They believe in the words of prophets

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) said:

“The Lord Almighty told me on the night of Meraaj (Heavenly Ascention): “O Ahmad, If any of my slaves offers prayers and fasts equal to that done by all in the sky and the earth, may refrain from food like angels, may wear the dress of constant worshippers and then I see that in his heart was even an iota of love or desire for worldly fame, position, material desire etc I will not admit him to paradise. I will remove My love from his heart. I will make his heart dark, so that he may forget Me and I will not allow him to taste the sweetness of My love.

Likewise Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says:

“By God! One who loves the world cannot befriend God.”

(Jihaad Mustadrak, Baab, 61)

Explaing the verse Illaa Man ……, the innocent Imam (a.s.) says that this heart (Qalb-e-Saleem) is the heart which is safe from worldly love. (Anh…)

(Jihaad Mustadrak, Baab: 61).

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“One who loves this world, makes his heart empty of the fear of Aakhirat (Hereafter). Therefore the love for this world increases in the heart of one who God does not give knowledge. Then God’s anger grows against him and that fellow gets away from God.”

(Jihaad Mustadrak, Baab: 61).

Mentioning the virtues of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) says:

“The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to dine sitting on ground, His manner of sitting on ground was like slaves. He was mending his shoes with his own hands. He was grafting his clothes himself. He was sitting on the bare back of an ass, making someone else also ride with him. There was a curtain in his house with a picture on it. He asked one of his wives: Remove that curtain from my eyes. By looking at it I begin admiring the world and its beauties. So, remove the attention toward worldly possessions from your heart. Make your soul empty of material wants. He liked that the worldly adoration should remain away from hidden from his eyes so that he may not select beautified clothings from pompous dress from wordly possessions. This not a place of rest and comfort for him. He did not have any desire to remain in this world. So he had freed his soul from the worldly love and his heart from material attraction. He used to turn away his eyes from material glamour. The fact is that if the one who is inimical toward a thing also does not like to look at it. He also avoids remembering it.”

He says that it is incumbent on a Muslim to follow his prophet (s.a.w.s.). It is a must to imitate him to avoid destruction.

The Love for world is universal

From the viewpoint of understanding the truth about oneself, people can be divided in to two kinds:

Dahri (Materialists)

Milli (Believers)

Dahri is the group of people who think that the existence of man is material and that he is no different from an animal. He is created from dust and will be lost in dust, to be ended for all and for ever. This group is firm in this though, that is, they agree that the life of man is limited only to this world and there fore it is necessary that to take maximum benefit from this life before he dies. Their hearts are inclining toward the world and they are slaves of their passions and desires.

In its march toward its aim this group always tries to break any rule or regulation (morality) to gratify his desires and to acquire full comfort and adornment in this short living life. This group undergoes all sorts of trouble and hardship in order to multiply his wealth and worldly possessions. Verse 24 of Surah Jaasiyah (45) hints to such people saying:

وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

“And they say that our life is but limited to this world where we die and live and that it is only the time that kills us or allows us to live. They have no knowledge of the truth. They are only making conjectures.

(Surah Jasiyah 45:24)

Three Groups of the Milly:

Those having Millat (community): This griup is comprised of Yahood (Jews), Nasaaraa (Christians) and Muslims who love prophets. It puts faith in the Revelations of the Lord of the world and in His messengers (prophets), that is, they believe in the words of prophets and their commands. They also believe that there is an everlasting life, after this worldly life and that paradise is waiting for those who did good deeds and the hell for those who indulged in bad ones. But this Milli category is again divided into three sub-groups. One of them does profess the above things but, in actual practice, it is no different from the Dahri materialists. In other words, they talk about God and the Hereafter but their hearts are entangled in the world. Their inclination is only towards the wealth and property and tastes and passions of this world. The aim of each and every effort made by them is to achieve the material worldly goals by hook or by crook. Verse 167 of Surah Aali Imraan (3) mentions such people:

وَلْيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ

“(These people) talk with their tongues things which are not in their hearts.”

(Surah Aale Imran 3:167)

Unmindful Worshippers (Namaazees)

Another group is not all in all the world but their inclination is more toward this world and less towards the Aakhirat. They have intense affection for this world and the wordly things. That is why they strive more for achieving the worldly material things. On one hand though they are not totally disconnected with the Aakhirat, they make only a little effort for gaining its benefits. Their good deeds also are not quite worthy of mention. They spend a major part of their wealth and life for satisfying their passions and worldly desires. But when there is the question of the other world (Aakhirat) they spend only a little from their lives and properties and there is no selflessness therein. The rank of such people has been vividly mentioned in the last verses of Surah Maaoon:

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“Woe unto those worshippers (who offer namaaz prayers) who remain mindless of their worships, who spend to make a show and do not give (to the needy) even insignificant things on loan.”

Had the hearts of these people been connected with their God and the Hereafter they would have never remained unmindful of God and His remembrance. Their deeds would not have been based on show. In short, the rank of this group of the Millis is the same and which is of the world lovers. The third group of the Millis is quite different from the second one. They love God and Hereafter intensely from their hearts when a little love of the world too exists in their hearts.

All are equal in this matter

If we ponder the condition of the milliyyeen of the universe we will come to know that, excepting a very little number, almost all of them will be counted in first and the second group. In other words, the two groups (Jews and Muslims) in both of the said categories, be they be belonging to the east or the west, are all agreeable with the Dahri materialist atheists both in thought and deed in the matter of worldly love despite their linguistic and religion differences. (Abul Hasan Ali Nadavi has, in his book World in the Danger of Falling Down, dealt very nicely on these subjects saying that today’s man has, adopted materialism, worldly love and passion which has spread in others countries from Europe, in place of God-worship, love for Aakhirat and truthfulness and spiritualism. Here are some extracts from that book):

Religious awareness: What will be the end of the world? In which direction is the world going? Is there any other life after this worldly life? And if so how is it? Is their any guidance regarding the Hereafter in this worldly life? What is the true path that can lead man on the road to Hereafter by living a satisfying and peaceful life? What is the starting point of that path? What is the way of obtaining the everlasting bounties of the Hereafter? How can we adopt it?

These and similar thoughts have been engaging the minds of man, especially the man of the east. Whenever they were getting a positive reply to these questions they were tyring to follow. The source of all these questions is the sixth sense of man, which is beyond the five senses. It is called the religious sense. The Holy Quran calls it human nature (conscience). But today’s man has totally forgotten this sense and such questions do not come to his mind.

The author adds, the biggest problem of the twentieth century or of the materialist age is as was the issue before the past prophets, is to struggle against such people who have forgotten the religious sense or feeling or who are totally devoid of it. Undoubtedly the people whose minds are stagnated and listless, who are totally devoid of it and who have decided never to think about the problems of the Hereafter, have for ever remained a very big calamity for the divine guides. The more the Messenger of God tried to guide them toward the truth the more they used to insist that ‘Life is only this life of the world, we will live and die here but there is nothing like the Day of Judgement.’ (Surah Anaam) The prophets got only this reply our hearts and ears cannot grasp your talks. There is a curtain between you and us. You may busy yourselves in your works and we will remain engaged in ours. (Surah Fussila, Verse: 5). The man of our age has also forgotten the religious feeling or sense. Now such questions do not arise in his mind and heart and none thinks about them. Even if any lone fellow pays attention to them, it is only for satisfying some self-interest. It will have to be agreed that today’s only material problems are in focus instead of the said spiritual ones. Our twentieth century progeny has devoted its thoughts and abilities to the solution of only material problems. They have no concern whatsoever that there is any other world also after this life. The way of thinking of today’s man is that if ready money is available do not go for the promised one. What is needed is that all such discussions should be kept away only for the experts of spiritualism or philosophy so that they may think over them and write books. Verily today’s man has employed his entire life only for working in workshops, for moving and running machines, for deriving monetary benefits from them and for obtaining means of worldly comfort and ease and luxury. He knows nothing about the other world. Perhaps he might not have thought about it even in his imagination. Briefly speaking, neither he has ever paid any attention to the events after death nor has he ever worried about them.

In this era religious and divine thoughts do not find room in man’s mind and heart. The materialistic life has closed all doors of thought and wisdom. No avenued is left open for pondering and meditation. Minds, hearts, eyes and ears are unable to comprehend the words of prophets and religious scholars. The parallel of the difficulties suffered by men of God in trying to guide such people is not to be found in even the worst societies. It is so because this is a group and which knows not, rather neglects that there is another world beyond this worldly life. He is not interested in this matter at all. God of the Universe talks about these people is His address to His Prophet:

إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاء إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ

“Verily you cannot make the dead hear (your words) nor the deaf.”

(Surah Naml 27:80)

The author writes at another place: ‘Our age is a purely materialistic age. Here people pay attention only to the worldly life and have no faith in the next world. That is why they do not make any provision for the journey to Hereafter. Is it ever possible that those who have no faith in that world will make any provision for that world? Excepting a few fellows all civilized people believe that, in order to meet with their worldly needs they should obtain wealth and property from wherever possible.

In the world we live, the criterion of greatness and nobility is only money, wealth, dress and means. Since the standard of such nobilities continue to change man is obliged to spend a lot of money to mould himself in the mentality of the society. As a very big amount of money is needed to do so one tries to acquire wealth by any means legal or illegal, with labour or without effort. Since everybody does not possess enough ability to acquire wealth he constantly remains gloomy and sorry because of his relative poverty: whereas his biggest aim is only to become wealthy.

Consequently material worries become the destiny of the fashion worshipping people and they have no means to get rid of it. Yet another misfortune is that the styles of fashion continue to change endlessly for example, new models of cars, radio, shoes, dresses and other luxury items. Factoreis bring out new things in the market daily though none of them is the basic necessity of life. But our society (environment) considers it a part of human personality and a must of civilization. So much so that the one who does not utilize these things is not considered among the living ones!

These are the causes that gave so much importance to wealth and riches and which is unprecedented in human history. Now day’s wealth and only wealth is the original soul of man and which has made him to run after it endlessly and continuously. Wealth is the centre of aim of the wealth-creators, industrialists and politicians only this is driving people to become members of legislatures, writers to author books and warriors to start wars.

The author also throws light on the materialistic inclination in world countries under a chapter ‘The world moves towards ignorance’ but it will make this book voluminous.

All of them are mad after worldly passions, desires and decorations. Earning wealth is their only aim. They do not hesitate to indulge in any kind of dishonesty, crime and even bloodshed to achieve this aim. These are the people who want everything except pleasure of God. They long for every worldly comfort excepting the ease of the other world (Aakhirat). They express sorrow over every incident except sin. They feel no sorrow over their poverty in the next world but are always worrying about their worldly poverty. They make efforts for the success of the unreliable worldly future but have no worry about the definite and certain life of the Hereafter. On the one hand they leave no stone unturned for increasing their capital and cry and shriek if they suffer any monetary loss but, on the other hand, stay listless and stagnant like a corpse to gain the main wealth of their Akhirat and which manifests man’s faith, spirit and morality.

Interestingly every group of the Millis, who resemble the Daharis, considers itself above divine chastisement and thinks that their success is sure. It has become uncontrollable like satan and yet thinks that it is definitely to win success and salvation!

Self-Glorification of Jews and Christians

The Jews say that since we are Bani Israel (progeny of Prophet Yaaqoob a.s.) we are the noblest of the entire humanity and that only we have the right to rule the earth. The Holy Quran speaks in their language thus:

وَقَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَّ أَيَّاماً مَّعْدُودَةً قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللّهُ عَهْدَهُ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

“And they say: the firewill not touch us except for a few days (that is only those forty days when they had indulged in cow-worship)

(Surah Baqarah 2:80)

As per specific command of the Quran all men are equal and no one is nobler than another except on the ground of God-fearingness. As the Holy Quran states:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Doubtlessly the more honourable among you is only he who is more God-fearing.”

(Surah Hujuraat 49:13)

The Jews and the Christians also say that only we are sons of God, friends of God and beloveds of God that the paradise is only for us. Of course they say such things only orally whereas in reality they are devoted to the world not to God and the Hereafter. The Holy Quran describes them:

وَلَتَجِدَنَّهُمْ أَحْرَصَ النَّاسِ عَلَى حَيَاةٍ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِمُزَحْزِحِهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ أَن يُعَمَّرَ وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

“O Prophet! You will find them most greedy of the world.”

(Surah Baqarah 2:96).

In fact they are the friends of the devils, not friends of Rahman. They are slaves of worldly passions and desires. They are not at all interested in God and the other world (Aakhirat).

Why are you afraid of death?

They say that paradise and salvation in the Hereafter is destined only for them. If they really believe like this then why are they afraid of death and the loss of material things and why are they constantly praying for extension of worldly life for enjoying constant benefit of the worldly passions and desires? Challenging such persons the Lord of the universe says:

قُلْ إِن كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الآَخِرَةُ عِندَ اللّهِ خَالِصَةً مِّن دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُاْ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

“O Prophet! Tell them: If with God your abode of the Hereafter (paradise) is exclusively for you, then if you are true, then long for death (so as to get into the paradise soon).”

