Lesson Three: The Privileges of Allah's Chosen Worshippers |
In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful
On the privileges of Allah's Chosen Worshippers and bless be upon Muhammad and his pure Household, and may Allah's curse be on his enemies from now until the Day of Resurrection! And there is no power or strength except for the Lofty Glorious Allah.
The Wise Allah has stated in His Glorious Book:
عَالِمُ الغَيبِ فَلَا يُظهِرُ عَلَى غَيبِهِ أَحَدًا﴿26﴾ إلّا مَنِ ارتَضَى مِن رَسُولٍ فَإنَّهُ يَسلُكُ مِن بَينِ يَدَيهِ وَ مِن خَلفِهِ رَصَدًا ﴿27﴾ لِيَعلَمَ أن قَد أبلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِم وَ أحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيهِم وَ أحصَى كُلَّ شَيئٍى عَدَدًا [1]
'… [He is] the Knower of Unseen and He never discloses his Unseen to anyone except to a messenger whom He is pleased with. [Then] He makes a band of watching guards to escort before and behind him, so that He may discern that they have delivered the messages of their Lord – and He encircles all that remains with them, and counts everything in number, (Qur'an: 72/26-28).'
Just as a man has different limbs and muscles, he has his own instincts and attributes such as: anger, appetite to food, defending his self, ambition and some other enjoyments and the instinct to revenge, obedience and It is obvious that each of them must be applied attentively and in its proper time or else, it will not only be useless but destructive as well.
This is for not applying the right instinct in the right way. For example, if a person eating a meal enjoys the taste of it and goes on eating and overeating, he damages his heath and surely ruins himself. And if one does not control his physically contact and does intercourse beyond his capacity, he too ends up in grave.
One of the instincts is the love of Allah and reaching the outmost of the belief and succeeding in meeting Allah and reaching the State of His Glory. One will not repose until to reach this state, and for reaching to this state one needs to struggle and fight with his spirit of lasciviousness, that is he must be careful not to do anything against Allah's will and behave himself.
Sincerity in doing good deeds is the only means achieving one's goal.
فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاء رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا [2]
'… So one who expects to encounter his Lord should act righteously and not take anyone as a partner to his Lord, (Qur'an: 18/110).'
One should, in every step he is taking, turn away from the self-deluging and the ornaments of Satan, trust Allah, and get rid of satanic illusions and bring peace into his wielding mind by remembering Allah.
This action needs concessive struggling – struggling with the soul demands and reaching the centre of sincerity and being of the sincere; and in all activities to observe none but Allah; his activities to be just for the Face of the Generous Allah.
As a man is never free from the invasion of the illusions and thoughts, even in his relaxing moments, and without his desire trifle thought invade his mind – even while sleeping they do not let him go free. Thus, for the peace and the tranquility of his mind, one must always remember and mention Allah and try hard to avoid the annoying thoughts invading him, and save his pure heart away from them. All the time, he must control his personal intentions and prefer the will of his Creator to his own.
If, God-willing, one resists at this stage and tries more, then, the self-desire, aggression and self-importance gradually disappear from his sight, and instead, the humility to worship the Sole Highest Being and the soul-searching-for-Allah take its place.
He changes from the egotism to Theist (worshipper) and he notices the sign of devotion in his heart. His heart becomes peaceful and stops wandering around; it changes from up-roaring to tranquility; he and also his activities and secrets cleanse and never ever the satanic illusions invade him. Thoughts, with his permission, but not at random enter his mind.
As the heart has truly purified at this stage and has changed into obedience and the worshipping state, the beauty and the Divine Light reflects on the face and the face becomes as the mirror to show the attributes of the Highness Beloved – this is the state of the sincere people which is the high and honourable state.
The attributes of the sincere against the Glorious Qur’an: a: The disability of the Satan in deceiving b: The ability to praise Allah as He deserves it
According to the verses of the Qur'an, this group of the people has their own unique specialties: first of all, Satan and the imperious cannot get in touch with them and they become totally desperate of them, they cannot influence them even a tiny bit.
[Satan claims]:
وَلأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ [3]
'… I will mislead them all, except for any of Your worshippers who may be among them, (Qur'an: 15/40).'
He said,
إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ [4]
‘… so by Your Might, I shall mislead men all except for those of Your sincere worshippers, (Qur'an: 38/83).'
Here, Satan himself confesses that he is too weak to mislead them, because their hearts have become for Allah and it is obvious that he cannot step where the place for Allah is.
These kinds of people are always protected by Allah and are immune from any crimes and sins – either it occurs by saying or seeing or hearing, openly or in secret – and they are free from errors and making mistakes. Their actions are right, their tongue is the rightful tongue, their eyes are to see the right, their ears hear but right; that is all their organs, limbs and thoughts are active for Allah and belong to Him – their hearts are the centre to hold the secrets of Allah, the Munificent.
It is obvious that whatever settles in their hearts is with the permission of the Right, and whatever their minds receive from the high above, whether through the revelation or just receiving it by their sense or knowledge it is just and is the reward for the Guardians of Allah; anyway, their hearts are pure and innocent and are free from any errors or mistakes.
