رُويَ عَن أميرِ المُؤمنِينَ عليهِ السلامُ أنّهُ خرجَ ذاتَ ليلةٍ منَ المسجِدِ – وكانتْ ليلةً قَمراءَ- فَأمَّ الجَبّانةَ ولحِقَهُ جماعةٌ يقفُونَ إِثرَهُ، فَوقفَ عليهِم ثمّ قال : مَن أنتم؟
قالوا : شيعتُكَ يا أميرَ المُؤمنِينَ.
فَتفَرّسَ في وجُوهِهِم ثمّ قال : فَما لي لا أَرى عليكُم سِيماءَ الشّيعةِ؟
قالوا : وما سِيماءُ الشّيعةِ يا أميرَ المُؤمنِينَ؟
قال : صُفرُ الوجوهِ من السَّهرِ، عُمشُ العيونِ من البُكاءِ، حُدبُ الظّهورِ من القِيامِ، خُمصُ البطونِ من الصّيامِ، ذُبلُ الشِّفاهِ من الدُّعاءِ، عليهِم غَبَرَةُ الخاشِعينَ.
It was narrated that, once, during a moonlit night, Imam Ali (a.s), coming out of the mosque, headed for wilderness. The crowd following him reached there. He asked about their identity, and they answered, ‘O Amir ul-Mu’mineen, we are your Shiites (followers). The Imam cast a deep look at them, saying, ‘How is it that I do not see any mark of Shiism on your faces?’
‘What are the marks of a Shiite Muslim?’ they asked, and the Imam (a.s) answered:
‘Those who are pale of keeping vigilance, weeping out of fear of Allah, bent out of too much standing for prayer, hungry due to fasting, dry-mouthed because of supplications, with marks of prostration in their faces.’[65]
This is another narration:
عن أبي عبدِاللهِ عليهِ السلامُ قالَ: كَانَ علِيُّ بنُ الحُسينِ عليهِ السلامُ قاعِداً في بيتِه إذ قَرعَ قومٌ عليهِ البابَ، فقالَ : يا جاريةُ انظُري مَن بالبابِ، فَقالوا : قَومٌ مِن شيعتِكَ. فَوثبَ عجلانَ حتّى كادَ أن يَقعَ، فَلمّا فتحَ البابَ ونظَر إليهِم رَجعَ وقال: كذِبوا فأَينَ السَّمْتُ في الوجوهِ ؟ أين أثَر ُالعِبادةِ؟ أينَ سِيماءُ السّجودِ؟ إنّما شِيعتُنا يُعرَفونَ بعبادتِهِم وشَعَثِهِم؛ قَد قَرِحتْ منهُم الآنافُ، ودَثرَت الجِباهُ والمَساجدُ. خُمصُ البُطونِ، ذُبلُ الشّفاهِ، قد هيّجَتِ العبادةُ وجوهَهُم، وأَخلَقَ سهرُ اللّيالي وقَطعُ الهَواجرِ جُثَثهُم، المُسبِّحونَ إذا سَكَتَ النّاسُ، والمُصَلّونَ إذا نامَ الناسُ، والمحَزُونونَ إذا فَرِح النّاسُ.
Imam Sadiq (a.s) narrated: As he was sitting in his house, a group of people knocked the door at Imam Sajjad (a.s). He asked his slave girl to see who it was. They shouted, ‘It is a group of your Shiites.’ The Imam (a.s) jumped so hurriedly that he was about to fall down. When he opened the door, he took back and said, ‘They must be lying. Where is the mark of Shiism on their faces? Where are the marks of prostration on them? Our Shiites are known of fear of the Day of Judgment, their foreheads having the marks of prostration, being thin due to fasting, and dry-mouthed because of supplications. The prayer makes their faces wrinkled, keeping vigilance, and fasting on hot days make their bodies exhausted. When (other) people are at rest, they (the true Shiites) glorify Allah, when people are asleep, they are in prayers, and when people are merry making, they are sad.’[66]
The same God-fearing, enlightened people, in their love for the Hereafter, havefought the enemies of God throughout the history of Islam. They considered martyrdom in the way of God as the highest degree of happiness and the best means for affinity with God. We therefore realize that a true Shiite is pious and heedless of the worldly ornaments but does not live the life of a recluse. He stands against the oppressing powers with his strong faith and steadfastness. Describing such people, the Holy Quran says: “Those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall. (61:4)” Therefore, no one can say that the school based on piety, detachment from this world, prostration, and prayer fails to nurture heroes.