(Surah Baqarah 2:94)

It is mentioned in Tafseer Majmaa that one who is sure about getting paradise must give preference to death which is the only way to reach paradise in comparison with the worldly life which is full of hardships. The one who is sure that death is the means of getting excellence and success will certainly love death more than life as the Amirul Momineen (a.s.) says: “By God, the son of aboo Taalib is so much attached to death as a suckling baby is to its mother’s breast.” Therefore when the Imam (a.s.) was strolling fearlessly between lines in the war of Siffeen, his son Hasan Mujtaba (a.s.) told him: ‘O father, your moving like this in the midst of battle lines is not desirable because it is likely to enable the enemy to harm you’ he replied: ‘You father does not worry weather he falls on death or death falls on him.’

Likewise, when in the said battle Ammar Yaasir (a.s.) decided to join war he was extremely happy and being sure of his martyrdom saying joyfully: “I am proceeding to my friends, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and his companions.”

It is narrated that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) once said:

‘One of you should long for death because of being caught in worldly hardships and troubles. He should pray: O Lord! Keep me alive until life is good for me and give me death when death is good for me.” Tafseer Majma al Bayaan has quoted this hadith in Arabic like this:

This hadith says that longing for death is condemnable because it shows a dislike for the will of God (whereas here what is hinted at is Sabr or patience and Tasleem or submission to divine will). But where a wish for death has been prohibited it is for the expression of a longing of the faithful Momin that death should not come to him so that during that time he may try to compensate for his sins and make provision for his journey to the Hereafter.

If this aim is in one’s heart then the desire for the world is not different from a wish for death. Its example is like a king calls someone to him but does fix a time for it, whereas that man takes only that much time for presenting himself to the king which is absolutely necessary for its preparation. His only desire is that the men of the king should arrive to take him with them only after he has made preparation for it. As has been detailed in the previous lines the only aim of this preparation should be to present oneself to God. That is why a temporary love for the world is an essential demand of Faith in God and the Hereafter.

But so far as the Jews are concerned, they are mad after this world only for enjoying its pleasures. That is why they long for a long life and wish to live for a thousand years. This desire of theirs makes them fearful of death and proves that they are lying when they claim that they are the lovers of God and worthy of the paradise.

On the other hand, all groups of Muslims think themselves to be the followers of the Holy Quran and the lovers of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and his progeny (a.s.). Every one of them claims that it will attain salvation and that others will be destroyed whereas, barring a few, almost of them are full of love for the world. Instead of being ardent lovers of God and His prophet they are dazelled by the glamour of this world. Instead of obeying the commands of the Holy Quran they are obeying their desires and evil satanic suggestions. The centre of their activities is only the worldly success. They are ever ready to acquire every knowledge or science which can guarantee their worldly benefits. But they never try to understand the divine knowledge and religious commands. They answer every devilish call and attend every meeting or gathering which takes them away from God and Aakhirat. They always avoid meetings which draw their attention toward God and His Prophet and the Hereafter.

Evil Signs of running away from the Ulema (Religious Scholars)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said:

“A time will come for the people when they will run away from Ulemna as goats run away seeing wolves. (At that time) God will entangle them in three calamities: (1) He will take away Barkat (blissful abundance) from their wealth, (2) He will impose a cruel ruler on them and (3) They will be called up from the world without (devoid of) Imaan (Faith).

(Safeenat ul Bihaar. Vol. 2. p. 220)

In another hadith, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“People will see days when they will make their bellies their gods, their women their Qiblaas (centre of constant attention), worldly wealth their religion and property their criterion of excellence or ability. (It will be a time when) nothing from Faith except the name nothing from Islam except rituals and nothing from Quran except lessons will remain. Their mosques will stand only like buildings of stones whereas their hearts will have nothing like Guidance. The Ulema of that era will be the worst men on the surface of earth. (That is, the majority of them will be world-worshippers).

O Saahib az zamaan, please hasten your arrival

Let it be know that the ever-increasing dishonesty and faithlessness, the destructive corruption, the overflowing shamelessness and obscenity in which today’s man is imprisoned because of his intense love for material world cannot be stalled by any power. This current is going to spread endlessly, to such an extent that people will find it extremely difficult to live and they will anxiously wait for a reformer who may relieve them from misfortune. That will be the time when Almighty God will make the twelfth Imam Mehdi (a.s.) appear in the world. The Imam (a.s.) will, by the divine authority grant enlightenment to hearts and wisdom to minds until truth will appear dazzling openly. The intense love for this world, which is the route cause of every trouble and corruptioned will be wiped out from hearts. The human hearts will overflow with the love of God, Prophet and the Hereafter and people will incline towards the other world and give up love for temporary material things. When this will happen people will realize the real truth about man’s pure life and they will enjoy real happiness. To trust that the Holy Hujjat (12^th Imam as) will appear and fill the world with justice and fair play is one of the essentials of religion. In this connection, not only there are several continuously narrated hadiths of the Holy Prophet but God of the universe also has given good tidings of all prophets that in the last era, man will become God-fearing and virtuous and that the earth will become totally tranquil and peaceful. It is mentioned is Surah Ambia (21) verse 105:

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ

“And We had, after admonition in Torah, written verily written in Zaboor (Psalms) that our earth will be inherited by Our virtuous slaves.”

(Surah Anbiya 21:105)

What will be the overall condition of people in that time? To know it, please refer to volume 13 of Bihaar. Here we quote only one relevant hadith:

When intelligence will become perfect

In Usul al-Kafi there is a hadith of Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) in chapter Kitaab al Aql val jahl (Knowledge and Ignorance):

“When Our Imam will stand up, he will put his hand of mercy on the slaves of god so that their minds and ambitions will be perfected.”

People will become so wise and gentle that even if a woman will travel from Bagdad to Damascus with a box full of diamonds and other precious stones, no one will even throw a passing glance at her. In short, the worldly love will be totally wiped from human hearts.

Our Responsibility in the present age

It is the duty of every believer to, first of all, reform himself and drive away the worldly love from heart as detailed before. Then, acting according to Nahya anil Munkar, warn his near and dear ones and try his utmost to remove the route cause of every trouble and corruption viz love for worldly matter from hearts of people. In this way he should fulfill his responsibility imposed on him by Shariat to reduce restlessness and trouble and corruption from the society.

Croocked thinking of the unwise and its answer

Some senseless people think that big industrial countries are drowning human societies in materialism, worldly love and passion in such a big way that no individual or a group can, despite all their wishes, escape copying and imitating them. Rather such people are not considered as living at all. So in these circumstances and in this state of affair there remains no need from any effort to make men think about God and Aakhirat. Thus it is necessary for all to imitate the world-worshippers.

We say that such talk is like imitating animals which intelligence does not accept, because if a wise man sees that some people have fallen in dirt can his reason allow him to drown himself also for remaining connected with others? In the said big countries there are some wise and intelligent people whose hearts are weeping seeing the widescale waywardness, dishonesty, corruption and bloodshed and lack of humanity. They are also constantly warning their governments about its dangerous consequences. But there is none to pay any attention to their talks.

Why go far? Just look at our own country. How many people pay attention to the words of ulema? For example the religious scholars are constantly drawing our attention to the harms and destructiveness of films, about its evil effects on society, immorality and shamelessness etc. They are being repeatedly told that just for gaining some coins some selfish persons are arousing passions of our youth to take them in the world of crime through cinema. But did the Muslims pay any attention to their talks? Did those in power do anything to reform the affairs?

An advice for all faithfuls

Since, some inclination toward animality too is found in man, he has strong desire of imitation also. For example, to imitate those who are in power and position or to follow the majority. But the Lord of the universe has, against this inclination, bestwed man with the wealth of wisdom and reason also so that he may follow knowledge and the wise, in the light of wisdom despite being weak and in minority, may avoid the ignorants even if they are powerful and in majority.

Therefore reason and intellect and wisdom says that it is not at all wise to imitate the ways of Europe and other big countries because though they have made big progress in material sciences to the same extent, they are ignorant of the Truth and the things beyond perception of senses (supernatural matters). For example, if they are asked: Is there any owner or master of this vast universe? They will reply: we do not know because our knowledge is limited only to material science and earthly things. Who created the astonishing workshop of human body? They will say: we do not know. We know only about its working. What is the reality of man? They will answer: we do not know. We have seen man only from the viewpoint of his animality. If they are asked as to what is their view about life after death which can guarantee his salvation and success, they will say: We are not aware of any world except the material world. Does the success of human life depend only on gratifying passions, gathering wealth and acquiring strength and power? Or it depends on human perfections like modesty, courage, bravery, kindness, justness and well wishing for all? They will say: In our opinion the secret of human life’s success is in the gratification of his desires and passions. Such people, for covering theirignorance, just ridicule such questions and say that, in today’s time, such questions are of no significance that what is important is that man should strive continuously to add to his wealth the power so that he may not lag behind in social race. This age demands that we should manufacture jet planes, atom bombs so that happy human inhabitation is turned into smoke and greenery should be burnt and innocent blood should be spilled. Passions and desires should recklessly be gratified, constant efforts should be made to brighten one’s personality. In the modern time, words like mercy, kindness, justice, fair play, forgivance, benevolence, patience, honour, humility etc; which had value in the past have become almost meaningless. Let aside act according to them, people do not know even what they mean.

They say that today the same of God, the Lord of the creation, must only be uttered. World worship should take the place of God worship. Every means fair or foul, legal or illegal should be resorted to for filling belly and gratifying passions. More and more effort must be made for living a luxurious life. It will become lengthy if we discuss and throw light on the ignorance and unawareness of the materialist world-worshippers. If our readers just think over their conditions they come to know better. What has been described above is sufficient to expose their ignorance. What we aim to drive home is that advance of technology and industry and various discoveries should not give them a permission to continue their devilish ways.

Divine Messengers are more worthy of following

O man! You should make your intelligence the criteria for your deeds. You must do according to the ways of wise people who are aware of the Truth. Foremost among them are the prophets of God. Only they are the persons who can give positive and proper answer to the above and other similar questions. They can enlighten all on what they have the knowledge.

قُلْ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَآئِكُم مَّن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ قُلِ اللّهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ أَفَمَن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لاَّ يَهِدِّيَ إِلاَّ أَن يُهْدَى فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

“Then is the one who shows the path of religion more worthy of following or the one (let aside guiding others) who is unable to see the path unless someone else guides him? What has happened to you? How are you judging?”

(Surah Yunus 10:35)

Only that may is worth adopting which has been adopted and shown by the prophets, the wise, the God-worshippers, those who are devoted only to the everlasting successes and who have noble human virtues. The wise, rationalists and men of reason must follow then in the light of wisdom. But the attitude and path of the world lovers is bassed on worshipping their desires and gratifying their passions the end result of which is Hell. Of course, before entering Hell they do have to face restlessness, tensions, troubles and other calamities in this world too, in which today’s Europe and other ‘civilised’ countries are trapped.

O wise fellow! Just use you brain. Had the world-worship been the true path, the prophets of God and religious leaders would not have shown extreme disgust toward it. D not you see that all of them had kept the worldly love aside and had maintained their connection and relationship with God and the Hereafter.

An example worth pondering over

It is said there was an ugly woman. Whoever saw her once was turning away his face from her. No man was prepared to marry her. At last she was married off to a blind man. One day that woman was, praising her beauty, telling her blind husband: “Many men had proposed to me but you were the only man who got me. I am compelled to think that you are either a magician or a fellow whose prayers are always answered (Mustajaab ad daavaat) as you attained your ambitions.” Replying in a very wise way the blind man exposed to that lady the falsehood of her story. He said: if what you said was true, people having eyes would have never spared you nor would you have come to a blind man.

Had the attractions, pleasures and tastes of the world been real and pure, that is, had they not been accompanied by hundreds of defects, difficulties and troubles and were they not to be followed by the chastisement of the Hereafter, the truth-seeing eyes of people headed by Hader-e-Karraar, Wasiye Rasoole Mukhtaar, Amirul Momineen Ali (a.s.) would have surely accepted and preferred them for themselves.

This is why only those people become captives of the worldly love whose eyes and hearts are blind, whose heads are brainless and who are totally unaware of the Hereafter, who are misled by Muaaviyah and his son yazeed because they did not look with the inner eyes at the defects, downfall and unreliability of the world and who remained totally unaware of God and the Hereafter and therefore they imagined that their success was in persuing the world.

The world becomes enticed by Amirul Momineen (a.s.)

Shaid-e-Saani (a.r.), in his Kashfur Raibah renders a contuing narration from Amirul Mominin (a.s.) that: Onece I was doing field work with a spade in had in the Baag-e-Fadak which had been gifted to Janaabe Saiyidah (a.s.) when suddenly I saw a very beautiful woman whom I likened with ‘Bashinah’ (the name of a woman whose beauty had become exemplary in Arabia). She began to say: O son of Abu Taalib (a.s.)! Please take me as your wife so that I may open up all the treasures of the world to be owned by you. The, after you, your progeny will inherit it all. I asked her First tell me, who are you, so that a demand may be made to you guardians. She replied: I am Duniya (the world). Amirul Mominin (a.s.) said: Go back and find out somebody else for you. Saying this he restarted his fieldwork. At that time he made up poetry. Some of the couplets are like this: as preserved in history books:-

“The world came before me in the form of Bashinah. Her adoration too was just like that of Bashinah.

So I told her, deceive someone else except me, as I know the world very well. I am not ignorant.

What have I to do with the world when Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) has disappeared in your dust?