Secondly, their thought and mysteries are vast, and they have passed through all the existing problems and have come to know the deeper senses of them, thus, they should praise Allah as His Status deserve [as it says]:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ إِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ [5]
'… Glory be to Allah Who is over the Worlds they describe, except for Allah's loyal worshippers, (Qur'an: 37/159-160)!'
It is because, when Allah is praised, every creature praises Him according to its instinct, its capacity and its thought and knowledge. The Highest Allah is beyond one's capacity of mind and knowledge, therefore, no a single creature can praise Him as He deserves. Thus, along with praising Him one should glorify Him that is to mention: 'O Lord, while we are praising You, we are remembering and mentioning Your beauty and perfectness as it is suitable to You. '…Glory to my Lord, the Highest and all praises are for Him; glory to my Lord, the Greatest and all praises are for Him –
سُبحَانَ ربِّى الأعلَى و بحمدِه - سُبحَان ربِّى العظيمِ و بحَمده
وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّعْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ [6]
and the thunder proclaims His praise, and the angels in awe praise Him, (Qur'an: 13/13).'
The thunder and the angels in front of Him, in fright, praise and glorify his Prominence – '… [The seven-stage-heavens and the earth, as well as whoever exists between them glorify Him].
وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ وَلَكِن لاَّ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ [7]
Nothing exists unless it celebrates His praise; yet you do not understand their glorification. He is indeed the Forgiving Clement, (Qur'an: 17/44).'
All creatures, with no exception, and without expecting to receive rewards, praise and glorify His Holy threshold, by their praises and glorifying they sanctify His Sacred Being – and they even increase their praises.
On the other hand, the sincere worshippers of Allah who seem possessing nothing for their own, for their beings have been joined to the Main Being, and their hearts have turned to the firmament, it is they who can praise Allah as He deserves it, for indeed, it is Allah Who makes them praise.
And this approximation has not inconsistency with this sentence: 'We did not understand Your Right which You deserve, because the meaning of this sentence is the presentation of humility and poverty in front of immensity, and meaning of: 'Glorified is Allah of whatever they attribute except the sincere worshippers of Allah. The certainty of the real annihilation in all stages is the names and the attributions of His Sole Being, that is, in such certain annihilation if one expresses of his being considered disbelief – that is away from the sincerity of sincere.
c: The exemption from being questioned and account, Book and Balance
And the third one is that there is no taking to account for them, and there is no questioning in the graves, or answering to (two investigating angels) Nakir and Monker, or being present at the Court of Him for weighing the deeds:
فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ ِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ [8]
'… they will certainly appear [in the Fire] except the sincere worshippers of Allah, (Qur'an: 37/128).
All the creatures will be presented in front of Allah's justice and be questioned, the exception is Allah's sincere worshippers who, because of their sensual struggling and the sincerity in their actions and deeds and thoughts will smoothly pass away the station of the investigation – taking their places beside the real sincere to Allah sitting in the lofty positions.
In fact, when one has sacrificed everything of his own in the way of Allah, how can be questioned?The question and the documents of the actions are for those who have divinity impurity; according to these impurities they have committed crimes and nothing of the servitude has remained with them. Their whole entity is but void of servitude but poverty, need and abjection; then how is it possible to question them. These creatures have no death and they are eternally alive, because they have become the mirror and they represent of Allah; and it is clear that death is at the stage not adhering to Him:
وَيَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَاء اللَّهُ [9]
'…and the Soür (Trumpet) will be blared, then whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will swoon, except for what Allah wills, (Qur'an: 27/87).'
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَصَعِقَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَاء اللَّهُ [10]
'… And the Soür (Trumpet) will be blared, then whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will swoon, except for those whom Allah desires not, (Qur'an: 39/68).'
It is obvious that in these two verses Allah has excluded a faction: those who desire the Divine Decree and Allah wants not them to die, so there is no frat or death for them. On the other hand, we see that, apart from the ever existing Allah, without exception, every being will perish:
كُلُّ شيءٍ هالِكٌ إلّا وَجهَهُ [11]
'… everything is perishable except the Holy Existence of His, (Qur'an: 28/88).'
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ [12]
'… But only the full of Majesty and Splendor image of your Lord will remain forever, (Qur'an: 55/27).'
All creatures living on the earth will expire and fade away but only the Splendor image of Allah who is not mortal. Those two verses together with the previous ones make it clear that those whom Allah does not want to die when the Soür (Trumpet) is blared are those who have been the image and the presenter of Allah – they have become His Guardians and ‘Near Stationed’ to His Court. And by including this verse … they will certainly appear except the sincere worshippers of Allah to the previous ones it is well understood that Allah sincere worshippers have neither deed-records nor questioning nor have they death, but they will continue as they are forever.
d: The rewards of the sincere are above their good deeds
And the fourth is that Allah, the Exalted, has not assigned certain redeem for His sincere worshippers. It is because whatever of the affluence and the blessing of the heaven is given them is nothing in front of their positions and status; their only reward is viewing the unique illuminating image of Him.
