← Volver a la ficha del textoREVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS
IMAM GHAZZALI'S
IHYA ULUM-ID-DIN —
Translated by
FAZL-UL-KARIM
Published by
DARUL-ISHAAT
Urdu Bazar, Karachi
Pakistan - Phone : 213768
Rights of composing reserved
Publisher
DARUL-ISHAAT
URDU BAZAR KARACHI-PAKISTAN.
Tel : 213768 - 2631861
First Edition : 1993
Composing at: KODWAVI COMPOSING CENTRE
Pakistan Chowk, Karachi.
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Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 3
About the Book
The book is the English version of Imam Ghazzali’s Ihya
Ulum-ud-Din. It deals with worship and divine service.
Imam Abu-Hamid al-Ghazzali is unquestionably the
greatest theologian of Islam and one of its noblest and most
original thinkers. He was born in 1058 A.D. at Tus, where he died
in 1111. He reproduced in his religious experience all the
spiritual phases developed by Islam.
Starting his relgious life as orthodox, Al-Ghazzali soon
turned Sufi, and when still under twenty he had broken with all
the past. In 1091 he was appointed lecturer at the Nizamiyah in
Baghdad, where he became a sceptic. Four year later he returned
to Sufism after a terrific spiritual struggle that left him a physical
wreck. Intellectualism had failed him. As a dervish he roamed
from place to place enjoying peace of soul and acquiescence of
mind. After about twelve years of retirement in various places,
including two years of retreat in Syria and a holy pilgrimage, he
returned to Baghdad to preach and teach. There he composed his
masterpiece Iyha Ulum-id-Din (the revivification of the sciences
of religion).
The mysticism of this work vitalized the law its orthodoxy
leavened the doctrine of Islam. In it and such other works of his
as Fatihat-al-Ulum, Tahafut of Falasifah, Iqtisad fi-al-Itigad,
orthodox speculation reached its culminating point.
THE BOOK OF WORSHIP
CONTENTS
Preface
Preface of Imam Gazzali
CHAPTERI Acquisition of Knowledge
Excellence of Learning
Praiseworthy and blameworthy learnings
Four Imams
Meanings of some words now changed
Manners to be observed by teachers and students
Signs of the learned of the Hereafter
Intellect and its noble nature
CHAPTERII Foundation of Belief
Proof of belief
Attributes and actions of God
Rules of articles of belief
CHAPTERIII Mysteries of Cleanliness
Purification from impurites
Purification of body and mind
Clieansing the external Bodily growths
CHAPTERIV Secrets of prayer
Stories of prayer of God fearing men
Merits of Jumma Prayer
Optional prayers
CHAPTER V Secrets of Zakat and charities
Some subtle rules of Zakat
Merits of optional Charity
CHAPTER VI Secrets of Fasting
Optional fasts and its rules
CHAPTERVII Secrets of Pilgrimage
Ten secret things of Haj
CHAPTERVII Excellence of the Quran
External and internal rules of reciting
Individual Interpretation
CHAPTER IX Zikr and Invocations
Rules of invocations
Invocations of sages
CHAPTER X Actions after division of Times
Merits of Night Prayer
176
180
186
188
200
209
212
224
229
239
247
249
259
THE BOOK OF WORSHIP
PREFACE
Through the unbounded grace of the Almighty God and
blessings of the greatest Apostle of God, the English version of
the Book of worship of the world renowned Ihyaul Ulum
(Revival of religious learning) of Imam Ghazzali, the greatest
thinker of the world of Islam, the Proof of Islam, the famous Sufi
and devout, has now been published in full. This book Ihya is a
sea of knowledge full of reasons and arguments, full of Quranic
verses, traditions of the Holy Prophet and of the companions and
the famous saints of early ages. Each subject was supported by
the Quran, traditions and sayings of the learned sages and wise
men and established by reasons and arguments.
As the great Imam belonged originally to the Shafeyi Sunni
sect, some of the religious doctrines will be found in line with
that sect, but nevertheless its importance is very great. In his
advanced age, the Imam was not a blind follower of sects but
followed his independent thinking and as such indirectly
created a sect of his own. As the world is advancing with ever
new ideas and scientific discoveries, so also this work is full of
novel and great ideas and scientific discoveries and thereby
the Imam revived truly the religious sciences and gave them
an impetus never given by his predecessors in such a manner.
He saved Islam from the currents and cross currents of
devilish thoughts and pagan ideas that inperceptibly entered
into Islam and clearly showed their fallacies and
misconceptions. For this reason, he was given the title of
Hujjatul Islam or the Proof of Islam. His thoughts prevailed
upon those savants who came after him. Had not the Almighty
blessed him with the necklace of reason and intellect, the true
belief of Islam would have been carried away by the strong
current of irretigious and misguided thoughts.