Even if the world presents to me all treasures and jewelry and wealth of Qaaroon and leadership of all the tribes.

Is it not true that every existing thing is to perish and the owners of treasures will have to give an account thereof?

So, o world! Deceive somebody else, as I am not lured by whatever is in you including honour and big name and fame

My soul is satisfied with whatever God has given to me. Be busy only with those who want to benefit from you.

I am afraid of God Almighty as I will have to face Him on the Day of Judgement and I fear the unavoidable chastisement.

How to wipe out the love for the world?

There are only two ways of getting rid of the worldly love:

Unflinching faith in the Last Day

Decrease in worldly desires.

We have had a detailed discussion about the ways of strengthening faith in the Day of Aakhirat in the chapter of beliefs. Here we present its summary in brief. What is needed is that more and more attention should be paid to those verses of the holy Quran and those narrations which describe features of the permanent and everlasting life after dath so that man way be affected by them and he may long for reaching the high world. The main aim of the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and the revelation of the Holy Quran is that Muslims should hear that news and have trust in them thereby becoming hopeless about that world and become fond of God and the Last Day. In this way man should do those gooddeeds as recommended by the verses and narrations and thereby prepare himself for the evelasting world. But what is sorrowful is that, alas, the Muslim has detached himself from Quran. Majority of them does not care to read or hear even one Surah of the Holy Quran in months, even years. Yes, of course, he hears some of it on radion or in meetings of eesaale Sawaab or on the brinks of graves, as if the holy book was revealed only for the dead. The truth is that the holy Quran has been revealed to enlighten the living people and to awaken them from the slumber of carelessness, to free them from ignorance and to make them attain high ranks of perfection and nobility. Rather, it will not be improper to say that to read and hear in the current manner is like humiliating it.

(Abul Wafaa Hirvi says: Once I was reciting the Quran in the court of the king, when no one was paying any attention and all were busy talking with one another. During my sleep at night I saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) who seemed very angry. He said: A taq raul Quran … Allah? “Are you reciting the Holy Quran before a group which is not listeing to it? Henceforth you will not be able to recite until Allah so wills.” When I woke up I had become dumb. Since the narration had ended with the words Maa Shaa Allah (God Willing) the experts of hadiths reassured me that some day my tongue might open up at last. I kept sleeping at the spot where I had seen that vision for the next four months. At last one night I visioned the Holy Prophet once again. He said: You have repented? I replied: Of course O Holy messenger of God. He said: Man taa ba … izzat “when you recite in front of such people, stop reciting till the time they are ready to listen to the Word of their Lord. When I woke up my tongue too had opened up.)

(Gulzaar-e-Akbari Gulshan 52)

Ahmad bin Toloon was ruling Egypt in the year 270 He H.E. Thereafter his kingdom spread upto Syria and Saghoor. The total length of his rule had been 17 or 26 years. It is said that he was very brave, humble and had learnt the holy Quran by heart (was a Haafiz0. Moreover he was also famous for his generosity and warrior ship. The number of people killed either by him or by his order were 18000. A Qaari (recitor of Quran) wqas appointed to recite Quran on his grave. After some days that Qari ran away from there. He was not prepared to come back. When asked about reason he replied: the man in the grave threatened me in my dream saying he did not want that Quran be recited on his grave because the verse you recite is being hit on my head in the form of a slash and I am being said that despite hearing this verse you did such and such things in the world.

(Hayaat ul Naivaan)

What is meant to being conveyed is that there is an element of selfishness in the way Quran is often heard being recited from mimbers. What is lacking in such recitation is that no pondering is being done in the words of Allah and it doe not create any effect because the motto of the recitor is either money or a show of his art of recitation. On the other hand the aim of the listener also is only to be engaged, especially when it is melodious.

Is Quran revealed for Tabarruk (Good Luck Gift)?

Among Muslims there are people who receive the Holy Quran as a gift and then place it ceremoniously in a shelf or keep it with themselves as a means of protection. No doubt the use of the Holy Quran for such purposes is a good and also effective deed. But the problem is the Quran has not come exclusively for such purposes and which are secondary. It will be an insult of Quran if it is accepted that Quran was revealed only for these petty purposes.

Its example is like that of a man who gets an invitation from the king. That unwise fellow neither opens that royal letter not reads it. Even if he opens it he only looks at the written thing and even if he reads the words he does not know its meaning. He simply utters them orally. Even if he undersatands it he gets no inspiration to see the king. He is not prepared to attend the royal court. He merely kisses the kings’ letter and then either puts it in his pocket or in a shelf of his house. In this way, has he not insulted the royal invitation? Will he not make the king frown on him?

The condition of most of the Muslims is like this. Only a few people keep any spirited connection with the Holy Quran. A majority of them, in order to get reward or Sawaab are content with mere recitation of the Divine Words.

No doubt the Words of Allah are in themselves radiance and there is reward in merely reading, writing or even looking at it. But the original and main purpose of the revelation of the Holy Quran is that man must think over its verses so that his heart may turn toward the higher universe. His heart my not entertain hopes from the world but may become inclined toward the Hereafter. The study of Quranic verses makes the heart warm and then man becomes ever ready to act according to its commandments.

The Lord of the universe has ordered man to think and ponder at many places including verse 29 of Surat 38 where He ordains:

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ

“O Prophet! The Book (Quran) which We have revealed to you is very blissful so that people may ponder over its verses and those who have intellect may gain admonition.”

(Surah Sad 29:38)

In Surah Zumar (39) verse 23 He says about the effectiveness of the verses of Quran:

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُّتَشَابِهًا مَّثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاء وَمَن يُضْلِلْ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

“God has sent down the Best Word (Quran) the verses of which are similar to one another and (one thing has been said on a number of occasions) repeated. Its hearing makes hair stand on ends in case of those people who fear their Lord. Then their bodies become mild and their souls get restfully and peacefully attentive to the remembrance of their Lord.”

(Surah Zumar 32:23)

What is meant to convey is that the verses describing the punishment of the Hereafter make the recitor fearful and those promising Mercy make hearts happy and satisfied. Therefore if a man does not get affected by reciting Quran then know that he read the Quran in a state of mind when both his heart and mind were involved in their love for the material world. In his lecture 221, Amirul Mominin (a.s.) says about the virtues of the pious people: “These people recite the chapters of the Holy Quran with intense thought. They make their hearts melancholic by its recitation. They remedy their troubles and illnesses with the same verses of Quran. When they read verses relating to Divine Mercy their hearts incline to it with intense desire to get the same. When they hear verses mentioning God’s chastisement both their ears and hearts so much attentive to them too as if they hear the horrible roar of Hellfire.

There are hundreds of verses in the Holy Quran wherein the punishments of the Aakhirat (Hereafter) as well as the niceties of paradise have been detailed at length and then its followers have been invited to make attainment of the centre of their efforts. It has also condemned the worldly life and revealed its defects and drawbacks. The Surah Ankaboot (29) verse 64 mentions:

وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

“And this worldly life is nothing but a plaything and showbusiness and if these people think and understand, there is no doubt that the everlasting life is only the house of the Hereafter.” In other words it is like the example of children gathering, playing for a while and returing back to their homes.

(Surah Ankaboot 29:64)

The fact is that only the life of the Hereafter is the real and the everlasting life. Now the question which inevitably arises is, after reading and hearing all these verses, have the hearts of Muslims turned away from this world and inclined toward the Hereafter orthey are mere orally and apparently expressing their belief in Quran and Islam while their thoughts and deeds, just like the materialists, have discarded the though of the Hereafter altogether?

As regards the Muslim faith in Aakhirat, there are innumerable events. But to be brief we point to only three in short:

Anas bin Nazar came to fight in the battle of Uhad. Thereafter no one could get his whereabouts. All Muslims began to search for him. At last Saad bin Muaaz found him out. Addresing Saad, he (Anas) said: By the Lord of Kaabaa, I am observing paradise with my own eyes, I can smell its fragrance. Saad says: I could see more than seventy (70) wounds on his body. Thereafter, when I once again went to look for him, I could not find him. But his sister saw his fingers lying on the ground and we knew that he wad already martyred.

During the battle of Badr, Umair bin Humaam Ansari heard the Holy Prophet saying: O Muslims! Get up and rush towards the Jannat (paradise) the area of which id equal to the sky and the earth. Umair asked amazingly: Is it so large? The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: Yes, of course. Mair expresses much happiness. When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked for the reason, Umair replied: Perhaps I may also get admission to it. The Holy Prophet assured him: Your entry is certain it. Then Umair picked up some dates and began eating. Then all of a sudden he said: It will be too late if I remain alive to finish all these dates. He put down dates and started battling unitl he attained martyrdom.

Amr bin Jamooh had four sons. He entered battlefield of Uhad with a lame leg. He also took all of his four sons with him. His sons told him: Since you have a significant physical defect, God has not made Jihaad compulsory for you. Amr went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and complained that his sons were preventing from fighting in the path of God. He emphatically said that: It is my strong desire and ambition that I should be killed in this Holy war and enters Paradise with this defective leg. The Holy Prophet told him thato f course Jihaad was not incumbent on his but at the same he also asked his sons not to prevent the enthusiastic old fellow from fighting against the enemies, may be Allah grant him the high status of a martyr (Shaheed). Amr entered the battlefield along with the Holy Prophet and got martyred.

(Duniyaa dar Khatare Suqoot – World in Zanger of Collapsing)

The adventures of bravery and courage shown by Amirul Mominin (a.s.) in his desire for Hereafter, during the battle of ‘Lailat al Mabit’ and similar war have been recorded in history books. So much so that after returing from every battle he used to complain to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): I am afraid I may miss martyrdom in the path of Allah. In reply the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) gave him good tidings of martyrdom in mosque. Similarly the life giving sacrifices of his beloved son Imam Husein (a.s.) and his companions and the virtues of his Shias (companions) are also recorded in history books.

Love for Hereafter and Negligence cannot go side by side

It must be born in mind that loves for Hereafter and carelessness (gaflat) cannot go side by side. Since the world-lovers remain engaged all the time in earning worldly material benefits their entire attachment is only with the world. Similarly who lone for Aakhirat also remember only the Hereafter and their love and affection is reserved for the other world only. Therefore the only way of loving Aakhirat is to remember the life after death constantly. Negligence toward it must be decreased. This is why the Holy Shariat has made it Mustahab (desirable) to remember death again and again, to keep one’s will and coffin cloth ready and also to look at it often, to attend funerals, to participate in the burial of other Muslims, to remember the dead and to give charity on their behalf. The aim of all these deeds is to make the living remembering their death constantly.

It is necessary for a faithful the time and which he spends for the world should be used for his Aakhirat so that the love for the world in his heart may be replaced by the love for the Hereafter. Here an objection is likely to be raised and that is what has been said above does not apply to the man of today. His life is different. Now he is so busy that at every moment he is short of time. A number of his jobs remain unattended even after sunset. This is the only point that makes some think that the ignorants have also some point and so they say that our statement does not apply to the modern age.

In this connection our reply is that, first of all, today’s man has made it his aim of life to gather worldly material benefits and so also irrationality. In order to gain wealth and luxury and comforts and tasty things he has deprived himself of genuine and natural rest, keeping himself engaged in a hot persuit for twentyfour hours. Such continuous struggle affects his nerves very adversely and makes him ill and shortens his life span.

Secondly, the focus of our talk was on thoughts, not on work and effort. What we said was that man must always keep thinking how can be, in a short span of this worldly life, beautify his eternal life of the Hereafter. So far as effort and work and business is concerned, there are innumerable narrations telling us that God does not like a lazy, inactive and self-indulgent fellow. Similarly God also dislikes one who goes too far in loving worldly comforts and who become almost and after them. A man who keeps himself engaged in his genuine worldly needs and works and also is moderate in his life along with making his aim the obedience of God will be the beloved of God. The worldly looking deeds of such a man will become the means of bettering his Hereafter. For example, if one is a soldier, his aim will be maintenance of public peace and of protecting Muslims from enemies. If he is an office employee, his aim ought to be service to public and to help the weak. If he is a teacher, he must always keep the instruction of the youth and their religious instruction before his eyes. Likewise if he is connected with trade and industry, then his goal should be public welfare. Shariat has put emphasis on each and every point and has also insisted that one must earn a lawful income and maintain his family members. (See Wasaail-e-Tijaarat). If his aim is to please God then the same worldly-looking work will, since it will be in obedience of God, be regarded as an act of worship which will benefit him in the Hereafter. Thirdly, we have not said that it is essential that the worry for the Aakhirat should be more than that about the worldly life. What we said is that one who has a powerful Faith and wants to be benefited by it should do so.

It should be understood that just as the friendship with world-lovers proves very harmful, similarly, sitting with the Aakhirat-lovers plays a very important role in strengthening the Faith.

Lessening the love of the world

The following things should be kept in mind in order to divert the heart from the worldly love, to inculcate the love of God, the prophet and the Holy Progeny and the Hereafater:

It is necessary to study deeply the verses of the Holy Quran and other narrations quoted in this discussion and which condemn world-love so that the severity of the sin of world-love can be understood, as it deserves to be understood. The root cause of all sins relating to body and soul is this love for world, because if this fountainhead of sins is nipped in the bud man will remain protected from the whims of satan. Man can practice good deeds as a provision for his Hereafter only when he clears his heart of worldly love because until he remains captive of the worldly love neither his Faith will be strong and steady nor can he be expected to do good deeds which can benefit him in the Hereafter. If man’s intentions are pure and selfless, sometimes the results of his good deeds show permanence whereas a man whose heart is full of the dirt of worldly love remains empty of truth and selflessness.