Nevertheless, we stand in prayer with our heart full of love for this world without God’s remembrance. We fast with a soul polluted with sins. We go on Hajj pilgrimage with illegally gotten money, abandon what is obligatory but do what is praiseworthy and expect the positive effects on our lives and wish to be among the angels at the same time!
Addressing to Jesus (a.s), God says:
يا عِيسَى، قُل لِظَلَمَةِ بني إسْرائِيلَ: لا تَدعُوني والسُّحْتُ تحتَ أَحضَانِكُم والأصْنامُ في بُيوتِكُم، فإِني آلَيتُ أنْ أُجيبَ مَن دَعانِي وأَنْ أجعَلَ إِجابَتي إيّاهُم لَعناً حتّى يَتفرَّقوا.
“O Jesus, tell the Israeli wrongdoers not to call upon Me while they have illegal riches under their arms and keep idols at home, for I have sworn I will answer one who calls upon Me. My answer to the call for these wrongdoers is to curse them until they part from one another.”[67]
يا عِيسَى، قُل لهُم قَلِّموا أَظفارَكُم مِن كَسْبِ الحَرامِ وأَصِمُّوا أَسماعَكُم مِن ذِكْرِ الخَنى وأَقبِلوا عَلَيَّ بِقلوبِكم فإِنّي لستُ أُريدُ صُورَكُم.
“O Jesus, tell them: Take your nails off illegal business, cover your ears from obscenity, and come to Me with full heart, for I certainly do not want your external faces.”[68]
A religious report says:
مَن حَجَّ مِن غَيرِ حِلِّهِ ثمّ لبّى قالَ اللهُ عزّ وجلّ له: لا لَبّيكَ ولا سَعدَيكَ حتّى تَرُدّ ما في يَديكَ.
“Whoever goes on Hajj with illegal money when saying Labbayk, Allah will say: I will not accept your ‘Labbayk’ until you return the money to its owner.”[69]
Imam Sadiq (a.s) says:
“How much wailing and how few devoted hajjis are!”[70]
(In other words, the noise of the performers of Hajj is extremely loud but, unfortunately, real performers of Hajj are very few.)
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF SKEPTICISM
Skepticism about religious laws made by certain individuals has different motivations. Part of it is by prejudiced and malevolent individuals aimed at diluting Muslims’ ideology so as to carry out their destructive plots in the Islamic society and to attain their satanic goal. Another part arises from ignorance of the truth and philosophy of the heavenly teachings. These skeptics see the external face but they are unaware of the philosophy behind them. These people are ignorant, arrogant, egotist, and unwilling to understand the philosophy of the religion.
THE SKEPTICISM OF A MATERIALIST THIRTEEN CENTURIES AGO
Ibn-Abi’l-Aujaa was unbeliever. He was an abusive orator whom scholars avoided for his sharp tongue. It was Hajj season when he was sitting with a group of unbelievers in the Sacred Mosque looking at pilgrims mockingly. In another corner of the Mosque, Imam Sadiq (a.s) was sitting surrounded by the Shiites who benefited by his heavenly knowledge. The unbelievers turned to Ibn-Abi’l-Aujaa saying: “How good it is to debate with the man sitting there surrounded by his devotees making him ashamed!”
Ibn-Abi’l-Aujaa who was too proud of himself said: “I will go right now and make him helpless.” Entering into the Imam’s assembly, Ibn-Abi’l-Aujaa said:
يا أبا عبدِ الله، إنّ المجالسَ أماناتٌ ولا بُدّ لكُلِّ مَن كان به سُعالٌ أن يسعلَ، فتأذنُ لي بالسؤالِ؟
“O Abu-Abdullah, assemblies are safe. (He was afraid of being killed by the believers.) Everyone having phlegm in his chest has to cough it out. (i.e. one who has a question has to ask it.) Can I ask you a question?”
