In Nahjul Balaaghah, Sermon 104, Imam Ali says:
الحمد لله الذی شرع الاسلام فسهل شرائعه لمن ورده، واعز ارکانه علی من غالبه
فجعله أمنا لمن عقله، وسلما لمن دخله، وبرهانا لمن تکلم به
وشاهدا لمن خاصم عنه، ونورا لمن استضاء به، وفهما لمن عقل
ولبا لمن تدبر، وایة لمن توسم، وتبصرة لمن عزم، وعبرة لمن اتعظ ، ونجاة لمن صدق، وثقة لمن توکل
وراحة لمن فوض، وجُنة لمن صبر
فهو ابلج المناهج، واوضح الولائج
مشرف المنار، مشرق الجواد، مضیء المصابیح، کریم المضمار، رفیع الغایة، جامع الحلبة، متنافس السبقة، شریف الفرسان
التصدیق منهاجه، والصالحات مناره، والموت غایته
والدنیا مضماره، والقیامة حلبته، والجنة سبقته
“Let the Praise be to Allah, who established Islam and made it undemanding for those interested, who gave it strength against anyone who tries to overpower it.
Then Ali continues:
▪ So Allah made it [Islam ] a source of peace for the one who understands it,
▪ A safety for the person who enters it,
▪ An argument for the person who speaks about it,
▪ A witness for the person who defends it,
▪ A light for the person who seeks light from it,
▪ An understanding for the person who seeks its guidance,
▪ A wisdom for the person who studies it,
▪ A means of guidance for the person who perceives it,
▪ A sight for the person who fetches it,
▪ A lesson for the person who seeks its advice,
▪ A salvation for the person who applies it,
▪ A confidence for the person who trusts it,
▪ A pleasure for the person who entrusts it, and
▪ A shield for the person who endures it.
Imam Ali continues:
“Islam is the most bright of all paths and the clearest of all passages. Islam has dignified the beacons and brightened the highways of understanding. Islam has prestigious fields of activity and high objectives. Islam has a collection of knights who approach it eagerly and whose riders are honorable.
▪ The testimony to Allah and the Prophet is Islam’s way,
▪ the good deeds are Islam’s beacons,
▪ death is Islam’s terminal,
▪ our earthly world is Islam’s testing grounds,
▪ and Islam’s recompense is during the Day of Judgment,
▪ while Paradise is its point of approach.
A related subject to be discussed is: Unity among the Muslim Community. Surah 3 (Aali Imran), Ayah 102-103 says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاء فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىَ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
“Oh you who believe be heedful of Allah as He should be heeded, and die not unless you are Muslims. And hold firmly to the Rope of Allah, altogether, and be not divided. And remember Allah’s favor on you, when you were enemies but He joined your hearts together so by His Grace you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it…”
The Muslim community is founded on a number of sublime principles. A very basic principle is unity, this unity is not just an association with people on the basis of color, race, or tribal affiliation, but it is a revolutionary concept. The unity in Islam is an association in faith. Persons who believe in Allah, the hereafter, the angels and the chain of Prophets are in the Ummah of Islam, no matter their nationalities, color, or other parameters, since the criteria consist of faith and doing good deeds.
Prophet Muhammad describes the Ummah of Islam as closely compacted edifice. This description actually refers to the unity of the persons in struggle in the way of Allah.
In another Hadith the Prophet describes the true Ummah of Islam as a body, which suffers with fever, and fatigue if any of its members is ailing.[2] The Hadith says:
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مثل المؤمنین فی تواددهم وتراحمهم کمثل الجسد اذا اشتکی بعض تداعی له سائر اعضاء جسده بالحمّی والسهر. The love and grace of the faithful towards each other is like a body, it suffers even if one part becomes ill. |
The question is: How can we unite the Muslim Ummah in the present time. As you know one of the big achievements that our Prophet (pbuh) accomplished during his lifetime was establishing the brotherhood between Ansaar and Muhajiroon. After this event the Arab inhabitants linked as friends and brothers and they were successful to help the Prophet in reaching his goals.
In Islam’s point of view all Muslims are brothers in spirit. The Holy Quran says in Surah 49 (al-Hujuraat), Ayah 10:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“Lo! the Believers are as brothers, so make reconciliation among your brothers, and fear Allah that you may receive mercy”
If you help your brother in this life, Allah will help you ten times in the other life. To show them that there is no difference between Muslims, the Prophet took many of his meals with his own servants.
Bilal al-Habashi can be taken as a big example for even-handedness in Islam with no discrimination, be it between Arab and non-Arab; white and black, or rich and poor. Bilal was a black slave from Africa, and he was chosen exclusively to call for the Athan for prayer. A 2nd example was Salman the Persian, whom the Prophet (pbuh) made along with Bilal in the status of Islamic brotherhood. The Prophet (pbuh) even changed the name of Salman al-Farsi to Salman al-Muhammadi; for such was Salman’s status in Islam. A 3rd example of non-discrimination was when Muhammad (pbuh) arranged for Zulfa, the famous rich lady, to marry Jowaibir, the black man of poor means.[3] The Holy Quran tells us about this matter in Surah 48 (al-Fat’h), Ayah 29:
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاء عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاء بَيْنَهُمْ
تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا
“Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah, and the ones with him, are severe against the disbelievers, compassionate amongst themselves.
You see them in Rukoo and Sujood, seeking the favor of Allah and His Good Pleasure…”
Therefore, as Muslims we are to obey the orders of Allah individually as well as in our social life, for this will attain us salvation, comfort and success in the true sense. We have responsibilities towards other people, brothers, parents, relatives, neighbors and the weak ones in the community, and that is part of the faith. We ask Allah to grant us what He promised us by way of His Messengers and save us from the ordeals of the Day of Judgment. Verily Allah never fails to fulfill His promise.