True it is that there are many weak traditions in this book, but
at the same time it should be remembered that the authors of six
authentic traditional books specially Bukhari and Muslim
selected some few thousand traditions as most of them were not
proved to have been founded by trustworthy narrators from the
Holy Prophet down to the narrator or did not meet with all the
rules laid down for an authentic tradition. For want of proof,
8 REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS Vol-I
many guilty persons are acquitted. For that, it cannot be said that
all acquitted persons are innocent. So in this perspective, the
traditions in the Ihya should be regarded. Had Imam Ghazzali
not found them trusworthy, he would not have incorporated
them in his book.
The present translation is an attempt to bring out a complete
translation of Ihya in English in four Books. The first book deals
with worship and divine service, the second book with worldly
usages, the third book with destructive evils and the fourth book
with constructive virtues. Ihya in original is a book in Arabic
comprising four parts and its abridged addition in Persian was
termed by the author himself as ‘Kimiyae Sa’adat’ or the
Touchstone of fortune. Unnecessary arguments of different sects
prevalent nearly one thousand years ago, some matters not
needed at the present time and some sayings of some sages of less
reputation have been omitted in the present English version. The
book has been, however, translated into Bengali in full by the
author himself without ommission.
SHORT LIFE OF IMAM GHAZZALI
Imam Ghazzali was born in 450 A.H. (1058 A.D.) in the
village Taberan in the district of Taus in Persia and his name is
Abu Hamid Muhammad. His title is Hujjatul Islam or Proof of
Islam and his dynastic title is Ghazzali. His father was not a
famous person but his grand father was one of the leading men of
that age. His father died while he was young leaving him under
the care of his mother and grand father. Ghazzal is said to be the
name of a village in the district of Taus in the province of
Khorasan in Persia. According to Maulana Shibli Nomani, his
ancestors had the business of weaving (Ghazzal) and therefore
he retained his family tithe Ghazzali (weaver).
HIS EDUCATION: At the time of the death of Ghazzali’s
father, he entrusted the education of his two sons Muhammad
and Ahmad to one of his trusted friends. The latter imparted to
them primary education and then sent them to a private Maktab.
The boys within a short time committed the whole Quran to
memory and after that began to learn Arabic.
They were then admitted in a free Madrasha. After
sometime, Imam Ghazzali left his native village for higher
Vol-I REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS 9
education for Zarzan and began to study under a great earned
man Imam Abu Nasr Ismail. He used to take notes of his lectures
but in a certain journey he was robbed of these notes by some
dacoits along with his other belongings. He took courage, went
to the chief of the robbers and begged of the notes only to be
returned to him. It was returned to him at his earnest entreaties.
Then he joined Nizamia Madrasha at Nishapur which was a
reputed seat of learning and a great educationist named Imamul
Haramain was its principal. He had 400 students of whom three
were most noted - Harrasi, Ahmad-b-Muhammad and Imam
Ghazzali. The latter became so much grieved at his death that he
left Nishapur and went to Baghdad, the capital of the Caliphs. He
was then a young man of 28 years of age.
At Baghdad, he was appointed principal of Nizamiyah
Madrasha ‘by Nizamul Mulk the chief vizier of the Turkish ruler
Malek Shah. Being thus appointed at an early age to such a high
post, his popularity as a great learned man spread far and wide
and the rulers and the chieftains used to consult him in state
affairs and theological matters.
LECTURES OF IMAM GHAZZALI: In the lectures of the
Imam, hundreds of learned men and dignitaries of the State and
even the ruling princes attended. His lectures were full of
arguments and reasons and they were mostly recorded by
Sayeed-b-Fares and Ibn Lobban. They recorded nearly 183 of his
lectures which were completed in a book named
Majalesse-Ghazzali.
The great Imam then turned his mind to gain spiritual
heights and the circumstances leading to it were recorded by
him in his book Munkezum Minaddalal (Deliverance from
error). He was a follower of Imam Shafeyi in his early age but
in Baghdad he mixed freely with the peoples of all sects and
thoughts and ideas. There were then the Shias, the Sunnis,
Zindigqs, Magians, Scholastic theologians, Christians, Jews,
atheists fire-worshippers and idol worshippes. There were also
the Deists, the Materialists, the Naturalists, the philosophers.
They used to meet in mutual wars of argumentations and
debates. This had such an effect in the mind of the Imam that his
whole life became changed and he began to search for truth with
a free mind. His old ideas disappeared and he began to live in
10 REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS Vol-I
doubts. He then became inclined to Sufism but here practical
actions were more required than mere belief. Beng imbued with
such an idea, he gave up his lucrative post at Baghdad, wore Sufi
dress and left Baghdad suddenly one night in 488 A.H.
He then went to Damascus and closetted himself in a room of
its mosque and began attentively the divine services, meditations
and Zikr. Thus he spent here two years in solitude. At the age of
27 years, he was initiated by Pir'Abu Ali Farnedi who was the
spiritual guide of also the vizier Nizamul Mulk. After two years
he went to Jerusalem and visited the birth place of Jesus Christ
and in 499 A.H. he visited the holy shrine of Hazrat Abraham and
made there three promises:- 1) he will not go to the Darbar of any
ruler, 2) he will never accept their presentation, 3) he will not join
any religious debates. He fulfilled these promises up to his death.