Worldly love comes in the way of Gathering provision for the Hereafter

To understand the severity of the sin of world-love, it is enough to mention that it prevents man from making provision for the life after death, that is, Aakhirat or Hereafter. The reason is that one will reap in the Hereafter only that which he has sown in this world. This world is the market place of trade whereas the Aakhirat is the place of enjoying the fruits of this business. It is compulsory for man to refrain from things that prevents him from realizing the soverity of the sin which forces him to enter a life of bankruptcy in the Hereafter. This should be regarded as the biggest of all dangerous things.

The summary of the talk is that the importance seriousness of the sin of world-love must be exposed fully because it is the root cause of all spiritual and physical illnesses. If illnesses like TB and cancer cut off man’s physical life, the worldly love also brings man’s spiritual life to an end. Such man is from the viewpoint of the permanent abode, a walking corpse who, becoming deprived of the successes of the everlasting life gets entangled in worldly troubles and chastise – chastisement.

This Illness must be remedied

Let it be understood there is no man whose heart is empty of love for this world because the moment he comes here and attains instinctive conscience he gets inclined toward the world around him. During this journey toward perfection, there comes a stage when the human conscience become ripe and he becomes aware of his eternal life. This exactly is the time when he should divert his attractions from this world and connect himself with the eternal world after death, i.e. the Aakhirat or the Hereafter.

There fore it is a must for man to ponder over all the three stages of worldly love mentioned above and decide for himself as to in which stage he finds himself and then try his best to reform himself.

Dangers upto the brink of grave

So long as man is in this world be ffases the danger of his conditions being changed or altered. For example, it is possible that a man remains in the third stage of worldly love for one month or for one year, but, thereafter, due to carelessness he may come up to the second stage and finally even at the first one which is kufr or blasphemy. So it is absolutely essential for man to look attentively to the condition of his heart and the circumstances and must never remain carefree.

Excessiveness of lust and intensity of anxiety

The man who gets himself imprisoned in the love of world not only makes himself liable to eternal punishment in the Hereafter but also gets entangled in trouble and difficulties in this worldly life too, so much that a time comes when e desires death. Here we enumerate some such difficulties and worries.

Increase in Greed:

This is a conditinm of the mind and heart of man wherein if he has nothing of the worldly wealth, he tries to earn it. When he gets it, he does not restcontented but struggles to increase it. This is the condition about which the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says, “If man has two valleys full of gold he will remain anxious to acquire a third one.”

Growing anxieties:

Such a man always remains full of anxieties about the future. He feels terribly worried about his empty handedness and failure in his alms. When he loses any worldly thing he becomes so gloomy that he finds it unbearable to remain alive. NO other thing gives him satisfaction.

Anvy, anger and fearlessness

A world-loving man cannot see his beloved in the possession of others. He burns himself internally seeing the other one enjoying its benefits. Even if he enjoys the world he does not like that others too should benefit from it (worldly possessions).

Annoyance

In the life of a world-lover, if anything happens which is against his liking it becomes unbearable for him. He expresses his frowning and burns himself in fury.

Fearlessness

A world-lover does not care about his Hereafter when he runs after his worldly wishes. He rushes toward it becoming fearless of the future. As a consequence, he has to suffer difficulty, competition and a tag of war so much so that finally he even loses his life.

The difficulty of death

When it become clear to the lover of this world that the moment has come when a barrier is to come up between him and his beloved permanently, the death will become difficult for him to the extent of his love for the world. About such fellows, the Holy Quran says:

وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِم مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا فِي شَكٍّ مُّرِيبٍ

“Now a curtain has been drawn between him and his longings.”

(Surah Sabaa 34:54)

In short, the death is a point of separation for world-lovers and the first step toward meeting the beloved for those who love the Hereafter.

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“And these people will forever remain (satisfactorily) enjoying their longings. Obviously the more one will have tasted the sweetness of worldly drinks and the more wealth he will have gathered the more difficult and regretful will be the death for him.

It is said that Sultan Mehmood Gaznavi was very fond of jewelry. He remained on deathbed continuously for three days. He ordered that all the precious stones brought from India should be heaped up before his eyes. So boxes full of jewelry were brought before him. He was looking at them and weeping. Signs went off his heart. Finally he had to breth his last with a heart full of ungratified intense desires. What is all the more strange is that even at that stage he was not ready to give some of the wealth to the needy.

(Zeenat-ul-Majaalis).

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says: The more a man is attached to this world, the more difficult will death seem to him.

(Kaafee Mutarjim: V: 3, p. 473)

If a man is longing for the worldly life and he comes to know definitely that death will separate him from his beloved for ever and he also knows that death comes only by the Command of God, from which he can never escape, he becomes an enemy of the angel of death. The condition of a man who enters the other world in a state of anger and frowning is obvious. According to the testimony of the holy Quran and authentic narration, such a fellow will never come out of the Hell and will remain eternally in the chastisement. Sometimes it also no happens that Satan brings before the eyes of a world-lover at the last moment, things intensely loved by the departing soul and compels him to commit blasphemy (Kufr). There are innumerable examples of such tragic ends. Here we present only two.

Last moments of Aboo Zakeria

Aboo Zakeira was a very pious and virtuous worshipper fellow. When he was in his death bed a friend of him came to him and advised him to recite Kalima-e-Taiyabah (testimonial words confirming oneness of God). But Aboo Zakeira turned his face away. His friend repeated his request to say Laa ilaah Illallah (There is no God but Allah). But he again turned his face and said: ‘I will not recite’, and then he fainted. After some moments when he came to his senses he opened his eyes and asked his friend: Did you ask me something? That man said: Yes, I had requested you thrice to recite Kalima but you turned away your face and on the third occasion also replied that you would not. Aboo Zakeria replied: In fact satan came to me twice and showing me a glass of water asked: would you like to drink? When I said: Yes. He said: First you should say that Jesus (Isa a.s.) is the son of God. I turned away my face. He asked me to do so twice but I refused. On the third occasion he said: Say there is no God at all. I said: I will not say even that. Then he threw away the glass and flew away. On every occasion I was saying ‘no’. But now I confess that ash hadu al laa ilaah illal laah wa an na muhammadar rasoolullah wa an na aliyun waliyyullah

(Layali al-Akhbaar)

Gold coins and a creditor

A man on his death bed was being advised to say words of Faith but he was turing away his face. After becoming conscious he was asked about the reason. He said: I am very fond of gold coins. A man had come to me with a plate full of god coins and said if you will not recite Kalima, I will give this plate to you. As soon as I began to look at those gold coins, I forget how to recite Kalima a Shahaadat.

Another man had given some money as loan to some one. He had a recipt for it. When the creditor reached his time of death, the devil threatned saying that if he would recite the Kaima he would tear up that receipt. “Thus he prevented me from reciting the Testimony to Truth.”

(Muntakhibaat ut Tawaareekh, p.g 854)

It must be understood that satan gets control over man only through the latter’s love for this material world. Therefore, if one has, like Aboo Zakeira, a heart full of love for God, the Holy Prophet and the Day of Judgement (Hereafter), God helps him and the devil cannot harm him.

(Doubtlesly, God does not cause your deeds to go in vain. Verily Allah is Kind and Merciful for His slaves).

Flight from good advice

The world-lovers always run away from hearing the defects, drawbacks and unreliability of the world. They avoid reading books condemning the world and praising the Hereafter. They do not attend meetings in which people are asked to remember God. Such people become fearful on hearing even a word about death and grave. They ridicule the lovers of Akhirat. Obviously the love of a beloved becomes thin when the drawbacks of the latter are mentioned before the former. Therefore a lover never likes to hear the defects of the object of his admiration. The cure for world-love is extremely difficult because an illness can be remedied only when the man concerned realizes that he is ill and is prepared for treatment.

It is definite that if an attempt to make a world-lover be afraid of his sin by reciting the verses condemning world-love that fellow will never accept. On the contrary he will make several excuses to defend his stand and to refute relevant arguments. In short, when one is not prepared to realize that he has done any thing wrong how will he be ready to repent? If the details of the painful consequences of world-love and the spiritual and physical illnesses resulting from his world-love are described before him he will never believe all that. When he does not realize that he is ill how will he get ready to remove world-love from his heart and to gain a healthy soul?

Heedlessness of admonition and hatred for remembrance of God are the signs of the world-lovers. Contrary to it, the signs of those who love Aakhirat are that they hate to remember material world and its passions. Their heart gets peace in the remembrance of God and the Hereafter as is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

“Beware, the remembrance of Allah gives peace to hearts.”

(Surah Ra’d 13:28)

It is regarding this topic that the innocent says in Duaa e Abee Hamzah: Yaa Mualla… meaning ‘O Master! My soul found life by Your Remembrance and my silent talk with You resulted in the flight of my fear and in cooling of heat.”

It is said that once a tannery worker who had become accustomed to constant bad smell of leather once was passing through a perfume market. The fragrance and which he had never smelled made him faint. People were trying to bring him back to consciousness by spraying rose water on his face but his condition worsened. Then one of his companions who were aware of the situation asked the gathering to leaved him. He inserted some dirty bad smelling thing into that man’s nostrils and he recovered and soon ran away from perfume sellers.

Verily, how a man who has made his mouth sweet with worldly tastes and passions can feel the sweetness of remembering God and Hereafter? As such remembrance hinders his worldly desires bitterly he runs away from it.

This fact makes us understand the wisdom (Hikmat) hidden behind the Faithful’s worldly failures and his sufferings so that one may taste the bitterness of world and obtain the sweetness of remembering God and Hereafter. Its example is like that of a mother who applies something bitter to her breast in order to make her baby giveup suckling and to make it turn toward food.

Ponder over the Holy Quran

In order to make man realize the irreliability and perishableness of this world the Holy Quran has given many examples for guidance so that who have faith and trust in this Divine Book and its followers may protect themselves from the destructive love of the world. Therefore it is the duty of every Muslim to think deeply over such verses (Aayaat) and to recite them repeatedly. Thus he can obtain the aim of losing interest in the world and attraction for the Hereafter. For example, see how nicely the Almighty Allah has explained the unreliability of the world in verse 20 of Surah Hadeed (57):

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ

“Know that the worldly life is a mere play of show and outward adoration (and beautification) and to be proud of having more wealth and children than others. The example (of worldly life) is like rain which makes the farmer happy by growing their agricultural produce. Then it dries up. Then you see it becoming yellow and then being crushed and in the Hereafter is a severe punishment (for the deniers) and for believers there reward and pleasure and the worldly life is merely a means of ego and deceit.”

(Surah Hadeed 57:20)

This Holy verse explains the world-loving people’s life. It can be said that the mankind is divided into two groups ever since its creation. The first group which is major (more in number) is that of the worldly people who do not believe in any life except this apparent worldly life. Therefore their only endeavour is that they should not miss the worldly delights and tastes. Another group is small in number. It is called the people of Aakhirat (Hereafter). This group believes that the worldly life is but a means of ensuring another permanent life (after death). Their life is based on thought and reason, not a passionate and devilish one. There aim is to know their Lord Creator, to have Faith in Him and to do deeds and which can prove useful in the Hereafter. In view of this aim each and every one of their movement or act or deed is forgetting the pleasure of God. As we have said earlier, when a man does any thing merely to please Allah, though that deed ends it’s result which is based on Divine Light is retained in his self and he gets its benefits throughout his life. Thus it can be seen that the life of the men of Aakhirat is not an aimless play. But since the men of this world never care for God and the Hereafter they does not do any such thing which has everlasting effects. Consequently all their deeds prove fruitless and hollow. The truth is that their entire lifespan from birth to death remains limited to only these five things: (1) La’b (play), (2) Lahv (vain), (3) Adoration (4) Ego and (5) abundance of wealth and children. Each one of them is explained briefly below:

(1) La’b (play)

Every act of man which is not based on good intention and therefore, which does not give good results will be called La’b (play). For example, the gathering of children at a place, their running or making toys of earth which is a mere pastime. It gives no fruit.

Therefore those youths and old people who do not have any divine aim in their deeds and mostly whose deeds are subservient to their desires, are just like children because the connection or relation of all their efforts and endeavours are only with imaginery and superstitious things be they about wealth-seeking or chair-seeking. They want everything for their own self-interest. In short, spending entire life in play and show and to enter the Hereafter empty-handed is called La’b. The only difference between such men and children is that the play of children is for a short time whereas that of the old world-seekers is for a log period. Just as the arrival of night stops the play of children, the arrival of death ends the play (la’b) of the world-lovers.

(2) Lahv

Every engagement which prevents any one from a more serious activity is called Lahv. It is like a child who stops from going to school because of his engagement in play. According to this logic all activities of world lovers are Lahv because they prevent them from thinking about a more important matter, that is, about the permanent life and abdoe of the Hereafter.

