Moulana Mohammed Askari Majalis 3 2008
Audio online at http://mypodcast.com
Doing good deeds alone for yourself is not enough. For example if you are used
to reading
the Quran after salaat and someone asks you for help you cannot deny him. A
person
comes to Imam Hasan. he asks him a problem. He asks the imam to go with him.
Imam
Hasan went with him right away. They passed the masjid with Imam Hussain in it
on the
way. Imam Hasan said why did you not ask my brother on the way? I saw Imam
Hussain
was in etekaf of the masjid so therefore I didn't ask him. He was doing dua, and
I didn't
want to disturb him. Imam Hasan said that it is more important to complete and
help a
momin out of difficulty and its sawaab is equal to doing etekaf for one year. If
you had
asked Imam Hussain he would have helped you right away.
If the man's difficulty is spirtual then the reward for helping him is even
greater.
In western culture individuality is emphasized in Islam the society is
emphasized. In
western society you try not to bother anyone. In Islam you try to help all so
that the
difficulties of society are removed. The westerners know that a man cannot
complete his
own needs and needs others to help him. They do cooperate with each other. They
stop
people from harming each other. If a persons action is harming himself then they
do not
see the need to stop them. If someone is smoking then you are stopped from
smoking in
a public place as you may harm others. If you go out and smoke yourself then
you are not
stopped even though this harms you. Islam is not like this. Poison is poison and
if you go
alone and use poison it is not allowed. The harm is material for example a
polluting car or
industry is stopped. If someone opens a hotel this will not be allowed if it has
pollution
around it. If the hotel is willing to post that it may harm others will they get
a permit no
they will not. Perhaps somone does not know to read or is too hungry and eats in
the
hotel despite the sign. Such a hotel will not be allowed to open as it may harm
others. In
the material world if pollution is spreading then this is stopped but what of
spiritual
pollution? If one makes a book or a movie that misleads the soul of people this
is
protected under 'freedom of speech'. Material harm is small in comparison to
spiritual
harm. However the material harm is stopped and the spirtual harm is protected
under
'freedom of speech'. If one soul is misled then it misleads hundreds of others.
Islam does
not permit either material harm or spirtual harm.
Help others materially and also help them with giving them right spirtual
guidance and by
being patient.
Islam has given great importance to this. you cannot say why should we interfere
in this
persons life. In Islam we are one unit as an ummat and you have to take care of
each other.
Like the hands and feet are different from each other men are different from
each other.
However as the hand cannot live without the foot the society needs all kinds of
people. As
the hand stops the stone from hitting the eye and does not say who am I to
interfere in
the matter of the eye. The hand allows itself to be harmed but protects the eye.
The eye
sees the thorns in the way of the foot. The foot realizes that there is a thorn
after it steps
on it. If the eye sees the thorn then it stops the foot from going here instead
of saying this
is not my matter let the foot step on the thorn. None of them act selfishly and
the foot
does not rebel. The prophet has said that the ummat is related as the different
body parts
are related to each other. If one gets pain then all get pain. If one person in
the ummat is
harmed all feel the pain. They step out of the way to protect each other.
Saying that why should we interfere in their matter is not an Islamic way of
thinking. One
good person leads others to good. A good person is like a light and leads others
to light. A
bad person is like the person putting a hole in the ship he will drown along
with all others
in the ship.
The man in the ship who has rented his own room cannot say that since I paid for
the
room I can make a hole in the floor of my room. He will not be permitted to do
so by all
others. Not only the humans but the entire universe is connected to each other.
Man needs oxygen and the plants carbon di oxide. They give this to each other.
If they do
not cooperate and boycott each other then they will both perish.
To show the importance of being on haqq it is mentioned. In the event of khyber
you
remember Imam Ali? There is also another feature of his that is not often
mentioned.
Often men remember that the flag was given to Ali, he plucked off the door with
his
fingers and killed Marhab.
The prophet said in khyber certain things before he gave the flag all know this
hadith.
Tomorrow I will give the flag to the brave man, who will never run in battle, he
loves Allah
and His prophet and he will not return unless he wins the battle. When the flag
was being
given to Ali the prophet said another hadith. One thing that is considered
special by one
person it may not be so for others. For example if a 5 year old picks up a 20 kg
weight
then all are amazed. If this boys father picks up the 20kg weight then you are
not amazed
as he is a big man.
Ali having plucked the door killed khyber is a big thing but not for Ali. The
prophet said
while he was giving the flag that oh ali if through you if Allah does guidance
of one man
then this is a biggest great deed that you could do. Thus guiding one person is
greater
than conquering khyber and killing Marhab.
Thus the greatness of Ali lies not alone in the conquest of Khyber but the
reason why Ali
was created. 22
The Quran says that the prophet is munzir and there is also a guide. Who is the
guide. The
prophet put his hand on Ali's shoulder and said that oh Ali you are the hadi or
the guide.
If you call a speaker and take care of the speaker but do not give him the
oppurtunity to
speak. Then you took away his main thing – speaking. There is a marja and you
give him
the khums and when he gave commands or fatwas you did not follow his fatwas.
Allah made Ali hadi or guide. Following him is the main thing. Praising Ali and
not
following his orders is being a traitor to Ali and not being his follower.