Then he went to Mecca for pilgrimage and visited also Medina
and stayed there for a long time. When he returned hdme, he was
requested by the ruler to accept the post of the principal of
Nizamia Madrashah and he accepted it. When the ruler was
assassinated by an assassin, he gave up the post and went to Tas
and closetted himself in a khankah. The new ruler requested the
Imam to join his post of the principal but he declined the offer.
He died at his native village Taberan on 14th Jamadis Sani in
505 A.H. corresponding to 19th December 1111 A.D. Ibn Jauzi
narrated a story about his death. He said: On Monday early in the
morning he got up from his bed, performed his morning prayer
and then sent a man to bring his coffin cloth. When it was
brought, he lifted it up to his eyes and said: Lord’s command is to
be obeyed. Saying this, he prolonged his legs and immediately
breathed his last. The Imam left no son, but only daughters.
HIS BOOKS: The Imam lived nearly 55; years and he began
to write books from his early age when he was 20 years old. He
travelled for nearly 10 to 11 years and spent most of his time in
reading, writing and teaching. Besides this, he had to reply to
thousand letters which came from far and near for his decision
and opinion. He wrote nearly 400 books of which the following
are noted.
THEOLOGY: Wasit (Shafeyi jurisprudence), Basit, Wajiz
(Canon Law) (compendium), Bayanul Qaolaine li Shafeyi,
Khulasatul Rasail (Quintessence of jurisprudence), Fkhtesarul
Vol-I REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS 11
Mukhtesar, Gayatul Gaur, Mazmatul Fatawah (collection of legal
decisions), Risalatul Qudsiyya (canon laws of Prophet).
PRINCIPLES OF THEOLOGY: Tahsinul Muakhej, Shefaye
Alil (cure of diseases), Mankhul, Mustastfa jurisprudence.
JURISPRUDENCE: Khulasatul Fiqh (quintessence of
jurisprudence) Wajiz, Iqtisad-fil-I’tiqad (exposition of faith),
Al-Qaestas Mustaqim.
LOGIC: Mizanul Amal, Mihakhul Nazar fil Monteq
(whetstone of reflection on Logic), Mayatul Ilm (weighing scale
of science), Al-Ma’arif (Discourse on Logic). Mayarul Ilm fi
Fannil Manteq (the weighing scale of the science of logic).
PHILOSOPHY: Magasidul Falasifah (aim of the
Philosophers), Mungezum Minaddalal (Deliverence from error),
an autobiographical statement of his spiritual progress) Kitabul
Arsayin (abridgement of Ihya), Resalatul Laduniyya (IIham and
wahi). :
SCNGLASTIC THEOLOGY: Tahafatul falasifah (destruction
of the philosophers), Iqtisad, Mustajhari (guide of novices),
Hjamal Awam (vilification of peoples), Faysatul Zindiq |
(refutation of atheists), Fikhrot wal Ibrah (Meditation and
contemplation), Al Hikmat (wisdom of God), Haqiqatur Ruh
(realities of soul).
SPIRITUAL AND MORAL; Ihyao Ulumiddin (Revival of
religious learnings), Kimiyae Sa’adat (Touch stone of fortune),
Akhlaklul Abrar (conduct of the pious), Jawaharul Quran (Jewels
of Quran), Minhajul Abedin (path of the devout), Mirajus Saleqin
(steps for the sojourners), Bidayataul Hidayah (beginning of
guidance), Mishkatul Anwar (Niche of lights).
TAFSIR: Yeakutut-Ta’ wil (a commentary of the Quran in 40
volumes now lost).
Of the 400 books he compiled, some only have been
preperved in many libraries of Europe, while the Muslims did
not accept them as they should have been accepted. Besides, they
went so far as to burn some of his books which were lost forever
to the world.
12 REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS Vol-I
IHYA - ULUMIDDIN: Revival of Religious sciences is a
master piece of Imam Ghazzali. Abul Gafer Fersi was a
contemporary of Imam Ghazzali. He said that a book like Ihya
was never compiled before. Imam Nodi said: Ihya is near the
Quran. Shaikh Abu Muhammad said: If all the lights of
knowledge of the world are extinguished they can be revived
from Thya. Shaikh Abdullah Idrees was a great saint. He
committed to memory the whole book Ihya. Shaikh Ali read it 25
times from first to last and at the end of each reading gave a feast
to the students and the poor. Many students of the Imam
committed it to memory. Many saints regarded the book as a
result of Itham or inspiration. The great saint Kutub Shaji one day
held the book in his hand and said to the people: Do you know
which book is in my hand? Immediately he showed them the
signs of lashes on his back and said: ] was not a supporter of the
book. Last night, Imam Ghazzali took me in presence of the Holy
Propeht and inflicted on me these lashes on my back for my
disregard of the book. These are the signs of lashes on my back.