وَمَا تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ إِلَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ [13]
'… And you will be recompensed for what you have been doing – except Allah's sincere worshippers, (Qur'an: 37/39-40).'
Their wages and rewards are boundless; as they have passed over the material world and reached the ocean of greatness and majesty and achieved the tremendous status and posing. By the foregoing verses explaining the state of the sincere it can be understood that Allah's sincere creatures are entirely different from the other creatures; they are immune from Satan, sins and crimes by Allah, the Majesty.
This is the meaning of chastity against sins that Allah has mentioned in the Holy Qur'an: 'We saved Joseph committing sin by getting closer contact with Zolaikha just because he was the sincere worshipper of Us.
كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاء إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ [14]
'…Thus, We warded off evil and the sexual misconduct from him; surely he was one of Our sincere worshippers, (Qur'an: 12/24).'
So, anyone who reaches the state of sincerity he becomes immune from any sins and offences by the Divine protection; and apart from that, as their lives have changed into the right and eternal lives and passed beyond the mortal life, not any invader imaginations or egoisms will affect them. Therefore, they will be secured by the Sole Majesty in receiving the Divine Knowledge and facts, and saving them and propagating them as they are.
The usefulness of all three stages of chastity for Allah’s messengers according to this verse: ‘…the Knower of Unseen and He never discloses his Unseen to anyone except to a messenger whom He is pleased with
By the above blissful verses, all the three states of chastity that Allah has sent them (the Imams) to guide the people can be understood.
Allah is the Knower of the unseen and He does not give this knowledge to anyone except to those messengers whom He is pleased with; that is, He must be entirely pleased with them: their attributes, actions, opinions and their carnal and morale attitudes. Those who have reached the state of the real sincerity, have got rid of the temptation of self desire and have become Godly and pious.
It is obvious that if one does not reach this state he will not be approved by the Creator which is the main purpose and the real sincerity; [15] it is at this stage that Allah unveils the heart-covered-screen of him and lets him receive of His Knowledge, that is, He lets him know what is beyond the reach of all the ordinary people, jinn and angels.
As Allah gives His knowledge with no alteration or deficiency to him, thus, his heart must be as the purity of Allah and under His direct control, otherwise, when receiving the unseen knowledge, he will or may interfere and alter it which this state is of the common justified knowledge:
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا ﴿27﴾ لِيَعْلَمَ أَن قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا [16]
'… and He never discloses his Unseen to anyone except to a messenger whom He is pleased with. [Then] He makes a band of watching guards to escort before and behind him, so that He may discern that they have delivered the messages of their Lord – and He encircles all that remains with them, and counts everything in number, (Qur'an: 72/27-28).'
And also after rightfully receiving the knowledge, as his heart is the pure strainer, and it is free from Satan's reach, he saves the knowledge as it is, and in due time, he delivers it – this stage of chastity is for propagating the knowledge and commands.
Allah sets up guards around his heart so that the inspirations and temptations of man and jinn not to affect him, this is the very Divine immunity for them.
Because if Allah lets him on his own and does not protect him, he will face thousands of calamities – so such a heart is protected from all dangers:
… From the temptation of Satan who whispers in the hearts of men, and from His entire creatures, and from the evil of who blow on knots; and from the evil of an envier who envies, (Qur'an: 114/4-5-6).’
Then, a magic is not efficacious on him; neither the witchcraft, nor the power of the spirit of lascivious affect him.
If all the creatures come together and they get united are unable to hinder him from his way of thinking, invade the facts in his disposal, and influence his knowledge, because the heart of a believer is under the control of Allah and He has set up guards to save him.
Allah has assigned guards all around him for his security.
This is just because they propagate all Allah's messages and commands correctly, they are never negligence of their duties and Allah dominates them, and He knows all affairs of them.
This stage of chastity is about receiving a message and propagating it, and also chastity from the sin is in this frame. That is, if a messenger commits a sin, and announces it by his action, then as he himself has declared a contradiction and the contradiction is not right – one part is wrong – and the messenger of Allah whose heart is secured from Satan's touch is always on the right side.
In the Chapter of Mary, the Revelation Allah, Glory to Him, states to Messenger that: ‘… and,’ [Gabriel, said]:
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلَّا بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا [17]
‘We [angels] do not come down except at your Lord’s command. He owns whatever is in front of us and whatever is behind us, and whatever is in between – and your Lord is never forgetful, (Qur'an: 19/64).'
O Messenger, Allah, Glory to Him, by His command, has sent us to you, we have no authority of our own; whatever lies before us and whatever is behind us all belongs to Allah. The other creatures have no way to interfere it, and to keep them safe and secured, Allah neither goes wrong nor is affected by negligence.
Whatever has been mentioned so far is about the chastity of the messengers and the Imams, upon them be peace, and He even separates His Sacred and the closest ones from the messengers and the Imams.