The life span of every man, even if it extends upto a hundred years, is after all to end and his happinesses will be finished. Hence every one who engages in the activities of this short-living worldly life and becomes careless about the unending eternal life of the Hereafter (after death) will be called a man of Lahv. But the men of Aakhirat, in whatever work they may be engaged for pleasing God and in obedience to Him, remain always thinking about strengthening their Faith. They do good deeds considering them as their capital for the life after death. Only they are wise people and who will attain salvation.

(3) Adoration and beautification

Whatever a man does to beautify hi body, dress, house, furniture and other materials and to make them attractive for others is called adoration and beautification. For example, women, who concealing their apparent defects, are trying to please men, but who forget that, in fact, their said effort is a draw back which points out toward some of their illness, want or agedness, the biggest being the death of which they show their fear.

If one thinks over the affairs of the worldly people it will be understood that their life is made up of only a superfluous covering. They make their houses strong just to hide their nature of falling down. They adorn and beautify body, dress, house and housing materials and they imitate every modern fashion so that they may make themselves look like civilized, culture, honest and needless of everything. In order to make a show of their richness they make every effort to increase their wealth. They make a show of their knowledge and intelligence for hiding their unawareness of the Truth about the Hereafter. They sing songs of their honesty and welfare activities just to coneceal, from others, their dishonesty and selfishness. They are not tired of repeating the name of God orallty with their tongue so that making a show of their religiousness they may conceal their worldly-love and passion worship. In short, the darker their inside is, the more they make a show of their outward brightness. But the affairs of the Ahl-e-Akhirat or the people of the Hereafter are totally different from it. They, by beautifying their internal soul through total obedience to God’s commands and adorn their Faith, the graceful jewel of humanity. They also pay attention to their outward beauty but only to the extent it does not come into conflict with humanity and God-fearingness and righteousness and only upto the limit fixed by Shariat. For example a woman who makes herself attractive with beauty for her husband or a man who looks into a mirror just to ensure that there is nothing in his appearance or dress that can make people abhor him or the one who wants to keep his dress always clean and who intends to expose God’s blessing on him. If he has money, he may spend it in constructed his house and also in such other works which are permitted by Islam. In short, wise people beautify themselves and their possessions in obedience of God, not for self-showing.

Self Glorification

Those who are not aware of the truth become proud of their worldly wealth, power, fame, race and lineage and then show arrogance to others, So much so that the white-skinned shows his pride to the black-skinned. In short, today’s man shows his superiority over others on the basis of imaginary and illusive things. Be he is a head of a state or a common man, by becoming egoist, he forgets the truth about his existence and so also his everlasting spiritual life. He does not try to extend the progress of his spiritual path toward perfection, the path which does not end at death. The truth is that had such people not forgotten their death and had they remembered that they have to become dust after entering their graves they would have been ashamed of their egotism and false pride.

But since the knowledgeable people are aware of the truth about their worldly life and regard their entire material life as illusory they consider false pride a foolish thing which is contrary to wisdom and intelligence.

These are the people who, apart from, faith and righteousness which is the barometer of their graceful humanity, consider all people equal. They are of firm opinion that no body has a right to show pride on the basis of his short living worldly possessions and illusive things because, according to the Divine Quranic verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Verily, in the sight of God, the most respectable is the one who, among you is most God-fearing.”

(Surah Hujuraart 49:13)

Abundance of wealth and children

Those people who keep the view of existence limited only to this worldly life and who have no faith in the words of the prophets about the Hereafter have, in fact, forgotten the very aim of life. Day in and day out, they keep struggling only for increasing their wealth and property. This way of working of the theirs, is in truth, contrary to hum intelligence and wisdom because man needs wealth only for meeting with the needs of his worldly life which is of course temporary. For example, he needs a house for living in it. He requires dress to protect him from cold and heat and to protect his honour. He wants food to keep the strength of his body. He has a longing for a wife for gratifying his sexual instinct of cohabiting with her, for gratifying his sexual instinct and for preserving the human race and so on and so forth. Therefore, a man who gathers wealth more than necessary is behaving like the Hell-fire and which always cries for more and more fuel, or he acquires the habit of Qaaroon, which is of course, against wisdom and intelligence and reason.

Does human intelligence not tell us that so far as collection or gathering is concerned, stone and coin both are equal. The question is what benefits the gathered wealth and property will give after death. It cannot be denied that wise and intelligent and reasonable people do not keep trying only for wealth and property, nor do they push it away when available. But, in truth, they do endeavour to earn money to meet the necessities of their lives and they use it as a means of beautifying their Hereafter. They do not love wealth for the sake of wealth. Theyacquire it only in the way and manner permitted by God and also spend it only in the manner ordered by God. In this way, they aorn both their world and the Hereafter.

It contrast with this, the group of the world-lovers is greedy of their worldly wealth. Their effort is to acquire money by every, any means even if the rights of the poor and the weak are trampled. As they have no faith in the Hereafter, they also do not spend it in the path of God. In short, it can be said that the sign of world-lovers is greed and stinginess whereas the sign of the Aakhirat-lovers is contentedness and generosity.

Do not pass on cursorily but ponder

After reading what has been mentioned in this holy verse about the five specialities of the worldly life, do not pass on cursorily but think deeply about it. The first word of the verse is ‘I’lamoo meaning know, that is, know that the worldly life is only like this. Hence it is the responsibility of those who believe in the Holy Quran to ponder over these words, to analyse them to be acquainted with it and to get rid of the illness of world-love. It is also essential to pondr over other similar verses too and get them applied to their lives. Briefly speaking, in these verses, the worldly life has been compared with a fertile agricultural land in which seeds have been dropped and that raining clouds have turned it into a flowering field, that it gives coolness to eyes. Then because of burning heat or for any other reason it becomes dry and yellow, then it is scattered away into pieces and finally either winter winds or any other calamity removes its existence.

Youth also was spring which passed away

The human life is also liable to such rise and fall. If on the one hand, there is the heat and freshness of youth, on the other slackness and old age infirmities are awaiting him. If there is, on the one hand safety, healthiness and rest, on the other he has to face illness, disability and unpalatable conditions. If he sometimes gets power and leadership, powerty and alienness too is also targeting him. Along with name and fame defamation is also is destined for him. If on the one hand there is enthusiasm, stagnation and despair is also very likely to visit him. In order to understand the truth about all this thoughtful look at the graves of those who have passed away is quite enough.

This world is a place of warning

Amirul Mominin (a.s.), giving details of the worldly life, says:

“This world is a transient abode, a place of troubles, a venue of changes and a location of warning. It is because of the perishableness of the world that time has took up it bow. Its aim never fails. There is no refuge from the hits of its troubles. The wounds inflicted by it drive or push the injured toward death, the healthy toward illness and calm and peace towards restlessness and troubles. It is like an eater who is never gratified, such a drinker whose thirst is never quenched. It is only because of the wordly anxieties due to which man gathers a thing which he himself does not eat. He constructs an abode in which he does not reside. When he reaches his Lord. He has neither any wealth nor any building. One of the signs of world’s changes is weakeness and agedness which is being pitied by everyone. Some times a popper suddenly becomes rich. You also see that sometimes a wealthy fellow turns at once poor in such a way that all pity him. One of the lessons worth taking from the world is that man almost reaches his aim and suddenly death arrives and draws a curtain between him and his goals.”

Several historical events testify to each one of the abovementioned four specialties of this world. We give only two, considering them enough:

Amir Ismail took his ten thousand mounted soldiers with him and rushed to encounter Amr bin Lais Safaar who had seventy thousand experienced warriors. When both armies came face to face and the ward drum sounded, suddenly the horse of Amr revolted. It became uncontrollable and hetook Amr right in the midst of the enemy lines. Thus Amir Ismail won even without fighting. He took Amr as a captive and imprisoned him in a tent. It is said that Amr saw his old (one time) servant who was passing from there. Amr called him and said that he was hungry. The servant had some meat. But since he had no vessel to cook, he put that meat in the bucked from which a horse used to drink water, lighted fire beneath it and busied himself in his work. In the mean time there came up a dog. It pushed its mouth in that bucket. The hot material burned its mouth. It tried to take out it out but failed and the handle of the bucket trapped its neck and the dog ran with that bucket. Seeing this Amr smiled. Onlookers asked him what was there to smile at? Amr replied: Today the man in charge of my canteen was complaining that the load of the royal canteen was proving heavy even for 300 animals beasts of burden. But now I am seeing that a single dog is carrying it away so easily! Fa’ tabiroo yaa oolil absaar (take a lesson o, wise people!)

(Courtesy: Habeeb as Sair).

Abbasi caliph Qaahir billaah had ruled for one year, five months and eight days. During this period he gathered a lot of wealth. He was infamous for his dishonesty, corruption, destruction, bloodshed and oppression. At last the Turks captured him blinded him with a hot needle then drow him out of his kingdom. History has recorded that he was beggising like other blind people sitting near Masjids telling people: ‘Please give me some charity because some time age I was your ruler’s

Wise words of Amirul Mominin (a.s.) about instability of the world

Amirul Mominin (a.s.) says in his Nahaj al Balagah lecture No. 111: “Do not run after the worldly fame and honours because the worldly fame and honour and beauty, adoration etc all will end. Its hardships and troubles will also end. The days of man’s life will end. Whatever is living it will be destroyed. Will you not seethe signs (remnants) of your deceased with an eye of wisdom? Do not you see that who pass away do not come back and those who remained will also not last long. Do you not look at the worldly people very morning and evening that their conditions do change? Somewhere somebody dies and his near and dear ones mourn him. On the other hand others give solace to the mourners. Somewhere some one is ill and someone else visits him and takes care of him. This is to say that one is on a death bed and another one is busy earning the worldly things though the shade of death is constantly lurking behind him. One is unaware of death but the death is not aware of him.”

Those who are blind in seeing the hereafter run after the world

Likewise he says in Nahjul Balagha, lecture 157:

‘Verily this world is the extreme limit to which one who is blind of Hereafter can see. He is unableto see any thing which is beyond this world. But the one whose eyes can see the Hereafter do not focus their eyes on the world. Thus a seeing fellow does not fix his sight on the world and does not get attached to it. But the one whoseeyes are blind fixes both his eyes and his heart on this world.

Therefore the one who is seeing makes provision for the Hereafter from this world. Ut a blind fellow works only for this world and makes only his world provision. Know that there is nothing which does not gratify man except this worldly life. The worldly people never become disgusted with this world. His heart remains captive of love for this world. He never likes that his life should come to an end because he does not know that there is a provision for his peace which is hidden in his death.”

When Will the time be available for the works of Hereafter?

Da kha la ……maavaa.

(Bihaar, Vol. 17, p. 156, Courtesy: Majlise Mufeed)

Once Amirul Mominin (a.s.) entered the bazaar of Koofa. Looking around he found that every one was busy in buying and selling. He wept profusely and said: O slaves of the world! O those who work only for it! You spend your day in trade and business and your night in sleeping. You neglect the Hereafter due to your business and sleep. When will you get time to gather a provision for the Hereafter? When will you think over your Aakhirat?

A man said: O Amirul Mominin! We are obliged to earn money for our living. What else can we do? The Amir (a.s.) replied: Seeking livelihood through permissible (halaal) means does not come in the way of Hereafter. But if you say that we are obliged to gather money, then you have no excuse. That man began to sweep and ran away. The Amir (a.s.) said: Come back so that I may explain the matter further. When he returned the Amir (a.s.) said: O Slave of God! Be aware that the one who works for hereafter in this world will surely get its reward in the Hereafter and the one who will work in this world only for this world will get its reward in the form of Hellfire. Then he recited thisverse. “So who prefers only this world for him will have his abode in hell.”

Amirul Momin (a.s.) forbids excessiveness

Alaa bin Ziyaad Harisi was one of the companions of Amirul Mominin (a.s.). He was living in Basra. He had constructed a very big and spacious grand house to live in. When he fell ill the Holy Imam (a.s.) went to see him. Seeing his house the Imam (a.s.) said: O Alaa! What will you do with such a big house in this world when you will need it in the Hereafter. Yes, if you want such a grand house in the Hereafter ten host guests in this house. Provide assistance to near and dear ones in this house and observe its religious rights (requirements). If you will be able to do so then this house will become a means to your Hereafter.

Alaa said: O Amirul Mominin! I have a complained against my brother Aasim bin Ziyaa. The Imam (a.s.) asked what was the matter. He replied: he is wearing rough jute like cloth and has taken himself away from the society. The Holy Imam (a.s.) said: Bring him to me. When that fellow arrived the Imam (a.s.) said: O enemy of your own self! The devil has decived you and has made you mad after him. Do you not have any feeling of kindness for your wife and children? Do you think that God do not want you to benefit from even those things which He has made lawful for you?

Aasim replied: O Amirul Mominin! You always wear such thick and rough clothes and eat very simple food while you are our leader. I intended to imitate your honour. The Imam (a.s.) said: Woe unto you. I am not just like you because God has ordered the leader and the true guide of people to lead a life like that of the poor and the needy so that they may not consider their lives in unbearably difficult calamity.

(Nahajul Balagah: Lecture 237)

Success in this world is defeat in hereafter

Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (a.s.) has said: We Muslims, prefer the world for us whereas it is better if it is not given to us. No man has ever been given any thing in this world without diminishing his share in the Hereafter.

