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Friday Messages | Ahl-ol-Bait

Friday Messages: Human life

Contributed by bineshan on 08 Feb 2009 - 12:47 PM

Truly, from the viewpoint of Islam, how much is human life worth?!


Jihad (Jahaad) in Islam, just like other exalted and aimful matters within Islam, is an issue which has been misrepresented quite often, either by those who knowingly, for worldly reasons, have wished to weaken and make Islam look bad, or by those who have desired to gain more of this world using religion, or by those who have not had sufficient information, or … .


Years after the everlasting Epic of 'Aashoora, at the time of the Imamat of Imam Baaqer (PBUH) -who himself was present at 'Aashoora as a child-, one of the Imam's (PBUH) brothers, was approached by the people requesting him to rise against the Bani-Omayyah who were unjustly continuing to cause many hardships for the people, and specially for the offspring of the Prophet (PBUH&HP); some people who were looking to the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH&HP) progeny to rise and eradicate the Injustice, had sent letters to the Imam's brother. Imam Baaqer (PBUH) reminded his brother that the obedience of the Chosen Infallible Imams had been ordained by Allah and such manner had flowed through the first and it would flow through the last, and therefore the obedience of the Infallible Imam of each time and era is obligatory upon all, but not the obedience of the entire progeny of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP).


As Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) have clearly indicated, the obedience of the twelve Chosen Infallible Imams (PBUT), the recipients of the Inherited Knowledge from the Prophet, and Divine Guidance, is the same as the Obedience of Allah and His Prophet, as they have been the "Olol-Amr", those upon whom the Amr and Command have been bestowed and trusted (Qur'an 4:59, …).


So the Imam (PBUH) advised his brother not to let those who did not have correct belief, to make him impatient, for, the Imam reminded him that for every thing was a correct and proper time, and Allah's way was not to unwisely hasten just because of people's loss of patience; The Imam told his brother, not to get ahead of Allah! the brother was upset, thinking that the Imam should be he who would rise against injustice at all times, not he who would wait. Then Imam Baaqer said:


Surely Allah has specified Halaal ( Religious lawful) and Haraam (unlawful), and has ordained obligatory commands, and expressed examples, and defined a path and manner, and has not left any doubt whatsoever for the Imam whom He has made responsible to perform his duties, so that he may do His Command before time, or to Rise for Jihad before the set time.


Then the Imam (PBUH) as a sample reminded his brother that for instance Allah in Qur'an has commanded that when in Hajj and in Ehraam, one must not hunt and kill an animal (Qur'an 5:95); in other words Allah prohibits even the killing of animals at certain times, during Hajj animals are under the protecting umbrella of Allah and their killing is Haraam; i.e. in Ehraam the time is not an allowed time for killing animals, but after Ehraam, hunting is allowed. The Imam (PBUH) asked a very profound question from his brother, whether the killing of animals were more significant or the killing of the humans whom Allah has prohibited their killing? In another word, if a war is waged without Allah's Permission, the killings are considered Haraam and shall have grave consequences.


Then the Imam stated other such Qur'anic examples, clearing further that for every thing is a proper time which Allah and his Chosen Ones know; after stating other statements the Imam sought refuge with Allah from a leader who does not recognize the time for all matters and he himself needs to seek guidance from those who are more knowledgeable and wiser than him, i.e. a leader who is not the wisest and most knowledgeable person of the time is some one whose obedience is not logical and Allah has not commanded such obedience. Then the Imam warned his brother and asked him:


Do you wish to bring about the manner of the people who disbelieved in the Signs and Communications of Allah and disobeyed His Prophet and followed their desires, disregarding Allah's Guidance, and without any proof and reason from Allah and without a command from His Prophet, claimed to be Caliphs and leaders?


Then the Imam while his tears were falling said:


Allah is between us and those who have torn the curtain of our sanctity, and denied our Right, and revealed our secret, and attributed us to other than our forefather, and have said things about us which we have not said ourselves.


(Osool Kaafi, vol. 2; …)


Yes Jihad has to be ordained by the Infallible Imam of each time, I.e. must be commanded and permitted by Allah, so that no human would be killed unjustly and untimely without the permission of Allah; let us not forget that Allah in Qur'an has stated that even if one human is killed unfairly and not in accordance to the commands of Allah, it is as if the entire human race is unjustly killed (Qur'an 5:32); surely the human life is highly respected in Islam and only when Allah permits Jihad for exalted reasons, war is permitted.


O' our beloved Mahdi (PBUH)! We never wish to fall behind or get ahead of you, you are the Infallible Imam of our Time, and your obedience is the same as the obedience of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH&HP). We know that while for every thing is a set and proper time, but at the same time, Qur'an and the Prophet and your forefathers (PBUT) and your teachings have thought us that with piety, obedience and sincere supplication and do'a, Allah changes decrees and starts whole new plans (Qur'an 40:60, …), and thus in this manner the servants of Allah may humbly realize the Omnipotence and benevolent Love of Allah. O' the Imam of our time! Our beloved Mahdi (PBUH)! As you know very well and are heart broken from it, wrong policies of the selfish and malevolent oppressors, and the seeking of this world by misled believers and disbelievers, and the hastiness and wrong doings of misguided believers, and …, have caused so much agony and suffering for many Shi'ah around the world, such as the Shi'ah in Parachinar of Pakistan who have been under siege by the Taliban for months, facing Genocide. Our loving and wise Imam! While being patient and obedient, we urgently implore you to help all the troubled Shi'ah, and we humbly implore Allah to allow your Appearance to happen sooner, rather than later.


We humbly request any one reading this writing, for forty mornings after the Fajr Salaat, to recite the "Faraj (Azomal-Bala) supplication" preferably while in prostration on behalf of all the suffering Shi'ah around the world.


Here is a link to the supplication:

http://www.duas.org/azbala.htm