The Position of Ali, the Commander of the faithful upon him be peace,
However, about the Commander of the faithful, upon him be peace, who is well known to be the possessor of the right knowledge, and the bearer of the 'ALHAMD BANNER' and the pioneer in the Monotheism, the case is that, after saving his Holy Light – from Adam to the Highness Abu Tālib, loin to loin, Allah brought him to sight in His own Home, in Ka‘ba.
His blessed name is Ali, and his nickname Abul-Hassan, his father is Abu Tālib the son of Abdul Mut‘talib bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf. Abu Tālib is the dignitary brother of the Highness Abdullah the father of the Messenger of Allah; so the Highness Ali was considered the son of the Messenger's dignitary uncle – his relationship with the Holy Messenger is through Abdul Mut‘talib.
Abu Tālib used to be of the nobles of Mecca and always ready to serve the Messenger of Allah. He protected the Messenger so much; it was why as long as he was alive none of the pagans of Quraish in Mecca could hurt the Messenger. For three years, he saved the Messenger and the others from BaniHashim at a mountain pass, known as Abu Tali's Mountain Pass. By all means, he was a sacrifice and protected the Holy Prophet. It was until he died and the aggressor pagans found their ways to the Messenger and gradually made him leave Mecca to Medina.
The Highness Abu Tālib was a real pious and a true Muslim for the Messenger of Allah, [18] the poems which have been composed about him are too many and are recorded in the story books and the historical ones. However, because of protecting the Messenger of Allah, he used to hide his faith from the Quraish; on the other hand, the Messenger of Allah loved him so much that he called him 'Father'.
Concerning the Highnesses Fatima, the daughter of Asad, the mother of the Commander of the believers upon him be peace
His mother called Fatima, the daughter of bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf, and as Asad was Abdul Mut‘talib's brother so Abu Tālib and Fatima were cousins.
The Highness Fatima, the daughter of Asad, the mother of the Commander of the faithful was of the greatest ladies in Islam. She was the first lady, after Khadijah, who embraced Islam and was affectionate to Holy Messenger. The Highness called her 'Mother', then when he migrated to Medina, she too, without delay migrated to Medina. Fatima, the daughter of Asad, was the first lady migrating to Medina
IbnJouzi says:
و هِي أوّل امرأةٍ هاجرت مِن مكّه إلي المدينةِ ماشِيةً حافِيةً وهِي أوّل امرةٍ بايعت رسول اللَّهِ صلّي اللَّه عليهِ و آلِهِ بِمكّة بعد خديجة [19]
'and she was the first woman, who left Mecca to Medina on foot, and she was the first woman who paid homage to the Messenger of Allah at Mecca – and the next was Khadijah.'
Ibn Sabaq Maliki says: 'Fatima, the daughter of Asad embraced Islam by the Messenger and she migrated to Medina along with the Messengewr. Then, when she dies, the Messenger of Allah shrouded her with his own shirt, and he ordered Osameh bin Zeid and Abu Ay‘yūb Ansari to dig a grave for her.
When they dug it down to the position for the sepulture stone, the Messenger of Allah stepped down the grave and laid the sepulture stone in its position and then poured soil on it with his blessed hands. When they brought up the digging, they lay in the grave saying:
اللَّه الّذي يحيي ويميت و هو حيٌّ لا يموت أللاهمّ اغفِر لِامّي فاطِمة بنتِ أسدٍ ولقّنها حجّتها وسِّع عليها مدخلها بِحقّ نبِيّك محمّدٍ والانبياء الّذين مِن قبلي فانّك ارحم الرّاحمين [20]
'Allah is He Who gives life and brings death and He is Alive, does not perish; O Allah, forgive my mother, the daughter of Asad, and direct her to her right entrance regarding to Muhammad and the messengers prior to him for indeed You are the most Merciful of the merciful.'
It is Allah Who gives life and brings death and it is He Who never dies.
O Allah, forgive me and my mother, Fatima, the daughter of Bani Asad, and inspire her to present her reasons, and by Your Messenger, Muhammad, and the messengers who have come before me, widen her grave for her for You are the most Merciful of the merciful.
The companions said to the Highness,[21] 'O Messenger, we witnessed how fairly you dealt with Fatima that you had not done so with anyone before. You made a shroud for her out of your shirt, you set the sepulture stone in its right place and you lay in her grave and prayed for her.'
The Highness stated, 'I dressed her with my shirt so that Allah to dress her with the heavenly clothes, and I lay in her grave in case the pressure of the grave to become easier for her. After Abu Tālib, Fatima, peace be upon them both, was the best one to look after me and my affairs.[22]
The grandson of Ibn Jouzi says, 'The demise of Fatima, the daughter of Bani Asad was in the fourth year of Migration.[23]
Abu Tālib and Fatima, the daughter of Bani Asad, produced four sons who in sequence were called: Tālib, Aqil, Ja‘far and Ali – each of them differed ten with the next. They had also a daughter who was called Fakhta Umm Hani. [24]
It is obvious that Ali upon him be peacewas born inside the House of Allah, Ka‘ba that concerning it, Himyari Sayyid Ismaeel Bin Muhammad says:
وَلَدَتهُ فِى حَرَمِ الالهِ وَ امنِهِ وَ البَيتِ حَيثُ فِنائُهُ وَ المَسجِدُ
بَيضاءُ طاهِرَةُ الثِّيابِ كَريمَةٌ طابَت وَ طاب وَليدُها وَ المَولدُ
فى لَيلةٍ غابَت نُحوسُ نُجومِها وَ بَدَت مَعَ القَمَرِ المُنِيرِ الأسعَدُ
مَا لُفَّ فِى خِرَقِ القَوابِلِ مِثلُهُ إلَّا ابنُ آمِنَةَ النَبِىِّ مُحَمَّد [25]
'Fatima, the daughter of Asad, gave birth to Ali inside the House of Allah and the Divine secured place – the House of Allah which is the Courtyard of the Shrine and the sight of Mecca.