A man said: By God, we prefer this world for us. The Imam (a.s.) said: what will you do with it? That fellow replied: I will spend it on my family members and myself. I will give charity from it. I will do good deeds and will perform Hajj. Imam (a.s.) said: This is no love for world. It is love for the Hereafter.

(Bihaar, vol. 16, p. 99.)

Light of wisdom – the result of worldly piety

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has also said: A man who adopts zuhd (piety) in this world and his heart is empty of worldly love God pour wisdom in his heart. He gives the power of speaking to his tongue. He shows the defects of this world before his eyes. He gives him the knowledge of worldly anxieties and their remedies. Then He frees him from the bondages of this world and admits him to Jannat.

Imam (a.s.) says: All good has been locked up in a house. The worldly Zuhd (piety) is its key. Then he narrated a word of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): A (faithful man does not heartily taste the sweetness of Imam so that he may liberate himself from the anxiety as to who owns it and benefits from it. The Holy Imam (a.s.) added: It is prohibited for your hearts to taste the sweetness of Imam so that you may not adopt Zuhd (aloofness) from it and may not express total disinterest in it.

(Usoole Kaafi, Baab Zammidduniyaa waz Zuhd fihaa).

What is zuhd and who is Zaahid?

Zuhd is to keep distance from the world in the context of the meaning of Duniyaa-parasti (world-worship). Explaining Zuhd, Allaamah Majlisi (a.r.) quotes a hadith of the Holy Prophet: “I asked the meaning of Zuhd from Jibril (a.s.) who replied: a zaahid likes e very thing which his Creator has liked and abhors every thing which his Lord hates. He avoids permissible things in this world while he does not even look at the prohibited things. This is because he will haveto account for using the permissible things whereas he will have to suffer chastisement for using a forbidden thing. He loves all Muslims just as he loves himself. He avoids saying things and which are useless just as he abhors the nauseating meat of a dead animal. Similarly he avoids overeating. He does not like worldly means and ornaments because they will turn into burning ambers in the Hereafter. His ambitions are short because death is always before his eyes.

(Kafi, translation, Vol. 3, p.g 198)

Examples of worldly life

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said:

“The example of the world is like the salty water of the sea. The more a thirsty man will drink the more will increase his thirst until death will take him.”

(Kaafibaab Zammid Duniyaa)

It is true that the more a man’s greed for this world the more his thirst increases. As be begins to attain his aims his lust multiplies.

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said:

“A greedy man of this world is like a silk worm which is entangled in the cobweb manufactured by it. If the heat of the sun does not kill it, it does not die. It gradually pushes itself to tear the threads. Sometimes it also so happens that he frees itself from the threads like a bird. But a man who has greed for this world never tries to free himself from that web until death overtakes him and hellfire burns him.”

(Ibid)

A goodlooking yet dreadful snake

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: Hazrat Ali (a.s.) has written in his book:

“Doubtlessly the example of the world is like a snake which is very smooth if touched though it contains deadly poison. A wise man refrains from both whereas a senseless child rushes toward it.”

(Ibid)

The truth is that the outwardly brightness and beauty deceives those who are short of sight. But wise and intelligent people know very well that the love for this world is like a deadly poison and which drags down a man from the state of humanity. It makes life extremely difficult for him. The more he runs after it and the more he loves it the more his problems and anxities multiply.

This is why it is said that the world is worse than a snake, because thoug there is a deadly poison in it, it also has its antidote. It is a black bead which, if put at the spot of snakebite sucks up the poison. Secondly it is commonly seen that the snake does not harm a man who dies not harass it. But the world harms more those who are its friends.

A strange story about snake

The author of Anwaar-e-Nomaaniyah writes that once a reliable man told him “A snake gave birth to many snakes in his house. Once on One day when that snake was not there I put a vessel on the baby snakes and hid them. Then I sat to see what happens, hiding myself in a corner of the house. After some time when the snake returned and did not find its babies it ran here and there in anxiety. When it could not find its babies it became despaired. There was a vessel full of milk nearby. The snake drank some of that milk and then vomited it out in that vessel. He did this deed twice until the whole quantity of milk got fully poisoned and turned yellow. Then the snake returned.

We understood that the snake would surely take a revenged from us. Then, in the absence of the snake I removed the vessel from over its babies and kept them at their place where they were earlier. Then when the snake returned it found its offspirings there. Then he entered the aforesaid vessel of milk, came out of it, moved itself in dust then entered the milk vesses and repeated this act until the milk became dark coloured to make it unworthy of drinking.

In spite of all this the behaviour of man is wonderful. Despite being hurt by the world and the poisonous stinging of the world-worshippers and seeing all kinds of failure he is not prepared to give up his love for the world. If any well wisher admonishes him and makes him aware of harms of world-love and reminds him of the Hereafter he feels ill and is not ready to heed.

Luqmaan’s Admonition to his son

Giving a golden admonition to his son Hakim Luqman says:

“The world is a very deep ocean. Many worlds have drowned in it. So it is essential for you to sit in the ship of Godfearingness (Taqwaa) for crossing it. Fill up that ship with the wealth of Faith (Imaan). Attach the sail of Tawakkul (relieance only on God) to it. Make intelligence its captain and knowledge its guard and patience (Sabr) its anchor.”

(Usool-e-Kaafi, Kitaab al Aql)

The late Aakhoon Mulla Husein Hamadani who died in Karbala in 1311 H.E and is buried in a ball in the holy courtyard says this about the above advice:

“O those who are playing with children! O carriers of burden! O captives of the well of position, O the people who have been bitten by the snake of money, O those who have drowned yourselves in the deep ocean of the world! O the prisoners of deceptive ambitions! Have you not read and heard “in na mad dniyaa lahvun va la’b.” Did you not notice the knower of the unseen, Hakim Luqman telling his son “Yaa bunia ya …… kaseeroon”? Now this humble fellow says that verily, we too are among those who are to be drowned. If you want to fathom the depth of the ocean of wisdom then ponder over the meaning of the word ‘Bahr-e-Ameeq’ and observe how many precious jewels of wisdom are kept in this box. It is enough to know that there are both Sharks and crocodiles along with innumerable dangerous animals in the ocean of the world. Its frightening isles make even lion’s tremble extremely dangerous sea animals have swallowed countless people. This ocean is based on darknesses which trap the hearts of the unaware people. The waves of ambitions have pushed many life bots into the valley of destruction. The underwater rocks have piled up innumerable dead bodies. The poisonous snakes of sin have bitten many people to death. How many have been swallowed by its crocodiles of vice. The salty water of worldly love has taken away the sight of many people. Whoever has drowned in this deep ocean has never come out of hellfire and will burn in it forever. Residents of this ocean are animals in human form whose journeys are based only on deception. Its depth is fathomless. If you have any doubt about this then look at the divers or the world-worshippers of yesterday and today. You will find that all of them have been drowned and yet none of them has reached its bottom. If you require more explanation then ponder over your own condition. You will find that the more wealth you earn the more your endless greed multiplies.

O my master! This world has destroyed the people in such a way that they are nowhere. Their hearts which were created for love and knowledge have been converted into stables of horses and donkeys. Their limbs have become dirty. Their hearts have been emptied of humility and Godfearingness. They did not taste the sweetness of obedience to Allah. No room for repentance nor for remembrance of God is in their minds. Day in and day out weapons of tongues are busy tearing off the cover of honour and possession of fellow Muslims. Their souls are empty of meditation and full of conspiracies. These are the people who have chained the hands of reason and wisdom and let loose the fingers lust, greed, passion, desire and sin. How many wounds have these five fingers meted out to the body of religion? How many calamities have they brought on holy shariat!

They have discarded the dress of God-lovers and adorned the designs of the English. They have displaced the nice Islamic manners of dining and drinking by the deadly poison of the Nasaara and atheists. They have given up their religious responsibilities and taken up the etiquettes of Kufr or blasphemy. The worst thing is that the armies of Kufr have entered our territories as conquerors while the army of Islam stands defeated!

We neither worry about end nor do we take any lesson from the condition of the earlier people who tasted divine chastisement. We mocked the event of Abaabeel and laughed at the stories of Faroah and Qaabeel, the earth which had gobbled up Qaaroon along with his huge treasure is still existing along with its dangerous snakes of wealth. My dear! The winds which had fatally punished the strong people of Hud are still under the control of Almighty Allah. If you have any guts to disobey God then remember that the dust, water, wind, stones and pebbles are even today submissive to the Command of the Almighty. Yes, these are the people who were deceived by His Forbearance and Tolerance. Becoming negligent of His Grand Kingdom, they have thrown away their dress of morality and chastity. By their revolting bahaviour they have disobeyed the divine Commands and have drowned themselves in the ocean of sins. Do you not see how His Unflinching Command rules over the skies and the earth? Have you not read that this sky and this earth all will be scattered on the Day of Judgement?

Aah, what should I say and how can I say about that Frightening Day? Fearful hearts will melt because of that fear. Why not, when the earth will be hotter than fire and edge of the Path will be sharper than the sharpest sword. Minds will be bogged down and eyes will release countless tears. Stars will fly hither thither and people will be scattered like flying ants. The dread of that Day will be unimaginable and even prophets will be extremely restless. The rich, the leader all will look like tumbling intoxicated fellows. Calamities will be both unbearable and innumerable. Sun will be just above head and the earth will be red hot like an oven of the ironsmith. Body will be bathed in perspiration and flesh and bones will be frying in heat. The hell will close from all directions closing every point of escape. It will be the Day when oppressors will be shameful, the just will be full of tears and people will be anxiously waiting to see to whom his worksheet will be given in his right and to whom in his left.

What kind of a scene will it being when some will be dressed in the best of clothing and escorted toward the gardens of paradise and some will be scornfully dragged toward hell. One group will be enjoying the sweet and delightful drink of Tahoor and another will be vomiting torn up pieces of kidney and liver because of the thorny food forced into his stomach.

We are puzzled. Should we talk of divine anger and wrath or praise the bounties of paradise. Those who stuck with earth will be punished while those who opted for the heavenly wealth will earn God’s mercy and kindliness. What we mean to say is that High will be those who would have always looked at the high point of righteousness, who would have kept their eyes only on the pleasure of their Lord and would have thought only about Him. Enviable indeeded are those hearts which are full of divine radiance and who disconnected themselves from world and got a attached to the Radiant world of Hereafter, whose hearts are lit up with divine light and whose dress is dazzling with the cover of divine love. They care the least for worldly wealth. Their reliance is a mirror of their faith in Only one God. They have established their relation with God after disassociating themselves from material world. Their thoughts are bright, their exterior is bright, their interior is bright, their body, soul everything is bright rather an ocean of brightness.

It is enough now. Who am I, how can I praise the holy spirits, as I am quite an unholy and dirty fellow. If we can consolidate the base of our Faith then this world will not be able to deceive us. But alas, we have become both blind and deaf and that is why such admonitions do not leave any lasting effects on our dark souls!

Niyyat (Intention)

Intention for sinning and remaining pleased with it

To intend for a sin and to be or to remain pleased with that idea is one of the sins relating to heart (Gunaah e Qalbi)

It is compulsory (obligatory) for every Muslim to control his desires, that is, he should make a firm decision that he will always desist from every sin. It also means that whenever his wish tilts towards a sin he should employ “Kaff e nafs” (self restrain). He must control his self and stop that desire.

If one intends to commit a sin and desires to fulfil it then this desire (decision) is a sin of the heart and which will draw divine anger and will result in a punishment that is always awarded to those who disobey God’s commandments. But, furthering it, if one also actually acts and commits a sin then one also become liable to God’s punishment in addition to His anger. For example, if some one intends to kill an innocent fellow, this wish of his will be a sin of heart. It is incumbent on him to remove that idea or thought from his heart and also it is his duty to repent over it. But if he continues that thought he is liable to punishment. If he dies in that state (of having an oppressive thought in heart and mind) his death will be considered as death while in sin which attracts chastisement. But even if, for some other hindering reason, he is unable to enact that sinful deed, he will get the punishment of a sin of heart and he must repent.

This shows that, in all these instances of stepping forward there is the existence of sin of heart and hence it is also compulsory to repent over it (Tawbah).

Instances of sinful advances

Suppose someone knows that a certain fellow is innocent and yet, with an intention of killing him unreasonably, actually kills him. But thereafter, he comes to know that the killed one was a “Kaafir-e-Harabi” or a “Murtad.” Or, for example, somebody indulges in a sex act with an intention of making love with an alien (unlawful) lady but thereafter comes to know that that woman was his lawful wife. Or, suppose someone gobbles up a cupful of liquid with an intention of drinking wine but afterwards comes to know that it was not wine but a permissible drink. Or, for instance, somebody steals or grabs something from somebody but thereafter comes to know that the grabbed thing was his own property or, for example, haves a sexual intercourse (knowing that his wife was in mensus) but afterwards comes to know that she had already entered the state of purity. In all such instances, since the fellow who had made such a foolish and sinful intention he did commit a sin of heart (Qalabi Gunaah) and hence has become liable to its punishment. Therefore, it is incumbent on him to do Tawbah (repentance.)

Aayaat (verses) and Rivaayaat (Narrations)

It has been commanded in verse 37 of Surah Bani Israil (17):

وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولاً

1- “Verily the eye, the ear and the heart all will be asked (about their deeds).”