IMAM GHAZZALI AND EUROPE: The books of Imam
Ghazzali was so much accepted and honoured in Europe that
they preserved them in many libraries. But they did not receive
so much attention in Muslim countries. Some Muslim learned
men even did not open their eyes to see them, but rather
prohibited the people to read them. For this reason, his books are
rarely found in the libraries of Muslim countries. Mankhul is a
book compiled by the Imam at his early age. Therein he wrote
with completely free and independent mind and was not a blind
follower of Mazhabs or sects. This book fell into disregard in
Muslim countries only for this fault. Mankhul and Ihya were
ordered to be burnt and it was translated into action. Europe
accepted them with honour and preserved them from
destruction. The book ‘Magqasedul Falasefa’ is not found in
Muslim countries but it is preserved in the libraries of Spain,
Europe also accepted his other books.
GHAZZALI’S INFLUENCE: It is no exaggeration to say that
the modern opinion about religion is much due to the influence
of the Imam’s thoughts. The many books that were written after
his death reflect greatly the thoughts of the great Imam. His
views on Sufism were accepted by the latter Sufis. After him
Maulana Rumi, Ibne Rushd, Shah Waliullah and such other
Vol-I REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS 13
noted learn men wrote many books which resound with the
opinions of Imam Ghazzali. In short, his thoughts reigned
supreme in their minds. His influence on Persian literature was
also great. He himself wrote Kimiyae Saadat in Persian which
influenced to a great extent the minds of Maulana Rurai. Shaikh
Sa’di, Farid Uddin Attar, Shiraaji, Hafez and other poets and
Sufis. The works of such a learned man held in high esteem by all
should be widely read and circulated. Mr. Watt says: Ghazzali
has sometimes been acclaimed in both east and west as the
greatest Muslim thinker after Muhammad and he is by no means
unworthy of that great dignity.
PREFACE OF IMAM GHAZZALI
Take whatever the Apostle gave you and keep away from
whatever he forbade you - 59:7 Quran.
‘ Firstly, I begin with the praise of God though our praise is
guide insufficient and meager in relation to His real glory.
Secondly, I invoke His blessings on all the prophets and specially
on His last and greatest Prophet Muhammad (peace be on them
all). Thirdly,” J pray for His help and grace that there should
remain in me firm will and incentive for writing the book Ihayo
Ulumiddin or the Revival of religious sciences.
Fourthly, O defamer, O heedles, O one denying truth, God
has removed from my tongue the tie of silence and put on my
neck the necklace of arguments and reasons. It is my duty to
reply to what you argue. In other words, you have closed your
eyes from open truths and taken help from whatever is void and
untrue and praise ignorance. If a man wants to remove
something from the evil practice and habits of men or expresses
his wish to translate his learning into action in order that the
Almighty may prefer to purify his soul, let him keep himself
engaged in divine services and seek to atone for the sins that he
committed in his past life and for which he has become
despaired. Let him keep aloof from the society of those persons
about whom the Holy Prophet said: The greatest punishment on
the Resurrection Day will be meted out to that learned man
whom God has not given any benefit to his learning.
It is my firm conviction that there is no reason for your
refusal to accept the truth except what has been stated below. In
14 REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS Vol-I
other words, the disease which entered into the minds of the
majority of people has also entered your mind. The meaning. is
that they have given up the rules and regulations for acquiring ranks
in the hereafter. They do not know that this affair is very serious and
grave, tiat the hereafter is coming forward and this world is reseding
backward, that death is near and the journey is long, that provision is
scanty, dangers are great but the paths are blocked.
The learnings and actions which have got no connection with
God are fit'to be entirely rejected by the wise and those who seek
wisdom. It is very difficult for a traveller to the next world to
tread the paths, because there are injurious and destructive
elements on the way but there are no passport and means to cross
them. The learned are the guides to these paths. They are the
heirs of the prophets. Time has slipped out of their hands. Those
who are slaves to evil habits are alive. The devil is powerful over
the majority among them and various kinds of sins misguide
them. Almost every one among them is engrossed in the luxuries
of this world and its comforts and enjoyments. For this reason,
the majority of them consider good as bad and bad as good. Even
the religious learnings and sciences have become obsolete. The
lights of guidance have almost disappeared from this world.
They duped the people to believe that there is no other science
than that of Flah (Jurisprudence). These are the laws of
administration which help the judges in the administration of
justice and the rulers in the administration of their countries.
They say that there is no learning except that of Munazara or
debates. The present learned man cherishes hope of victory over
his adversary and seeks means to make him silent. Or they
informed the people that there is no learning except the science of
scholastic theology by help of which a speaker seeks to influence
the minds of the public. They see no other science except these
three sciences. The sciences of the next world and the learnings of
the sages of early times have disappeared from the people and
the learning which was described by God in His Holy Book as
theology, wisdom, light and guidance has been immerged in the
deepest recess of forgetfulness.
