulfill my
mission.
But that was not to be. An arrow had pierced the water-bag and water had started gushing out of it. Was it water that was flowing out of that bag or the hopes of Abbas? All his efforts had been in vain. After all Sakina's thirst would remain unsatisfied and all her hopes would be frustrated. The enemies who had made bold to surround him, now seeing his helpless condition, were now gathering thick round him. One of them came near him and struck mortal blow with an iron mace. He reeled over and fell from the horse.
He tossed on the burning sand with excruciating pain. He felt that life was fast ebbing out but his wish to see his master had remained unfulfilled. With one last effort, with all the strength that was left in him, he shouted:
O my master, do come to me before I die.
As it in answer to his prayers he felt some footsteps near him, Yes, his instinct told him that it was his lord. His one eye had been blinded by an arrow and the other filled with blood and so he could not see. But he felt his master kneeling down beside him, lifting his head and taking it into his lap. Not a word was said for a few seconds because both were choked with emotion. At last he heard Husain's voice, a half-sob, half-muffled cry:
Abbas, my brother, what have they done to you?
If Abbas could see, would he have recognized his master? With back bent and beard turned white and hoary, on hearing the parting cry of his beloved brother, Husain's plight was such that nobody could have recognized him - such was his transformation. Abbas was now feeling the loving touch of his master's hand. With effort he muttered:
You have come at last, my Master. I thought I was not destined
to have a last farewell with you but, thank God, you are here.
With these words he put his head on the sand. Tenderly Husain lifted his head and again put it on his lap, inquiring why he had removed it from there.
My Master, replied Abbas, the thought that when you will be
breathing your last, nobody will be there to put your head in
a lap and to comfort you, makes me feel that it would be
better if my head lies on the sand when I die, just as yours
would be. Besides, I am your slave and you are my master. It
is too much for me to put my head on your lap.
Husain burst into uncontrollable tears. The sight of his brother, whose name was to become a byword for devotion and unflinching faithfulness, laying down his dear life in his arms, was heart-rending.
Abbas was heard to whisper softly:
My master, I have some last wishes to express. When I was
born, I had my first look at your face and it is my last
desire that when I die, my gaze may be on it, too. My one
eye is pierced by an arrow and the other is filled with
blood. If you will clear the blood from my one eye, I'll
be able to see you and fulfill my last dying desire. My
second wish is that when I die you may not carry my body
to the camp. I had promised to bring water to Sakina and,
since I have failed in my attempt to bring her water, I
cannot face her even in death. Besides, I know that the
blows that you have received since morning have all but
crushed you and carrying my body to the camp will be heart
breaking work for you. And my third wish is that Sakina
may not be brought here to see my plight. I know with what
love and affection she was devoted to me. The sight of my
dead body lying here will kill her.
Husain sobbingly promised him that he would carry out his last wishes added:
Abbas, I too have a wish to be fulfilled. Since childhood
you have always called me master. For once at least call
me brother with your dying breath.
The blood was cleared from the eye, one brother looked at the other with a longing lingering look. Abbas was heard to whisper:
My brother, my brother
and with these words he surrendered his soul to his Maker: Husain fell unconscious on the dead body of Abbas with a cry:
O Abbas, who is left to protect me and Sakina after you?
The flow of Furat became dark as winter and a murmur arose from the flowing water as if to protest against the killing of a thirsty water-bearer on its banks.
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