Obeying his
commands is being his follower. Prasing a great person like Ali can be done by
all. Who did
not praise Ali. Even Mauwiya praised Ali. One man said that I came from a person
to a
great person. He said I left Ali and came to you. Mauwiya said that Ali is the
most generous
and he would give away the deserving a heap of gold set in front of him. you are
calling Ali
stingy go away. Hindus praise Ali. The christians the jews all praise Ali.
Sunnis praise Ali. I
can present their poetry in praise of Ali to convince you. These people are not
the shia of
Ali. They have praised him but they are not his shia. Praising a person does not
make you
shia. If you praise a rose or the taj mahal does not make you its shia.
The ahle bait have said that the shia are those who walk in the footsteps of
Ali.
All know of the corpse and how the last rites are done. All have been to
someones last
rites. If you go behind the corpse as it is being taken to the grave yard then
you are
considered to be a part of the burial process. If Ali is going one way and you
are going
another way then you are not his shia.
The 8th Imam Reza (AS) when he became the crown prince and came to khurasaan. He
met
some who were claiming to be shia and were in hiding. When they saw the Imam was
the
crown prince they said that they are the shia. Imam came forward. They went
happily to
the imam and said that they are his shia. The Imam refused to see them. They
returned
after 4 days and the imam refused to see them. They came again and again the
Imam
refused. Slowly all saw that these people who claim to be shia the Imam is
refusing to see
them. They were so ashamed that they had to leave the city. As they were leaving
they
thougth they would see the Imam for the last time and let him know that they are
leaving
the city. They went to moula and said that the circumstances are such that they
have to
leave the city. ON hearing this the Imam called them. He refused to accept their
salaam.
They fell at his feet and asked him why do you treat us so. They said that we
are the shia
of Ali. Imam said that beware do not claim to be the shia of Ali. The shia of
Ali are Hasan
and Hussain and Salmaan and Abu Zar . That which Ali commanded them to stay away
from they never approached. You are commanded and you do not obey and you claim
to
be shia. Just say that we are pleased by Ali. Shia means to follow and obey
completely and
put his commands in your life.
The 6th Imam said that those who claim to be shia become a means of honor for
us. Do
not become such that your character is so removed from us that there is no
connection
between us and you.
Who are called shia has been described by our Imams. The 5th Imam said that the
one who
says slogans is not a shia. The one who follows moula is as follows. He is the
one who
obeys the wali Allah and obeys their commands. This is the one who loves the
Imams. He
is moulai. The one who disobeys Allah and ignores His commands is not our lover
but in
reality our enemy.
Oh friends if we are lovers of Ali realize that Ali is Hadi or leader. The
prophet said Ali if
one man is guided right by you then this is a great thing for you.
If Ali pulled out his sword it is for guidance and if he puts his sword in it is
for guidance.
Jehad does not mean bloodshed, killing of innocents, destroying cities. Jehad is
guidance.
As a doctor heals a sick person similarly the jehadi does jehad. The doctor does
not do
surgery unless the medicines fail. In Islam Jehad is needed to make blood flow
if all other
means fail. Those who do jehad in this manner cannot ever be terrorists.
I do not know how many jews became muslim in khyber. However when Ali was put in
chains and his house was burnt, when Fatima was crushed behind the door and his
unborn
child mohsin died. A jew saw that Ali was so patient he said the kalima. His
companion
asked him why did you become muslim. The jew replied see that man who is in
chains
with a bowed head. I saw this man in khyber who pulled of the door of khyber
with two
fingers and killed marhab. Such patience can only be with the prophet or his
inheritor.
This shows that he is the hadi thus I read the kalima.
These Imams are only worried that none go into hell. They want to guide even one
if they
are able to. Imam Hussain came to the enemy army and tried to guide them over
and over.
After his companions were killed he did not say these are my enemies let them go
to hell.
He kept trying to lead them to the right path. When the corpse of Qasim was
trampled,
Abbas was killed, Ali Akbar and Ali Asghar killed. He came over and over into
the
battlefield to preach. Was he trying to save himself? NO never. When Abbas died
then
Hussain said oh my brother my back is broken now. After the death of Ali Akbar
then
Hussain did not have any desire to live any more. He was not preaching to save
his own
life. He wanted to save at least one from entering hell. His enemies should also
not enter
hell and he was trying to save them. He was the guide or hadi from Allah. His
job is to
guide people away from Hell to heaven.
He gave all sacrifices. he sacrificed his friend his family and even his baby
son. Hussain
gave such sacrifices to give the message to people. His ill son Zainul Abedeen
would cry
when he thought of this sacrifice of his father. He did majalis as long as he
lived. Once a
person asked him how long will you do matam. Imam said that when Yusuf left the
sight
of his father his father cried till he lost his sight. My 18 Yusuf were killed
in front of my
eyes. The man said that being killed in the way of Allah is the inheritance of
your family.
The Imam said Oh Minhal you are correct in this matter but what of the mothers
and
sisters being taken in the court of kufa and shaam without hijaab. Once the Imam
said that
the greatest difficulty was not the arrow shot in the heart of his brother or
the heart of his
infant brother but he always replied oh shaam oh shaam oh shaam. The market of
shaam
and the bibis without hijaab in the market place.
May Allah curse the oppressors....