When such is the condition of the religion, such downfall and
catastrophe, I have thought it prudent to write this book entitled,
Ihyao Ulumiddin (Revival of religions Sciences). By this book,
the path of early Muslim sages has been opened and the
Vol-I REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS 15
impediments that lay in the path of acquiring learnings beneficial
to the prophets and sages have been removed.
I have divided this Ihya into four books - 1) the Book of
worship, 2) the Book of worldly usages, 3) the Book of destructive
evils, 4) and the Book of constructive virtues. I have discussed the
chapter of knowledge at the very beginning as it is of extreme
importance. It is necessary to discuss such learning at the outset
whichis a great help towards divine service according to a saying
of the Holy Prophet. He said: To seek learning is compulsory on
every Muslim. I began with the chapter on knowledge in order to
separate the useful knowledge from the harmful knowledge as
the Prophet said: We Seek refuge to God from the knowledge
which is not useful.
(1) The Book of worship comprises ten chapters -
(1) Knowledge, (2) Articles of Faith, (3) Secrets of Purity,
(4) Secrets of Prayer, (5) Secrets of Alms-giving, (6) Secrets of
Fasting, (7) Secrets of Pilgrimage, (8) Rules of Quran-reading,
(9) Rules of invocations and supplications and (10) observance of
daily duties according to fixed times.
(2) The Book of worldly usages consists of ten chapters -
(1) rules of eating and drinking, (2) rules of marriage, (3) rules of
earning livelihood, (4) lawful and unlawful things, (5) rules of
companionship and brotherhood (6) rules of habitation in
solitude, (7) rules of journey, (8) music and ecstasy, (9) rules of
enjoining good and forbidding evil, (10) rules of living as
exemplified by the character and conduct of the Prophet. .
(3) The Book of Destructive evils comprises ten chapters -
(1) wonders of soul, (2) discipline of soul, (3) harms of stomach
and sexual passion, (4) harms of tongue, harms of anger, hatred
and envy, (6) evils of the world, (7) evils of wealth and
miserliness, (8) evils of show and pomp, (9) evils of self- conceit
and pride and (10) evils of vanity.
(4) The Book of constructive virtues comprises ten chapters
- repentance, (2) patience and gratefulness, (3) fear and hope,
(4) poverty and asceticism, (5) Tauhid (unity of god) and God-
reliance, (6) love and contentment, (7) intention, truthfulness
and sincerity, (7) self-examination and self-accounting, (9)
meditation, (10) death and ponder over death.
Qe ee em
16 REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS Vol-I
Some people wrote some books on these subjects, but this
book has got five special characteristics which are not found in
those books. Firstly, I have opened by the grace of God what they
closed up and I have written in detail what they kept secret.
Secondly, I have arranged what they kept scattered and I have
brought together what they kept separate. Thirdly, I have made
short what they made long and corrected what they approved.
Fourthly, I have deleted what they repeated. Fifthly, I have made
this book easy to understand after disclosing the subtle matters.
These are the five specialities of this book.
I have placed the foundation of this work on four books for
two reasons. The first basic reason is that I have incorporated in
this book well-arranged rules and their real nature, so that they
may be easily understood, as the knowledge by which the next
world is known is of two kinds - knowledge of outward
behaviours and usages and the knowledge of revelation,
inspiration, secret and subtle matters. What I mean by this
knowledge is the knowledge for attaining the submum bonum or
the ultimate object of life. What I understand by the science of
outward behaviours and usages is the knowledge of practical
religion attended with actions in accordance with that
knowledge. The object of this work is only to narrate the science
of practical religion and usages and not to narrate the science of
revelation and inspiration, as there is no permission to put the
latter into black and white though the science of revelation is the
ultimate object of those who search after truth and the most
coveted matter in the eye of the extremely truthful, and the best
way of acquiring knowledge of worldly uses. The Holy Prophet
did not speak anything about the science of revelation except
through signs and symbols, because he knew that the wisdom of
men to understand it is very little. There is no means of the
learned other than the path of the prophets, as the learned are the
heirs of the prophets. The science of practical religion are of two
kinds-open science of the actions of the physical senses and the
secret science of the functions of the heart. The actions which
keep connection with the physical senses are the actions of habits
or usages of life. The heart which comes from the unseen world
and is removed ultimately from the senses is influenced by either
the praiseworthy virtues or the blame-wortlty vices. In short, the
science of practical religion is divided into open and secret
sciences. The open science and usages of life. The secret science
Vol-I REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS 17
keeps connection with the condition of heart and its qualities and
is sub-divided into praise-worthy virtues and blame-worthy
vices.