(Surah Bani Israil 17:37)

It means, on the Day of Judgement, man will be asked: Why did you hear a thing the hearing of which was not allowed; why did you look at a scene which was prohibited; why did you intend to do a thing which was not permissible for you?”

(Tafseer Majma al-Byaan we Javaame wa Kashshaaf)

In the opinion of Baizaavi and other scholars this verse shows that if a man makes an intention of doing a wrong (sinful) thing he will be questioned about it.

Deeds will be questioned about, may they be open or hidden

The Lord of the worlds says in the verse 284 of Surah Baqarah (2) :

لِّلَّهِ ما فِي السَّمَاواتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِن تُبْدُواْ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

2-“And whatever is in your hearts will be asked about, may you reveal it or hide it.”

(Surah Baqarah 2:284)

This holy verse had a wideranging scope which includes man’s beliefs, faculties and intentions. It means that be the belief and intention good or bad, if you have kept it in your heart and have decided to act upon it, Almighty God will surely ask you to account for it. But as regards the thoughts coming to mind not accompanied by heart’s intention will not be questions as they are not intentional.

Good intention too will be rewarded

The author of Tafseer ‘Majma al-Bayaan’ says that man’s intention is the only thing, which if intended by heart, and which man continues to entertain, will have to be accounted for. So it is understood that intention belongs to Qalabi Afaal (heart’s actions0 which will be rewarded, that is, if it is aggressive, then punishment will be awarded but with a difference that an intention will attract a punishment only for that intention not for that bad deed which was not actually done. For example, if a man intends to kill some one but is not able to kill, then the punishment will be only for entertaining that intention, not for killing (murder), because the act of killing did not take place. But in the matter of obeying God’s Commandments, the reward will be for the exact act of obedience. This has been mentioned in narrations. For example, a man who is waiting for the arrival of prayer time, will be considered as in prayer, that is, he will be given the Sawaab (reward) of performing namaaz. (But when that good deed is actually done, the performer will be given a tenfold reward).

Threat of punishment for spreading shamelessness

Almighty Allah says in verse 19 of the holy Surah Noor:-

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

3- “Those who intend to spread evil among the faithful (misdeeds like adultery Qazaf (libel) or defamation), and such other bad deeds, will surely taste a painful punishment both in this world and in the Hereafter.” In this verse Hubbe Gunaah (liking for spreading shamelessness) has been considered a sin for which divine punishmenth as been warned of.”

(Surah Noor 24:19)

Who will get admission to Paradise?

The Almighty Lord, in aayat 83 of Chapter Qasas (28) explains:-

تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

4- “This abode of the Hereafter (the grand paradise) will be reserved by Us only for those who, in the earth, neither wish to rebel nor to spread corruption (mischief) and then it is also true that (good) end is only for the doers of good deeds.”

(Surah Qasas 28:83)

In this verse, fassad (corruption) means every sin because every sin, be it carried out directly or indirectly does create trouble on earth. Therefore giving room to any sin in the heart or to maintain it in heart does obstruct entry to paradise.

Though this word ‘fasaad’ has a common connotation which covers every sin, it has been applied to greater sins (gunaahaan-e-kabeerah) as seen in this verse:

“If you will refrain from those greater sins which have been prohibited, we will overlook your little sins (gunaahaan-e-sagheerah).” What is intended to be conveyed through this aayat is that to entertain a wish to commit a gunaah-e-ekabeerah, which also includes, to show oneself higher than others, comes in the way of reaching paradise.

Why did they kill Prophets?

It is mentioned in verse 183 of chapter Aale Imraan (3) of Holy Quran:-

“If you are true in your claim then why did you kill the messengers?”

In this aayat, addressing the Jews of thetime of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), it is asked: why did you kill the prophets? Though those who murdered messengers were the Jews of the earlier times, not the addresses, they were pleased and happy at the misdeeds of their predecessors they too ware considered as killers. This shows that a man’s feeling happy at a sin also draws punishment to him.

Allah will catch on the basis of intention

“God will certainly catch hold of you because of those of your vows which you had taken from heart.” It is mentioned in Tafseer-e-Jawaame that here (“kasabe qalb” means intention.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: In namaa……’ (Vasaail, Kitaab tahaarah, chapter 5): ‘On the day of judgement people will be gathered on the basis of intentions.’ He adds: ‘In na maa …… niyyatih.’

(kaafi, translation. Vol. 3, p. 128)

 ‘The people of hell will remain therein for ever because, in the world, their intention was to disobey God for ever if they were to live there forever. But the people of paradise will remain in paradise forever because, in the world, their intention was to obey Allah forever if they were to live there forever. Thus the people of hell and the people of paradise will live their respective abodes because of their own intentions and then he read this verse in which it is mentioned that whatever a man does shows his intention.

Is intention better or worse than the deed itself?

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: ‘Niyyatul mumin…’

(Kafi, Bad Niyyah)

‘A believer’s intention is better than his deed and a kaafir’s (denier’s) intention is worse than his deed.’

Shaikh Sadooq (a.r.) narrates from Imam Baqir (a.s.) in Ilal was sharaaih: A believer’s niyyat is better than his amal because a believer intends to do many good deeds which he cannot perform and a denier wants to do a big number of bad deeds which he is not able to do.

The killer and the killed, both in Hell

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is reported to have said: ‘Izal taqal……’

(Rasaail Shaikh):

“If two Muslims draw daggers against one another and intend to kill one another and consequently if one of the two gets killed, then both will go to hell. Someone asked: O Messenger of God! The killer’s going to hell can be understood but how that of the killed? The Holy Prophet replied: It is because he too had already intended to murder his Muslim brother. So though he could not enact his will he will go to hell on account of his intention.

Those who have been cursed

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) is reported to have said: ‘La anar rasool…’

(Vasaail, Kitaabul At-imah, Baab 33).

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has cursed ten fellows in connection with wine:

1 – The one who implants a tree for win-producing

2 – Whoever guards it.

3 – One who extracts it (wine).

4 – The drinker,

5 – Whoever supplies the drink (intoxicant).

6 – The carried of such drink.

7 – Whoever supplies it to others.

8 – Wine seller.

9 – Wine purchaser.

10 – Who eats wine trade income.

The point for pondering more in this hadith is that hadith is that here most of the cursed people have been cursed on the basis of their intention.

Whoever threatens a believer will go to Hell

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: A man who threatens a believer of the anger of the oppressor king with an intention of harming him but without success then his penalty is hell. But the one who frightens a believer with an intention of harming him and also succeeds in harming him then his abode in hell will be with Phiraun and his people.

(Kaafi, Baab Man akhhafu Mominan)

Thus we come to know that if somebody tries to attack this life, property and honour of a believer through a king (dictator ruler) then, even if that believer is not harmed, the one whose intention was to see the believer at a loss will go to hell on the basis of his intention.

One who is pleased with a performance is a companion of the performer

Amirul Mominin (a.s.) says ‘Ar raazi …… rizaayah.’

(Vasaail as-Shia, Kitaab al-amr bil maaroof, chapter 5)

 ‘A fellow who felt happy with the deed of a group is just like the one who is a partner in that performance. A man who intends to commit a sin will be burdended with the punishment of two sins: one for committing a sin and the other for being pleased with an act of sinning. But the one who feels happy at a sin will get the punishment of liking that sin.

Most of the Fuqahaa (religious jurisprudents) say about ‘Amr bil Maaroof wan Nahya anil Munkar’ that every responsible fellow must deny (disown) a sin in his heart. It is explained in the Allaamah’s Qawaaid, Sharhe Irsaad Urdbili, Jawaahir and other books that denial by hearts means being unhappy with a sin.

The author of jawaahir says it is haraam (prohibited) to be pleased over a bad deed and according to other hadiths in this connection it is compulsory to express a disgusted from heart for very sin. Therefore, to be happy over one’s sin and to intend for it is all the more haraam and sinful. Here, let us pay more attention to this saying of Amirul Muminin (a.s.): May God curse every caller for good who does not act accordingly himself and may He also curse the one who prohibits others from sinning but indulges in that sin himself.

(Nahaj al-Balaagah)

 Hence, one who is unhappy over the sinning of others but is himself pleased with his own sin and also intends to do that deed deserves a curse. There are other narrations too regarding this topic. Athought over this brief sentence exposes the prohibition of the intention of sinning. It is said: ‘Laa Khilaaf ……’ which means’ There is no disagreement regarding the fact that to make an intention of sinning is also haraam (impermissible).’

Imam-e-Zamana (afs) will avenge

Abdus Salaam bin Swaalih Harvi has reported that he said to Imam Reza (a.s.): O son of the Messenger of God! It is mentioned in a hadith of Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that when our Qaim (afs) will appear he will kill the progeny of the killers of Husein (a.s.) on account of the sins of their predecessors.

Imam Reza (a.s.) said: It is correct. I said: The Holy Quran says: “Laa taziroo……ukhraa” = “Nobody will carry the burden of sins committed by others.” So what is its meaning? The Imam (a.s.) replied: god has said the Truth. But since the successors of the killers of Husein (a.s.) are not only happy over the misdeed of their predecessors but are also proud of it, they also will be killed One who is happy with another one’s deed is also his accomplice. If some one is killed in the east and another one living in the west is happy over that killing then, in the sight of God, the latter is also a partner in that crime. This is the reason why their will be killed by Hazrat Qaim (a.f.s.).

The Killer of Shoeb’s she camel was an individual But…?

Amirul Muminin (a.s.) says in Nahjul Balagha, sermon 229, that:

‘O people, to be pleased with evils and to be angry with good deeds is what makes people liable to divine chastisement. Verily, the she camel of Shoeb was killed by one man but God destroyed the entire community as the whole community was pleased with that fellow’s deed. That is why God said that all killed the animal jointly. Then all were put to shame. Then all were subjected to God’s wrath.’

It becomes quite clear from the above narration and many such other narrations which have not been quoted here to be brief that it is a sin to be pleased with a haram act, because a thing which follows a sin is all the more haraam and sinful.

Reason supports such narrations

It is noteworthy that what has been stated quoting verses and narrations is enough to prove the entitlement (liability) to divine wrath because of the religious ban on an intention of sinning. The one who makes an intention to commit a sin, makes himself subject to the order of reasoning (rationality) that he should be made to account for it and given a fixed punishment as it is the time when he leaves obedience of God and adopts rebellion. But if he goes one step further to commit that particular sin, then he will be entitled to a severer punishment. One who asks for the judgement of his mind (reason) will not differ with this. Aayaat and Rivaayaat also support it.

Statements of Shaikh Bahaai (r.a.)

This is why Shaikh Bahaai (a.r.) says in the opinion of our (Imamiyah) jurisprudents an intention of sinning is definitely haraam. Similarly a lot has been written about this in books of tafsir and fiqh of both Sunnis and Shias. It would be better to say that this topic is one of the necessities of religion. Hazrat Shaikh has quoted from books of Sunnis and shias also and he concludes that Syed Murtuza (a.r.) writes in his book Tanzeehul Anbiyaa that to make an intention of sin or disobedience too is a sin in itself. Yet another group says that intention of a greater sin is a greater sin and that intended kufr is also kufr (blasphemy). Moreover fuqaha are also of the opinion that to continue an intention of committing a small sin becomes a greater sin and that this includes both the actual deed and an intention of doing that deed.

Commentators and scholars have given many explanations for this. Any one who studies books of both Sunnis and Shias on this matter will not remain in any doubt in this connection.

(Miratul Uqool, Vol. 2, p. 416)

There have been two objections to this stand. First, an intention to sin is a thing, which is out of control of man and hence to catch and to punish one on account of it is unwise. Secondly, there are several narrations saying that intention of sin is a pardonable offence.

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said: “In nal momin……”

(Kafi, translation, Vol. 4, p.g 174)

Verily if a believer intends to do a good deed and does not yet act for it one good (reward) is being recorded in his sheet. But if a believer also carries out his intention in practice, ten goods are entered in his account. Verily, if a momin intends to do wrong but does not carry out that intention then it will not be entrered in his account sheet.

Three more rivaayaat are available on this subject. Similarly Shahid has, in Qawaaid as well as two more scholars have expressed the same view that mere making an intention to sin, without carrying out that intention, is not a cognizable offence.

The reply to the first objection is that though the inclination of heart, desire or wish is certainly a thing beyond control but, so far as the intention to commit an offence is concerned it is not so uncontrollable. That is, if a wish to do a sin takes place in somebody’s heart, it is quite possible that he may not do so due to either a feeling of shame or for fear of God.

This thing can be further explained. Four things are necessary to come to the heart of a man before he does something possible: (Mabaadiye Arbaa – four preliminaries): (1) Khutoor (coming of an idea to mind), (2) Raghbat (inclination) (3) Etequaad (belief or trust) and (4) Niyyat (intention). For example, one gets a though of a sin in his mind. Then he inclines toward doing that sin. Thereafter his heart says that this sin should be committed. Now, if there is nothing like exterior element liken or interior deterring element like modesty or fear then only he makes an intention or decision to do that work and thereafter he commits it actually.