The Imam (a.s) gave him permission. Ibn-Abi’l-Aujaa bared his heart shamelessly of his atheistic ideas in an enchanting rhymed prose, mocked the Hajj rites, and insulted the pilgrims, adding:
إلى كمْ تدُوسونَ هذا البَيدرَ وتلوذُونَ بهذا الحَجرِ وتعبُدونَ هذا البيتَ المرفوعَ بالطّوبِ والمدَرِ وتُهروِلونَ حولَهُ هروَلَةَ البعيرِ إذا نفرَ؟ مَن فكّر في هذا وقدّرَ علِمَ أنهُ فِعْلُ غيرِ حكيمٍ ولا ذي نظرٍ. فقُل فأنتَ رأسُ هذا الأمرِ وسَنامُهُ وأبوكَ أُسُّهُ ونِظامُهُ.
“Till when will you work in this threshing-floor, seek refuge to this stone, worship this house made of mud and stone, and go round it like frightened camels? Anyone reflecting on the matter will find out that it is unwise act. Give me the answer, you who are at the top, a prominent personality, and a person whose fathers set up and maintained this religion.”
Even nowadays such a question are asked by some of the so-called intellectuals!
However, Imam Sadiq (a.s) who was the propagator of the monotheistic school of Islam and had trained students in his mystical sessions, uttered sentences that exposed the evil intention of Ibn-Abi’l-Aujaa and his co-thinkers and bewared them of the sinister fate awaiting them. He (a.s) said:
إِنّ مَن أضلّهُ اللهُ وأعمى قلبَهُ استَوخمَ الحقَّ ولم يستعذِبْهُ وصارَ الشَيطانُ وليَّهُ وربَّهُ ويورِدُهُ مناهِلَ الهَلَكَةِ ولا يُصدِرُهُ.
“Whomever Allah causes to go astray and to be blind in heart will find the truth bitter and will have Satan as guardian and lord, and will be damned to perdition from which there is no return.”[71]
The Imam (a.s) then made statements the summary of which is as follows: This Kaaba is the House that God has appointed as a means to test His servants making them duty-bound to respect and visit and to be a balance from man’s devotion and obedience to God. Through the Kaaba, the devoted believers are made distinct from hypocrites. This House is the resting-place for the prophets, Kiblah of worshippers, and a means to please God. Therefore, the aim of Hajj is to worship God—the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the human soul and body—, not the stone. Kissing or caressing the Black Stone, too, is aimed at carrying out God’s order.
WHY WAS GOD’S HOUSE NOT BUILT IN A PLEASANT AREA?
Imam Ali’s sermon known as ‘al-Khitba al-Qassiya –Sermon of Disparagement-’ answers the above and similar questions. A part of the sermon, which is related to the Holy Kaaba, will be quoted hereinafter:
أَلا تَرَوْنَ أَنّ اللهَ سُبحانهُ اخْتبَرَ الأوّليِنَ مِن لَدُنْ آدَمَ صَلواتُ اللهِ عَليهِ إلى الآخِرينَ مِن هذا العالمِ بِأحْجارٍ لا تَضُرّ ولا تَنفَعُ ولا تُبصِرُ ولا تَسمَعُ فَجَعلها بَيتَهُ الحَرامَ الّذي جَعَلهُ اللهُ لِلنّاسِ قِياماً ثُم وَضَعهُ بِأوْعَرِ بِقاعِ الأرْضِ حَجَراً وأَقَلَّ نَتائِقِ الدّنيا مَدَراً وأَضيَقَ بُطونِ الأَودِيَةِ قُطْراً بَينَ جِبالٍ خَشِنَةٍ ورِمالٍ دَمِثَةٍ وعُيونٍ وَشِلَةٍ وقُرىً مُنْقَطِعَةٍ لا يَزكُو بِها خَفٌّ ولا حافِرٌ ولا ظِلْفٌ.
ثمّ أَمَر آدَمَ عليهِ السلامُ ووِلدَهُ أن يُثْنوا أَعطافَهُم نحْوَهُ فَصارَ مَثابَةً لمُنْتَجَعِ أَسفارِهِم وغايَةً لمُلقَى رِحالهِم تَهوي إِليهِ ثِمارُ الأفْئِدَةِ مِن مَفاوِزِ قِفارٍ سَحيقَةٍ ومَهاوي فِجاجٍ عَميقَةٍ وجَزائِرِ بحارٍ مُنقَطِعَةٍ حتّى يَهُزّوا مَناكِبَهُم ذُلُلاً يُهَلِّلونَ للهِ ويَرمُلونَ عَلى أقْدامِهِم شُعْثاً غُبْراً له، قَد نَبَذوا السّرابِيلَ وَراءَ ظُهورِهِم وشَوَّهوا بِإِعفَاءِ الشُّعورِ محَاسِنَ خَلقِهِمُ ابْتِلاءً عَظِيماً وامْتِحاناً شَديداً واخْتِباراً مُبيناً وتمْحِيصاً بَلِيغاً جَعَلهُ اللهُ سَبَباً لِرحْمَتِهِ وَوُصْلَةً الى جَنَّتِهِ.