The second basic reason is this. I see a great enthusiasm of
students for study of jurisprudence or Fiqh. To those who do not
fear God, jurisprudence has turned into an object of pride and a
means for acquiring name and fame. Jurisprudence is of four
kins. As the objects which adorn the dear things are also dear, I
think it better that this book should be modelled into the form of
Figh or jurisprudence, so that the minds may be inclined to it. For
this reason, one who wants to attract the attention of the minds of
some men to the science of medicine remodels it after
astronomical tests and writes a book after naming ‘Tablets of
Health’. So also I have adopted some measures in this work, so
that the minds of the people are attracted towards such learning
which is beneficial to human life. As the minds of the people are
attracted to the science of medicine for preservation of the health
of body, so also it is necessary that the minds of the people are
attracted to the treatment of the diseases of soul and mind in
expectation of a happy and prosperous life in the next world
which will last forever and forever. Physical happiness is short
and transient as compared to spiritual happiness in the hereafter.
Physique is mortal while soul is immortal. So I pray to the
Almighty for his help and succour for writing and completing
this book Ihyao Ulumiddin as He is the most Compassionate, the
most Merciful.
CHAPTER I
ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE
SECTION 1 - EXCELLENCE OF LEARNING
PROOF OF THE QURAN: God says: God, angels and those
learned men who stand on justice bear testimony that there is no
deity but He - 3 : 18. Now look, O dear readers, how God began
attestation first by Himself, then by His angels and then by the
learned. It is understood from this verse that the rank of the
learned and their honour are much high. God says: Those who
are believers among you and the learned, God will increase their
rank - 58 : 12. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said about them: The rank of the
learned is seven hundred times more than that of the believers,
and the ofference between the two ranks is the distance of the
path of five hundred years. God says: Are those who are learned
equal to the illiterate - 39 : 9 ? God says: The learned among His
servants fear God most - 35 : 28. God says: Say, God is sufficient
as a witness between me and you and those who have got
knowledge of the Quran - 13 : 43. God says: But those who had
been granted knowledge said: Alas for you, the reward of God is
best for those who believe and do good - 28 : 80.
God says: These parables We set forth for men and none
understands them except the learned - 29 : 42. God says: If they
had only referred it to the Apostle and to those charged with
authority among them, those of them who would investigate it
would have know it - 4 : 93. God thus made knowledge
dependent upon their efforts. In the practical religion, God’s
commands have been placed upon the investigation of the
learned and their rank with the prophets for propagation of
God’s commands. God says: O the children of Adam! I have sent
down to you raiment to cover your shame and adornment to you,
but the raiment of piety is best - 7 : 25. God says: I have sent to
them a book and with knowledge I explained it in detail, a guide
and a mercy to all who believe - 7 : 52. God says: I shall recount
their story with knowledge - 7: 6. God says: Itis a clear sign in the
hearts of those to whom knowledge has reached - 29 : 48. God
says: He created man and taught him to speak - 55 ; 2.
HADIS: The Holy Prophet said: God gives knowledge of
religion and guidance to truth to one whose good He intends. He
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 19
said: The learned are the heirs of the prophets. From these, it is
understood that there is no rank above the rank of prophethood
and there is no honour higher than its inheritance. He said:
‘Whatever is in heavens and the earth seeks forgiveness for the
learned.’ So the angels of heaven and earth remain busy in
seeking forgiveness for the learned and they remain busy with
themselves. What can be greater than this rank? The Prophet
said? ‘Wisdom increases the honour of the noble and exalts a
servant as high as to raise him to the level of kings.’ From this
tradition, it is understood that even in this world the fruits of
learning can be enjoyed. This is also true that the Hereafter is
better and more lasting than this world.
The Holy Prophet said: Two traits of character are not united
in a hypocrite - good guidance and knowledge of theology. The
meaning of theology or jurisprudence will be discussed soon.
The lowest knowledge of a jurisprudent is that the Hereafter is
better than this world. When this knowledge will prevail over
him, he will be free from hypocrisy and show. The Prophet said:
The best of the people is a believing learned man who does good
when sought for, and when the people keep away from him, he
also keeps away from them. He said: Belief is without dress and
its dress is God-fear, its ornament is shame and its fruit is
knowledge. He said: The learned and the warriors are nearest to
the rank of prophethood.’ The learned have been sent for which
the prophets were sent. They are guides to the people and the
warriors wage war in the path of God with their arms like the
apostles. He said: The death of a people is easier than the death of
one learned man. He said: Men are like the mines of gold and
silver. Those who were best in the days of ignorance are the best
in Islam provided they have got the knowledge of theology. He
also said: I shall intercede on the Day of Resurrection and be a
witness for one who commits to memory forty traditions out of,
my followers and transmits these to them.
The Holy Prophet said: The ink of the learned will be
weighed against the blood of the martyrs on the Resurrection
Day. He said: Whoever of my followers commits to memory forty
traditions will meet with God as a learned theologian. He said:
God is sufficient for the worries of one who acquires knowledge
of God’s religion. He gives him provision from a source which he
has never canceived. He said: God revealed to Abraham: O
20 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
Abraham! I am All- wise and I love every wise man. He said: A
learned man is a trust of God on earth. He said: There will be two
groups among my people. When both the groups are good, the
people are good and when they are corrupt, the people become
corrupt - the rulers and the theologians He said: Should the day
come wherein my knowledge for nearing God does not increase,
let not the sun rise on that day. The superiority of a learned man
over a worshipper is like my superiority over the ordinary men.