The first condition is called tasavvure (idea), Khaahish (desire), hadeese nafs call of heart and waswasaa (enticing). The name of the second condition or state is Raghabt (inclination), Mailaan (tilting) and Shauq (longing). The third state is known as etequaad (belief or trust) and that of the fourth is Iraadah or Niyaat (intention or decision). Now that all the four states have been explained it should also become clear that the first and the second condition is Izteraari (uncontrollable) and Gair-iraadi (un-intentional) because sometimes, to stop unwise thoughts coming to mind is not only very difficult but also impossible. There fore it is not congnisable. From the viewpoint of reason also it cannot be considered a desirable action to catch hold of someone for it.

So far as the third condition is concerned, that is, to order to heart to carry out that wish, this thing too can happen unintentionally for which no action can be taken against it and hence non-cognisable. Sometimes it is intentional that is, one may issue order to the heart for it or may not issue. In that case it becomes a congnisable thing. The fourth condition is clearly a controllable matter because in the first three states of mind intention is not yet final. It is quite possible that the idea may be removed because of an inward or outward influence. Of course, if intention is made then commitment becomes practicable and final. Therefore, making of an intention is an act which is cognizable. Reason also does not rule out such cognisation and punishment.

Intention of sin has been pardoned

It we think over narrations we will come to know that an intention of sin is such an offence which has been pardoned and which will not be recorded in the sheet of deeds. But it should not mean that it is not a sin. Ponder over the following narrations:

“Abdullah bin Moosa bin Ja’far (a.s.) asked his respected father: “If a man makes an intention of doing some thing good or something bad will the angel appointed over him will become aware of that intention? The Imam (a.s.) asked: Is good smell and a bad smell similar? I replied: No. He said: Verily, When a man intends to do a good deed his breath gives out a good smell. So the right side angel (who records good deeds) tells the leftsider (who has to record sins): Just wait (do not record) this fellow intends to do a good thing. When that man carries out that good deed, his tongue becomes a pen and his saliva serves as ink. Then he records that deed likewise when a person intends to commit a sin his breath gives out a bad smell. At that moment the rightside angel will tell the leftside angel: Just a moment, this fellow intends to do something bad. Then he commits that sin, his tongues turns into a pen and his saliva into ink and that bad deed is then noted down in his scroll of deeds.”

In short when a man intends to do something bad a bad smell of his sinful desire will reach the nose of the angel. But if he does not actually sin his fault is pardoned and nothing is added to his scroll. It is mentioned in yet another tradition (hadith): ‘Wa Izaa…’ meaning: ‘If there arises a desire to sin, unless iti s carried out, it is forgiven.’

(Mahjatul Baizaa, Vol. 5, p. 74).

Obviously the mention of ‘forgiven’ itself shows that to wish for a sin is a sin. Now when, on the basis of reason and tradition, a wish to sin is a sin, then it is also necessary to explain the meaning of the tradition about forgivance. The traditions about AFV (forgivance or pardoning) are Mujmal (brief). Several meanings have been extracted there from. Therefore first there will be a description of the possibilities of meanings and thereafter the exact meaning will be arrived at first meaning: The narrations about AFV relating to desire, inclination and belief which do not encompass intention. For elaboration of this point it can be said that suppose a man has a wish about sinning then he gets inclined toward that wish then he thinks of carrying out that wish but he is unable to do so due to a feeling of shame or modesty or any such deterrent. Thereafter he puts off that idea. In this case though his intention or desire makes a sin yet, as per narrations, he can get pardon. In truth, to give up the intention of sinning is in itself a Kaffarah (penalty or atonement or expiation). But if he gave up the intention of sinning due to fear of God or because of his fear of chastisement in Hereafter, then, in addition of pardon of his intention of sinning, a good (neki) will also be noted in his scroll of deeds because he changed his intention for the sake of God. To suppress passion or desire because of God is also wise from the viewpoint of reason. Just look at these narrations.

Addition of a Good (Neki)

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is reported to have said:

“When a slave intends to commit a sin, the angels say: O God! This slave of Yours intends to commit a sin (meaning an inclination toward sin has taken place in his heart) and God is the better observer. God will say: Just keep a watch over him. If he acts upon that foul desire, the punishment on account of that sin will be recorded in his account. But if he puts off that intention, then a good deed should be added to his account because he has put off a sin for My sake.

This narration makes it clear that only having an idea of sinning when it is not actually carried out is worth forgivance. But if he changes his intention for the sake of God then he will earn a reward (neki). But, in the light of previous arguments, mere making an intention of sinning, notwithstanding his carrying out that intention or being unable to carry it out due to external or internal causes, is a cognizable offence and it draws punishment.

A sin which has not been actually done will not be recorded

Second meaning: The narrations relating to AFV (pardon) are about a sin for which intention was made. But since it was not actually carried out, that intention is not included in sin. For example, someone makes an intention to commit a sin like adultery but does not commit it. According to narrations that sin will not be noted in his scroll of deeds and he will not be liable to punishment. But the sin of the intention to commit a sin and the liability of being caught do not come in the scope of these narrations. Therefore, it is compulsory to repent for intention. Shaikh Bahai has also recorded this argument.

Cancelling of intention is the expiation for a sinful wish

Third Meaning: The narrations relating to AFV apply only to that man who gives up the intention after having an idea of sinning. In this case the giving up of the sin will be considered as repentance for his desire to sin and nothing will be recorded in his scroll of deeds. But if he sticks to his intention till the time no internal or external deterrent comes in his way, his intention of sinning is not pardonable. This sin will be recorded in his scroll of deeds. This sin must be repented for. The difference between this argument and the first argument is that, according to the first argument, the coming up of an intention to sin is in itself a sin which is unpardonable while according to this argument to maintain sinfulness and to stick to it is a sin.

Intention of sinning – Without preliminaries of the act

The fourth meaning: The narrations regarding pardon apply only to that fellow who keeps himself limited only to the intention of sinning and does not try to enact that sin. But if he also tries to commit that sin then he will be a sinner and will not be pardoned. For example, someone intends to drink wine. So long as he does not try to implement his wish his intention is pardonable. But if he tries to catch hols of a glass for drinking, then, even if he is not able to drink or he does not find a glass or after drinking finds that what he drank was not wine but some permissible beverage or someone prevents him from drinking or he dies before drinking then his condition will not be pardonable. In all these states wherein he remained engaged in the preliminaries, that intention will be Haraam (prohibited) and that fellow will be considered a sinner. Shaikh Ansari (a.s.) has mentioned these two arguments in his Wasaail.

One should at least be cautions

After gaining knowledge about several different narrations concerning AFV there remains no scope not to consider an intention to sin a sin. Cautiousness demands that, considering an intention to sin as a sin, man must refrain from it (making any intention to sin). He must control his soul (nafs). If he happens to intend a sin, he must repent at once. But if he remains careless (gaafil) and entertains that intention, then too is compulsory to repent for that continuation of intention. But if he also indulges into the preliminaries of that sin then his intention is definitely haraam (illegal) and it is incumbent on him to repent forthwith.

Intention to obey (God)

Just as it is proved that the sin of making of an intention to sin and the liability of its punishment and the following states are forgivable, the states of making an intention of a good deed and the stages following that intention to are definitely rewardable. Of course difference is that if the intention to sin is not enacted there is no punishment. The only punishment will be the chastisement due to intention of sin. But in case o making an intention to do a good deed (neki) then, if one cannot act upon that good intention then also he will get a reward of that good. This distinction is a special favour (grace) for a Momin (who believes in Allah). There are numerous narrations regarding this subject. We quoted only a few of them. Here are a few more which can make the faithful hop God’s favour:

For a poor fellow only an intention to donate to donate is charity

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says: ‘Innal abd……’ meaning ‘a penniless faithful slave says: O God, give me money so that I may spend it in such and such good deed. Since God is aware of the piety of his intention He enters that neki (good deed) in his scroll of deeds as it is written after actually doing that good deed. Verily, God’s Grace is spacious and He is Merciful.’ He also sayd: - ‘Innal Momi na …’ meaning ‘Verily a faithful fellow intends to do a good deed but is unable to do it. God enters his good deed for him in his account. But if he also carries out that good deed then ten nekis are entered in his account. Verily a Momin sometimes makes an intention of sinning but does not carry out that bad deed. In this case that baddeed is not entered in his scroll.

(Vasaail, Kitaab at Tahaarat, Baab 6).

The reward of night prayer is being entered in scroll

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says: ‘Innal abd …’ meaning ‘A slave makes an intention during day time to offer prayer in night. Then sleep overtakes him and he cannot offer that prayer. In this case God enters the reward of that prayer in his account. And for his breathing (nafs) the reward (savaab) of tasbeeh (praising God) is recorded and his sleep also is considered as Sadaqah (charity). ‘Ali bin Hamza says: that Imam Musa bin Ja’far (a.s.) said: ‘Rahimallaahu fulaanan…’ meaning ‘May God shed His Mercy on such and such fellow, O Ali, did you not participate in his funeral? I replied: I did not participate. I intended to participate but could not for some reason. Imam (a.s.) said: God has, because of your intention, given you the reward of participating in that funeral.’

(Ibid)

A faithful fellow and the good deeds which he could not do

Explaing the verse ‘Qul Kullun Ya’ Malu alaa shaakilathi’, the author of Tafseere Qumi quotes Imam Reza (a.s.) that God will take an account of the deeds of a faithful. He will be shown the record of his bad deeds so he will become very sorrowful and tremble because of fear. Then his good deeds also will be brought before his eyes. So he will become happy. Then God will say: Let him see that book in which the reward for those of his good deeds has been recorded which he did not actually perform. Looking at it he will say: By Your Might, O Merciful God! I did not enact these good deeds. God will say: You are right that you did not do these good deeds but as you did intend to carry them out We have entered their reward in your scroll.

He is with us Because of his intention!

When God of the worlds gave victory to Amirul Mominin (a.s.) in the battle of Jamal, one of his companions, came to him saying: I wished such and such of my brother should have taken part with us in this battle. The Imam (a.s.) said: Did he wish to participate in the battle with us? He replied: ‘Fa qaala……’ Of course, it was so. The Amir (a.s.) said: ‘Fa qaal……’ meaning ‘Amirul Muminin (a.s.) said: Doubtlessly he was with us and those people are also with us in this war who are yet in the spines of their fathers and wombs of their mothers. Very soon, time will bring them forth. Faith will gain strength through them and mischiefmakers will be defeated by them.’

(Nahaj al-Balagh, Sermon 13)

Those who were with the martyrs of Karbala

Shaikh Sadooq (a.s.), in Uyoon al akhbaar ar rezaa, quotes Imam Reza (a.s.) that he told Rayaan bin Shabeeb: ‘In sar rak ka ……’ meaning ‘If you want to get the reward which is reserved for the companions of Imam Husain (a.s.) in Karbala, then whenever you remember the Imam (a.s.) do say: ‘Alas, would that we had accompanied him in Kerbala, ‘so as to attain the supreme victory.’

Addressing the self sacrificing companions of Syedus Shuhadaa (a.s.), Jaabir bin Abdullah Ansari said in Ziyaarte Arbaeen: By God, we are with you where you had entered. Atiyaa says: How are we with them when we have not done any work nor did we suffer any troubles whereas they were separated from their near and dear ones and they were massacred after cut into pieces. Jaabir said: I have heard the Holy Prophet saying: A man is with the group which he loves and so he will be raised with that group on the Day of Judgement Man is with a group the deeds of which are liked by him. By God, the intention of me and of my companions is the same and which was of the Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions.

(Nafsul Mahmoom).

Quoting some narrations from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the innocent Imams (a.s.), Allah Majlisi (a.r.) writes in Bihaar al-Anwaar, Vol. 13, Chapter 27: The best deed of the Ummah (community) is to await the appearance of Imam-e-Zamana (a.s.). The one who dies waiting for the appearance of Mahdi (a.f.s.) is like the one who is participating in the Jihaad with him. Its reward is like that of twenty-five martyrs.

The wound of the battle of siffen lasted for several years

Muhiyyuddin Arbali says that one day I was with my father. I saw that a man was dosing sitting near him. Suddenly his head cloth fell down. There was a wound on his head. My father asked him about that wound. He replied: This is the mark of wound inflicted in the battle of Siffeen. My father asked: Where are you and when was the battle of Siffeen fought! What is the matter He replied: I was traveling toward Egypt when a man from Gazzah also joined us in the journey. The talk of Siffeen came up for discussion during the journey. My fellow traveler said: Had I been in the battle of Shiffeen I would have dripped my sword in the blood of Ali and his companions. I also retorted in reply: Had I been there I would have quenched the thirst of my sword with the blood of Muaaviyah and his companions. Now you and we are among the companions of Ali (as.) and Muaviyah (a.h.) respectively. Why not fight it out? Then we fought for quite a long time. Suddenly I felt that I had received a wound on my head and I fainted. At that time I felt (visioned) that a fellow was awakening me with the point of his spear. When I opened my eyes that fellow got down from his horse, passed his hand over my head. My will healed. Then that fellow said: stay put here and he disappeared. I could see that the head of my fellow traveler was in his and so also that fellow’s (my companion’s) cattle. Then he returned and told me: This is the head of your enemy. You fought in favour of us (to help us) so we also helped you. Whoever helps God, God of the universe also helps him. I asked him who he was? He replied I am the Saahib al-Amr, the Imam of your time.” Then he said: If somebody asks about this would tell that is the will of the battle of Siffeen.

Wa aakhiru daawaanaa anil hamdo lillaahi rabbil aalameen