Fatima was a pious, an enlightened heart, chaste and great woman – she was pure so was her newly born child and his place of birth.
At the night when the child was born all the ominous stars had disappeared from the surface of the sky and Fatima with that blessed and illuminating child were shining.
Except the Holy Messenger, Muhammad, never has the world seen the recipients serving such a blissful child by patting him and dressing his fair hands with fine clothe.[26] And Abdul Baghi Omar,[27] also says in this regards:
أنت عِليّ الّذِي فوق العلي رفِاً بِبطنِ مكّه وست البيتِ اِذ وضِعا [28]
You are the same dignified Ali who within the House of Allah, at Mecca, was born; then, you soared beyond the highest point and your loftiness settled you at that uppermost position.
Then, Nishaborian Hakim says:
لم يولد في جوفِ الكعبةِ قبل عليٍّ ولا بعده مولود سِواه اِكراماً له وإجلالاً لِمحلِّهِ
'Not a child was born inside the Ka‘ba before Ali, nor was it born after him; this is because of Allah's particular favour to him and the magnitude and majesty he was given.'
And also Sabbaq Maliki says:
ولدِ علِيّ عليهِ السّلام بمكة المشرّفةِ بِداخِلِ البيتِ الحرامِ في يوم الجمعة الثالث عشر من شهرِ اللهِ الأصم، رجبِ الفردِ سنة ثلاثين مِن عامِ الفِيلِ، قبل الهِجرةِ بثلاثٍ و عشرين سنةً، وقيل بِخمسٍ وعِشرين، وقبل البعثِ بِاِثنتي عشرةِ، وقيل بعشرِ سِنين، و لم يولد في البيت الحرام، قبله أحد سِواه، و هي فضيلةٌ خصه الله تعالي بِها إجلالا له و إعلاء لمرتبته و إظهارا لِتكرامِتهِ، و كان علِيّ هاشميا هاشميينِ و أوّل من ولده هاشِم مرّتينِ [29]
'Ali upon him be peace was born inside the House of Allah, at the honourable Mecca, on Friday the 13th of Rajab the year 30th before the 'Aam-ul-Fil', which was ten years before the Messenger of Allah's nomination, and 23 years before his migration [to Media].
Before Ali, no child was born in the House of Allah, this is the only virtue that Allah has favoured him; it is because of his magnitude, majesty, dignity and high position that Allah has specified His mercy to him. Ali is the first of the Hashemite clan came to the world by two Hashemite;[30] because his parents both were Hashemite and before Ali and his brothers never was a Hashemite born.[31]
The quality of how the Commander of the faithful was born at Ka‘ba
Then, it is narrated about his birth that when his mother, Fatima, was paining to give birth to a child, she took refuge at the House of Allah and, while praising in hymns, she clung to the curtains of the House and besought for an easy birth, and, in the mean time, looking at the sky and saying: 'O my Creator, I believe in You and in any messengers You have sent, as well as any books You have sent down. And I have admitted the utterance of Abraham, the Friend [of Yours] who has raised up this House!
O Allah, I swear by this House, and by him who has raised it up, and by this child that I am bearing it my stomach – who is my intimate and is already speaking to me; and I am sure that he is of the signs of Your Majesty and Magnitude, ease this delivery of mine to me!'
Abbas bin Abdul Mut‘talib and Yazid bin Gha'nab were witnessing the case and they said: 'We saw that the wall of the House, at the solid position, cracked wide open and Fatima entered the House and disappeared. Then, the gap tightened and joined. We tried hard to open the door of the house and find out of Fatima's situation but no matter how hard we tried we failed; it was then we understood that it was one of Allah's masteries and signs.'
This case gave way at Mecca and the women were carrying this story everywhere and talking about it in their gathering. After three days, the same spot of the wall opened again and while Fatima, the daughter of Asad, was proud of carrying the baby in her arms kept saying, 'Who is that to be alike me: to give a birth to a babe inside Ka‘ba?' [32]
But whatever IbnSabbaq Maliki is narrating of the book of Managhib –ul- Aali Al-Faghih Al-Maliki is that: it is narrated about the Highness Ali bin Al-Hussein that he said, 'One day we were sitting with our father Hussein bin Ali and there were also a group of women sitting there. One of them came to us and told her: "May Allah has His mercy upon you, who are you?" She said, 'I am Zobda, the daughter of Ajlan, from Bani Saeeda clan.'