So see how he linked knowledge with prophethood and how he
belittled the rank of the learned man without action, even though
a worshiper is worshipping always and he would not have
worshipped had he not possessed knowledge. He said: The
superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like the
superiority of moon over the stars. He said: There will intercede
on the Resurrection Day the prophets, then the learned and then
the martyrs. So the rank of the learned is next to that of the
prophets and higher than that of the martyrs.
The Holy Prophet said: God has not given any man more
excellence than the knowledge of religion and one theologian is
more formidable to the devil than a thousand worshippers.
Everything has its foundation and the foundation of this religion
is knowledge of theology. He said: The best part of your religion
is its easiest and the best worship is (the acquisition of) religious
knowledge. He said: The superiority of a believing learned man
over a believing worhsipper is seventy degrees. He said: You are
living in an age wherein the theologians are many, the
Quran-readers and the preaches are few, the beggars are few and
the givers are many, wherein deeds are better than knowledge.
But soon there will come over you such an age wherein the
theologians will be few, the preachers and the Quran-readers
many, the givers few and the beggars many, wherein knowledge
will be better than deeds. He said: There is difference of one
hundred degrees between a worshipper and a learned man. The
distance between two degrees is as the run of a racing horse for
seventy years.’
The Holy Prophet was once asked: O Prophet of God, which
action is best? He said: Knowledge. He was then questioned:
Which knowledge do you mean? He said: Knowledge about God.
They said: We ask you about action but you speak of knowledge.
The Prophet said: With your knowledge of God, a few actions
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 21
will suffice and your ignorance about God will not suffice even
though actions are numerous. He said: On the Day of
Resurrection, God will raise up the worshippers and the learned
men. He will say: O the congregation of the learned men, I have
not imbued you with My knowledge but for My knowledge
about you. I have not placed knowledge in you in order to punish
you. Go, I have forgiven you.
Sayings of the sages: Hazrat Ali said to Kamil: O Kamil,
knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you but you
are guarding wealth. Knowledge dispenses justice, while wealth
seeks justice. Wealth decreases with expense while knowledge
increase with expense. He said: A learned man is better than one
who prays and fights in the way of God. When a learned man
dies, such a calamity befalls on Islam which cannot be removed
except by his successor. Hazrat Ali said in poems:
Glory is due to none other than to the learned.
Guided are they and proofs to the seekers of guidance.
Everybody is honoured proportionate to his knowledge,
But the illiterate are disgraced, as enemies of the learned.
. Acquire knowledge, you willbeimmortal. +
All men are dead, only the learned are alive.
The sage Ibn Aswad said: Nothing is more honourable than
knowledge. While the kings rule over the people, the learned rule
over the kings. Hazrat Ibn Mobarak was asked: Who are men? He
replied: The learned, He was again asked: Who are kings? He
replied: The ascetics. He was again asked: Who are the meanest?
He said: Those who exchange the religion for the world. He did
not consider anybody as a man except the learned, knowledge
distinguishes men from the lower animals and it is only for
knowledge that men are honoured. This honour is not due to a
man for his physical strength, because a camel is physically
stronger than a man. This honour is not for his large body as the
body of an elephant is bigger then that of a man. This honour is
not on account of his bravery as a ferocious beast is braver than a
man. This honour is not for his strength of too much eating as the
stomach of an oxe is bigger than that of a man. This honour is not
for his strength of sexual passion as a sparrow has got more
strength for coition than that of a man. This honour of a man is on
account of his knowledge and intellect.
22 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
The Holy Prophet said: Whoever has been given the Quran
and thinks that any one has been given something better, he has
degraded what God has exalted. Once the saint Fathul Musolli
was asked: Does not a sick man die for want of food, drink and
medicine? The people said: Yes, He said: Such is the condition of
heart. When the heart is not given wisdom and knowledge for
three consequitive days, it dies. It is a veritable truth that the food
of the heart is knowledge and wisdom. As food keeps the body
alive, these two things similarly keep the heart alive. He who
misses knowledge has got his heart diseased and its end is its
death, but he does not understand it. When he leaves the world
and its works, his power of sense goes away just as excessive fear
keeps one forgetful for a moment of the pangs of wound. But
when death takes away the burden of this world from a man, he
repents at the advent of his death but it comes to no use. His
condition is just like that of one who does not feel any pain in
swoon, but as soon as he recovers from his swoon, he begins to
feel pain. Men are in sleep but they are awake at death.
The sage Hasan Basari said: The ink of the learned will be
weighed against the blood of martyrs and then it will be found
that the ink of the learned is heavier than the blood of the
martyrs. Hazrat Ibn Masud said: You should acquire knowledge
before your death. By One in whose hand there is my life, those
who were killed in the way of God would every time wish that
God should resurrect them, as learned men, as they will find the
honour meted out to the learned men there. Nobody is born
learned. Learning is to be acquired. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: To
discuss about learning ina portion of night is dearer to me than to
keep up awake throughout the night in prayer. Hazrats Abu
Hurairah and Imam Ahmad held this view. God advised us to
pray thus: O God, give us good in this world and good in the
hereafter - 2 : 297. In explaining ‘good’ in this verse, Hazrat
Hasan Basari said that it means Knowledge so far as this world is
concerned and Paradise so far as the hereafter is concerned. A
certain wise man was once asked: Which thing is to be hoarded?