وَلوْ أَرادَ سُبحانَهُ أَنْ يَضَعَ بَيتَهُ الحَرامَ ومَشاعِرَهُ العِظامَ بَين جَنّاتٍ وأَنهارٍ وسَهْلٍ وقَرارٍ جَمِّ الأشْجارِ دانِي الثِّمارِ مُلْتَفِّ البُنَى مُتَّصِلِ القُرى بَينَ بُـرَّةٍ سَمْراءَ وَرَوضَةٍ خَضْـراءَ وأَريَافٍ مُحْدِقَةٍ وعِراصٍ مُغدِقَةٍ وزُروعٍ ناضِرةٍ وطُرُقٍ عَامِرَةٍ لَكانَ قدْ صَغَّرَ قَدْرَ الجَزاءِ عَلى حَسْبِ ضَعْفِ البَلاءِ.
ولَو كَانَ الأَساسُ المَحْمُولُ عَلَيها والأَحْجارُ المَرفُوعُ بِها بَين زُمُرُّدَةٍ خَضْراءَ ويَاقُوتَةٍ حَمْراءَ ونُورٍ وضِياءٍ لخَفَّفَ ذلِك مُصارَعَةَ الشَّكِّ في الصُّدورِ ولَوَضَعَ مُجاهَدَةَ إِبليسَ عَن القُلوبِ ولنَفى مُعتَلَجَ الـرَّيبِ مِن النّاسِ.
ولَكنَّ اللهَ يَخْتَبِرُ عِبادَهُ بِأنواعِ الشَّدائِدِ ويَتَعَبّدُهُم بِأنْواعِ المجَاهِدِ ويَبتَلِيهِم بِضُرُوبِ المَكَارِهِ إِخْراجاً لِلتَّكَبُّرِ مِن قُلوبِهِم وِإمْكَاناً لِلتَّذَلُّلِ في نُفوسِهِم ولِيَجعَلَ ذلِكَ أَبواباً فُتُحاً إلى فَضْلِهِ وأَسبَاباً ذُلُلاً لِعَفْوِهِ.
“Do you not see the Allah, the Glorified, has tried all the people among those who came before, beginning with Adam up to the last ones in this world with stones which yield neither benefit nor harm nor see nor hear. He made those stones into His sacred house, which He made a standby for the people. He placed it in the most rugged stony part of the earth and on a highland with least soil thereon, among the narrowest valleys between rough mountains, soft sandy plains, springs of scanty water, and scattered habitants, where neither camels not horses nor cows and sheep can prosper. Then, he commanded Adam and his sons to turn their attention towards it. In this way, it became the center of their journey in seeking pastures and the rendezvous for meeting of their carrier-beasts, so that human spirits hasten towards it from distant waterless deserts, deep and low-lying valleys and scattered islands in the seas. They shake their shoulders in humbleness, recite the slogan of having reached His audience, march with swift feet, and have disheveled hair and dusted faces. They throw their pieces of cloth on their backs; they have marred the beauty of their faces by leaving the hair uncut as a matter of great test, severe tribulation, open trials, and extreme refining. Allah has made it a means to His mercy and an approach to His Paradise.
If Allah, the Glorified, had places His Sacred House and His great signs among plantations, streams, soft and level points, plenty of trees, and abundance of fruits, a thick population, close habitats, golden wheat, lush gardens, green land, watered plains, thriving orchards, and crowded streets, the amount of recompense would have been decreased because of the lightness of the trial. If the foundation on which the House is borne and the stones with which it has been raised had been of green emerald and red rubies, and there had been brightness and effulgence, then this would have lessened the action of doubts in the breasts, would have dismissed the effect of Satan’s activity from the hearts, and would have stopped the surging of misgivings by means of different troubles, wants them to render worship through hardships and involves them in distress, all in order to extract out vanity from their hearts, to settle down humbleness in their spirits, and to make all this an open door for His favors and an easy means for His forgiveness (for their sins).[72]