I said, 'Do you have a question to ask? And do you want to let us know about it?'
She said, 'Yes, by Allah. Umm Ammara, the daughter of Ibada bin Fazla bin Malik bin Ajlan Saeedi informed me, 'once I was among the Arab's women when Abu Tālib came to us in sorrow, I asked him: "Why are you so excited?"
He said, 'Because Fatima, the daughter of Asad, is in pain and expecting to give birth to a child.'
Therefore, Abu Tālib hold her on her arm, took her to Ka‘ba and, while telling her to sit there in the name of Allah, he placed her inside the House. Before long, she was in serious pain and then gave birth to a cleansed pure child which we had never seen alike before. They called him Ali and composed a poem in his honour:
سمّيته بِعليٍّ كي يدوم له عِزّ العلوِّ و عِزّ الفخرِ أدومه
'We gave him the name of Ali, for proud To be lofty always by Almighty God'
In the mean time, the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants came and took Ali and his mother from Ka‘ba to her house'
Imam Sajjad says: 'By Allah, I had never heard such good news before – it was the best I heard.'[33]
Sheikh Solomon Ghandozi has narrated from the book of 'Mawaddat-ul-Ghorba' from Abbas bin abd-ul- Mut‘talib that Fatima, the daughter of Asad wanted to call the child after her father, Asad, but her husband, Abu Tālib was not interested in this name so he told Fatima: 'Let us climb the Mount Abu Ghais at dark night and call the Creator of the world there, He may inform us what to name the baby.'
When the night fell, both of them left home to the Mount of Abu Ghais and climbed it, there, they both called Allah, and even Abu Tālib uttered this composition:
يا ربِّ يا ذاالغسقِ الدّ جِيِّ والفلقِ المبتلِجِ المضِيِّ
بيِّن لنا عن أمرِك المقضِيِّ بِما نسمّي ذلِك الصّبِيِّ
'O my Creator, O the Owner of dark night And O the Owner of the bright daylight!
Let us know Your Decision distained by You What to call this boy [to satisfy You].'
At that moment, they heard rapid rustlings over their heads and Abu Tālib raised his head and saw a green, emerald, leaflet on which written four lines; he drew out his both hands, caught it and pressed it firmly on his chest then looked at it and read:
خصِّصتما با لولدِ الزّكِيّ والطّاهِرِ المنتجبِ الرّضيِّ
و إسمه مِن قاهِِرٍ علِيٍّ علِيّ اشتقّ مِن العلِيِّ
'I assigned you both to have a pure and chaste child and I have given him the loftiest name 'Ali', which is drawn by My Own Name 'The Most High'. By seeing it, Abu Tālib was delighted, he prostrated and right then vowed to sacrifice ten camels; and he hung that tablet in the House of Ka‘ba. The Bani Hashims were proud of that and it was there until the time of Hisham ibn Abdul Malik when Hajjaj combated with Ibn Zobair and it was disappeared.[34]
References
[1] Surah 72, "الجن", Verse 26-28.
[2] Surah 18, "الکهف", Verse 110.
[3] Surah 15, "الحجر", Verse 40.
[4] Surah 38, "ص" Verse 83.
[5] Surah 37, "الصافات", Verse 160.
[6] Surah 13, "الرعد", Verse 13.
[7] Surah 17, "الإسراء", Verse 44.
[8] Surah 37, "الصافات", Verse 128.
[9] Surah 27, "النمل", Verse 87.
[10] Surah 39, "الزمر", Verse 68.
[11] Surah 28, "القصص', Verse 88.
[12] Surah 55, "الرحمن", Verse 27.
[13] Surah 37, "الصافات", Verse 40.
[14] Surah 12, "یوسف", Verse 24.
Here, this question comes forward that how the meaning of the lowness becomes the absolute lowness, but in the noble verse of 28, from the chapter of the "Prophets": و لا يشفعون الا لمن ارتضى the meaning of lowness refers to the faith and religion! The answer is that as the intercession is for the sinful, especially the capital crimes, according to the verse 32 of the chapter of و النجم:وَ لِلَّهِ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَ ما فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذينَ أَساؤُا بِما عَمِلُوا وَ يَجْزِيَ الَّذينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى ﴿31﴾ الَّذينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الْفَواحِشَ إِلاَّ اللَّمَمَ ...
The verse has branded out the people who abstain only the capital crimes as the good-doers, and the Messenger has stated that the intercession is not for the good-doers: شفاعتى لاهل الكبائر من امتى فاما المحسنون فما عليهم من سبيل , and it is in the verse 30, the chapter of women that: ان تجتنبوا كبائر ما تنهون عنه نكفّر عنكم سيئاتكم, therefore, abstaining the capital crimes, by itself, is the minor crime. On this basis, the purpose of lowness in the noble verse of intercession must be the lowness in the faith and religion, but not in action and practicing it. Because when one's nature and secret is based on lowness, then intercession has nothing to do with him; and the confirmation to our statement is the narrative from the Holiness Imam Reza, Upon Him be Peace, that has translated the lowness as 'the lowness in the religion' (the commentary of al-Mizan, volume 1, page from 171 onward; and there is a narrative in volume 7, the chapter of the 'Prophet' verse 28, which fortifies the text). The verse for the lowness concerning the Secret Knowledge saves its value. Concerning the intercession, again for the proportion of command if deals with the faith and religion.
