Symposium 52
Why Is ‘Loving The Imams (PBUT)’ Requisite?
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom!
Hasan:Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh!
Anwar:Now that we illustrated the fact that the love of the believers is a form of worship and devotions to the Almighty Allah, would you please clarify how ‘the Affection Verse’ refers to Ahl Al-Bait (PBUT)?
Hasan:With all pleasure, Sir! To explain this point, I have to shed light on some issues:
· The Glorious Allah, from His Eternal knowledge, knows about these holy entities that act according to the Lord’s will and that have the capacities and qualities to be chosen. The Almighty Allah exalted and elevated
them and approved them through the Holy Spirit. Thus, because they have all the qualities and because they have been chosen to carry the message and be the role model for the people, we are ordered to follow them, to obey them and to ladle from their pure spring.
· The Status of these holy entities is incomparable.
· They have tasks other than those known to people, some of which are:
The Imams (PBUT) are witnessing over people in view of the fact that they have comprehensive knowledge and awareness over the deeds, words and intentions. The following Hadith reported shows that our deeds and action are looked into by the Almighty Allah, His Messenger (PBUH) and the believers:
Abu Ja’far Al-Baqir reported from Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq (PBUT) that“we are the medium (just) nation and we are the Lord’s witnesses over people”.
Al-Haskani in “The Evidence to Revelation” reports from Salim Al-Hilali that Imam Ali (PBUH) said:“We are whom Allah mentioned us as (We have made you a medium (just) nation)”.
Regarding this same Holy Verse, Al-‘Aiyashi reports from Abi ‘Omair Az-Zobairi that Abu Abdullah (PBUT) said:“Don’t you think that whose testimony over a measure of dates is not accepted in this world may never be asked by Allah for testimony in the Day of Resurrection? Will He accept this testimony in the presence of all past nations? No! Allah never meant such people”.
We have to keep in mind that they are the route and the guide to the Almighty Allah as they are acting on the behalf of the Prophet (PBUH), and so knowing the Imams (PBUT) is similar to knowing the Messenger of Allah (PBUH); otherwise people will be lost and confused. Here is the evidence to this:
Abu Ja’far Imam Mohammad Al-Baqir (PBUH) says:“Whoever exhausts himself with devotions to Allah without following the guide to Allah, none of his efforts are accepted, as he is lost and confused and Allah is ashamed from his deeds”.
Amir Al-Mu’menin (PBUH) also says:“If the Most Gracious Allah wills, He could inform Himself to his slaves, but He positioned us as path and route and
means to Him; and whoever turns aside from us and favors other than us, they are deviating from the right path (As-Sirat)”.
In addition to that, they provide safety and protection to the people of earth; this is in the sense that guidance is only attained through them and grasping at other than them will only lead to destruction and deviation.
The Hadith from the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) reported by Ahmad Bin Hanbal asserts this fact:“Stars provide safety for the people of the heaven and my kinfolk provide safety for the people of earth; if my kinfolk go, the people of earth go as well”.
Now that we are aware of the status and the role of the Imams (PBUT) in this life and the next life, isn’t it obvious why we need to obey them and love them?
Anwar:No need for any more inquiries. It is as clear as the sun in the midst of the sky.
Hasan:Thanks to Allah Who drove away the clouds of doubts covering the truth.
Anwar:All thanks to the Glorious Allah at all times.
Hasan:Let’s take a break now.
Anwar:You have done so great, and now, we do need a small break.
Symposium 53
More on Affection
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom!
Hasan:Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh!
Anwar:As long as we are talking about affection, will you please tell me more so it would charge my heart with their love?
Hasan:Of course! I will restrict myself to some Divine Hadith reported from Ahl Al-Bait (PBUT) and others:
· Mohammad Bin Moslim said I heard Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq (PBUH) saying:“A man might resent his own child, so the Most Exalted Allah insist on enjoining our love; people can take it or leave it, yet it is a duty as He
put it: (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives)42;23”. Abu Ja’far Al-Baqir (PBUH) also commented on this Holy Verse:“By God, it is a Divine duty on His slaves for the sake of Mohammad (PBUH) over his near relatives”.
· Al-Tabrasi – God bless his soul – reports that Al-Hasan Bin Ali (PBUT) delivered a speech to the people in which he said:“I am from the Ahl Al-Bait (PBUT) whose affection was enjoined by Allah on every Muslim, as He said: (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives)”.
· Al-Allamah Al-Tabrasi([15]) – God bless his soul – writes in his book ‘Kashf Al-Haq’ (Discovering the Truth):“It is reported in the Sahihain, in Ahmad Bin Hanbal’s Mosnad and in Tafsir Al-Tha’labi that Bin Abbas said: when the Holy Verse (Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked who the near relatives were, he said: Ali, Fatimah and her two sons, while to love them is to obey them”.
[15]Ayatullah Ash-Sheikh Fazal bin Hassan bin Fazal At-Tabrasi (460- 550 H) known as Amin Al-Islam was born in the holy city of Mash’had. Wrote a number of books, some of which are: Majma-ul-Bayan fee Tafseeril Quran, Uddatus-Safar…
Anwar:Very good. Allah rewards you well. I have another question, please. We have learned that it is requisite to love the Imams (PBUT), but does that mean that resenting them expel the resentful out of the faith?
Hasan:Good question. This is how I put the answer:
· It is unanimous among Muslims that disregarding the duties commanded by the Almighty Allah relating to the Pillars of Islam entails infidelity.
· Resenting Imam Ali (PBUH) and his offspring, the infallible Imams (PBUT) entails hypocrisy as the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) put it addressing Amir Al-Mu’menin (PBUH):“Only the believers love you and only the hypocrites resent you”. Thus, we should know that the hypocrites have no faith and they are in the lower parts of Fire.
· Imam Ali (PBUH) is very identical to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as we read in the supplication (Mobahala) Verse:
(…and our near people and your near people…)3;61.
He is the flesh and blood of the Messenger of Allah
(PBUH) and whoever resents him has resented the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and whoever resents the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has, in fact, resented the Glorious Allah. Consequently, whoever resents the Glorious Allah and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is an infidel. What is more is that whoever likes a person resenting the Almighty Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) also is not a believer as the Most Gracious says in the Noble Quran:
(You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Apostle…)58;22.
There are a lot more evidence in this regard, but I think this would be enough.
Anwar:Allah rewards you well.
Hasan:Thank you very much.