[16] Surah 72, "الجن", Verse 27-28.
[17] Surah 19, "مریم", Verse 64.
[18] The reference is the book of "The Believer of the Quraish" by Khenyazi, and the book "الحجة على الذاهب الى تكفير أبى طالب" by Fakh'khar bin Sa'd bin Fakh'khar Mosavi Haeeri, and he quotes ibn Idris Hilli and Mohagh'ghigh Hilli relates it from him, and also refer to the book: "ابو طالب حامى الرسول و ناصره" by Al'lama Najm-ad-Din Sharif Askari.
At the bottom of page 13 in "فصول المهمه" by ibn Sabbaq, and "تذكره سبط" by ibn Juzi, page 6. "فصول المهمه" page 13. Ibn Athir, under the statement of ibn Sab'baq, volume 5, pgage 517, from Asad-al-GhabaZt has mentioned this.[22] Up do this point was ibn sab'baq's words.
"تذکرة الخواص", page 6. فصول المهمه of ibn Sab'baq, related Zeia-ad-Din Abu-al-Moayyid Mowaffagh bin Ahmad Kharazmi in his book of "مناقب". Hemyari's poetic works, page 155, the writer says, 'these poems are from "اعيان الشيعه", volume 12, page 240, and "مناقب", volume 2, page 175, as well as "دلائل الصدق", volume 2, page 328. The Counselor, Abdul Halim Jondi, who is of the Dignitaries of the Council of the Islamic Affairs, in his valuable book “Al-Imam Ja‘far Sadiq”, page 31, says: ‘… and Ali, in most affairs, is alone and unique, the Messenger was responsible for him, and he adopted him as his brother. He used to prepare him for the important tasks and Ali fulfilled them, he nominated Ali to publicize the verses of the Qur’an – all these are specific cases that no one except Ali could discharge them.’However, that which no one has taken part in it, that which all Shiite’s books have unanimously said about it, and many scholars of the Sunnite, from the First Century, like Masoudi, Hakim and Ganji, and recently, Aalousi have agreed on it is this: ‘He is only Ali who was born in the Ka‘ba.’
Ayat-u-llah Hajj Sayyid Muhammad Ali Ghazi in “Ta‘lighah”, page 122 from the book “Jannat-u-Ma‘wa” says: Abdul Baghi bin Soleiman bin Ahmad al-Omari al Faroughi, is a great poet and historian who was born 1204 Hijri in Mosal, in the Cultural House. Then, he moved to Baqdad and stayed there until 1278 Hijri, the lunar month he was died. He has many poems elegies about the praise of the Household and the Inspiration House – especially about Ali, the Commander of the believers, upon him be peace.And in some of his recent copies it is thus: “Within the House of Ka‘ba he was born”. Shahab Addin Aalousi, the writer of the ‘Great Documentary’, in the section “Sarh al-Kharidah al-Ghaibeiia fi sharh al-ghasidah al-eineiiah” explains it: ‘The birth of Ali, upon him be peace in the House of Allah is well-known all over the world and is written in both, Shiite and Sunnite’s books’. He carries it on until he says: ‘No one ever had the birth celebrity of Ali, may Allah bless him, there has even not a word said about his birth within Ka‘ba.’
How great is that the birth of the Imam of the Imams’ birth is in such a place that it is the Direction of Prayers for the faithful! “Glory is He who assigns everything in its place and He is the Judge of the judges.”
Reference is page 15 from the same book, and “Alam Zerekli” valume 3, page 474; and “The Reihanat-ul-Adab, valume 3, page 76.
[28] Of the poetry of Hemyari, in the Poetical Works of Hemyari, page 155.
[29] "فصول المهمة", page 12, and also ibn Athir in "أسدالغابة", volume 4, page 16 has said: 'and he is the first new born in the Hashemite's, a child between the Hashemite -that is, both his father and mother are Hashemite
[30] Ali, the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, is not the first one born to Hashemite, because his older brother was attributed the same; it is been corrected in the translation
The holy birth of the Holiness within the House of Ka'ba, and the poems composed concerning him, as well as the narratives related by the Sunnite and Shiite have been mentioned in details in the book of al-Ghadir, volume 6, pages 21- 38.Ayat-u-llah Hajj Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Aal Kashif al-Gheta, in the book “Jannat-u-Ma‘wa”, pages 121- 124, has said on the Birth Night of the Commander of the believers, in the Huseineiiah Bab as-Saif in Baqdad.
“In such a short time, we are unable to say a word concerning Ali, the Commander of the believers, let alone to say the whole life of him in details! Who is that to be able to count the starts of the sky and their positions? Who can count the Commander of the believers’ courage, fluency in speech, piety and the previous records of him in Islam, which within all Allah is included?
“If the trees on the earth were pens, and the sea and along with seven more seas were [ink to write] the words of Allah [they would not be enough].” (1)
“Say, ‘If the sea were the means to write the words of Allah, the sea would end up while the words were untouched.”
Anyhow, on this blessed night, about his status, we can only say a word concerning his birth. That is we are going to say a dignity of his endless dignities, which is the birth of the Imam, May Allah’s peace be upon him, his birth, according to the narratives, was in the Ka‘ba. If there is said something else than this one, that is by those who want to distinguish the real Light with their hands.
His birth in Ka‘ba is so clear and is written in many books; the poets in the past, and also the recent poets have composed poems about it; and last one of them is Abdul Baghi, the great poet, who at the beginning of his poem says:
‘You are Ali who is high above the height; in the centre of Mecca, and the kernel of the House, was born.’
And this is a state that no one can reach it in the world.
They have mentioned that when the pain of ‘giving birth to the baby’ occurred to Mary, when she wanted to give birth to Jesus, she took refuge in the Sacred House so that the birth place to be sacred. There, there came a call to her: “O Mary, leave this place, this is a Place to for worshipping, not a Place to give birth to a child.”
While Fatima, the daughter of Asad, when she felt the pain of giving birth to a babe, she was inside the Ka‘ba with the door closed, she was unable to leave it until she gave birth to Ali.
There must have been a great secret to this, because the Glorified Allah says: “O Ka‘ba, I shall soon purify and keep you clean from all filths and the devil and the idols by this newly born inside you.” In fact, it was so, because the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants, in the year of the victory (the Year of the Victory) entered inside the Ka‘ba and saw the idols hanging on the walls; and tribe of the Arab clans had its own special idol. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah let Ali climb on his shoulders, he did, and he broke them one by one and threw them on the floor. While Ali was breaking them, the Messenger of Allah was saying:
جَاء الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
‘…The truth has come and falsehood vanished; falsehood is always bound to vanish, (Qur’an: 17:81).’
And Shafiee has composed this virtue in his poems:
‘Ali has set steps on any land Where Allah has put His hand
It is because when the Messenger of Allah was speaking about the Ascension, he said: ‘Allah, Glory to Him, put His hand on my shoulder and I sensed its serenity in my heart.’
There is another most accurate secret in the birth of Ali inside the Ka‘ba, and that is: the fact of concentrating towards Ka‘ba is to concentrate this Light which has been born inside it. Because if we are more accurate, the concentration of us is the mere building and stones which is a kind of idol worshipping – may Allah prohibit it – but the fact is that a man, who is created of dust, notices the material building of Ka‘ba; but the soul, which is the spirit in the body, concentrates the sole Light in it. That is, every genus turns to its own genus, here: light to light and dust to dust.
Ayat-u-llah Ghazi has put it in “Ta‘lighah”:
وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
(1) ‘…and even if all the trees on the earth were to become pens, and if a sea were provided with seven seas, Allah’ s words would never be finished; surely Allah is the full of Wisdom All-mighty, (Qur’an: 31/27).’
قُل لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا
(2) ‘…say, ‘If the sea (water) were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea (water) would be drained before my Lord’s words would be ended even though we brought the same sea again to use, (Qur’an: 18/109).’
(3) Hākim, in “Mostadrak”, volume 3, page 483, has successively related that: ‘Fatima, the daughter of Asd, give birth to Ali inside the building of Ka‘ba.’
Ahmad, bin Abdur-Rahim Dehlawi, who is known as Shah Wali-ullah, the father of Abdul-Aziz Dahlawi, the writer of “At-Tohfat-ul-Ethna Ashareiia fi radd ala Shiite” in his book “Ezalat al-Khafa” says: ‘There are chains of narratives that Fatima, the daughter of Asad, gave birth to Ali within the building of Ka‘ba. Ali was born on Friday; the thirteenth of the month of Rajab, thirty years after “āmm-ul-fil”, and one before or after was born there except Ali.
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاء وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا ﴿82﴾ وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الإِنسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَى بِجَانِبِهِ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ كَانَ يَؤُوسًا ﴿83﴾
(4) ‘…and We send down something in the Qur’an as healing and a grace for the believers, while it increases the wrongdoers nothing but loss; and when We bestow of Our Grace to mankind, he avoids it and becomes arrogant; but while an evil touches him, he deepens himself in a grievous despair, (Qur’an: 17/82-83).’
(5) In the ”Irshad Deilami”, volume 2, page 25, (publication Najaf) has related this poem to some of the poets but without mentioning their names. And before this piece, he has mentioned whatever our Shekh, al-Imam, May Allah be pleased with, had quoted concerning the “Ascension of the Messenger Bless be to him and his Descendants.
[32] "غاية المرام", page 13, from the book of Aamali of Sheikh Tousi.
[33] "فصول المهمه ", on page 12, and "غاية المرام" on page 13 have related this by the Sunnite in the book of " مناقب" of ibn Moghazeli Sahfiee.
[34] “ينابيع المودة”, page 255.