He replied: That thing which will remain with you even if your
boat capsizes, that is knowledge.
EXCELLENCE OF LEARNING
‘QURAN: God says: If a party from every band of them
remained behind, they could devote themselves to the religion - 9 :124%
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 23
. God says: If you know not, then ask those who have got
knowledge of the Book - 16: 43.
HADIS: The Holy Prophet said: If a man seeks the path of
acquiring knowledge, God guides him to a path leading to
Paradise. He said: Angels spread their wings out of cheer for the
seeker of knowledge. He said: To rise up at dawn and learn a
section of knowledge is better for you than to pray one hundred
rak’ats. He said: If a man learns a chapter of knowledge, it is
better than the world and its contents. He said: Seek knowledge
even if it be in China. He said: To seek knowledge is compulsory
on every Muslim, male and female. He said: Knowledge is a
treasure house and its key is enquiry. So enquire and there are
rewards therefore for four persons - the enquirer, the learned
man, the audience and their lover. He said: The ignorant should
not remain silent over their ignorance, nor the learned over their
knowledge. He said: To be present in an assembly of a learned
man is better then praying one thousand rak’ats, visiting one
thousand sick men and attending one thousand funerals. The
Prophet was asked: O Messenger of God, is it better than the
reading of the Quran? He said: What benefit can the Quran do
except through knowledge? He said: He who seeks knowledge to
revive Islam and dies in that condition, there will be the
difference of only one step between him and the prophets.
SAYINGS OF SAGES:
Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: When I sought knowledge, I became
degraded, but when I was sought for knowledge, I became
exalted. Ibn Mubarak said: I wonder for one who does not seek
knowledge. How can he call himself towards honour? A certain
wise man said: f do not feel sympathy for anybody more than two
persons 1) one who seeks knowledge but does not understand it
and 2) one who understands knowledge but does not seek it.
Hazrat Abu Darda’s said: To learn one point is better than to pray
the whole night. He said: Either be a learned man, or a student, or
an auditor, but not anything else. Hazrat Omar said: The death of
one thousand persons who pray all the nights and fast all the
days is a lesser calamity than the death of one learned man who is
versed in lawful and unlawful things of God. Imam Shafeyi said:
To seek knowledge is better than optional prayers. Hazrat Abu
Darda’a said: He who thinks that to go at dawn in search of
knowledge is not jihad is deficient in intellect.
24 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
EXCELLENCE OF TEACHING
QURAN: God says: When they return to them, they warn
their people, so that they may guard themselves -9 : 122. It means
teaching and guidance. God says: Remember when God took a
covenant from the People of the Book - you shall surely make it
known to mankind and not conceal it - 3 : 187. It shows that
teaching was binding on them. God says: A party from them
conceal the truth although they know it - 2: 140. This shows that
concealing truth is unlawful. God says: Don’t conceal evidence,
for whoever conceals it is wicked at heart - 2 : 283. The Prophet
said: God does not give a learned man any knowledge until He
takes from him a covenant as He took covenant from the
prophets - namely to make it known to the people and not
conceal it God says: Who is better in speech than one who calls
towards God and does good - 41 : 33? God says: Call towards the
way of your Lord with wisdom and good sermon - 16 : 125. God
says: He teaches them the Book and wisdom - 2: 123.
HADIS: The Holy Prophet said to Mu’az when he was about
to start for Yemen: If God gives guidance to a man through your
help, it is better than the world and its contents. He said: If a man
learns a section of knowledge to teach it to the people, he will be
given the rewards of seventy Siddigqs (true righteous men). Jesus
Christ said: He who acquires knowledge, acts up to it and teaches
it to the people, will be called great in the kingdom of heavens.
The Prophet said: On the Day of Resurrection God will say to the
worshippers and the warriors: Enter Paradise. The learned will
then say: By virtue of our learning, you have worshipped and
fought. God will then say: You are like some of my angels.
Intercede and your incercession will be accepted. So they will
intercede and enter Paradise. This rank they will get for that
knowledge which reached others and not for the knowledge
which did not reach others but remained with them. The Prophet
said: God will not take away knowledge from men after He has
given it to them, rather He will withdraw it after taking the lives
of the learned men. Whenever a learned man will pass away, the
knowledge with him will also pass away and at last there will be
none left except the ignorant leaders. Whenever anything will be
asked to them, they will give decision without knowledge for
which they will be misguided and will misguide others. The
Prophet said: If a man after acquiring knowledge keeps it
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 25
concealed God will drag him with the bridle of fire on the
Resurrection Day.
The Holy Prophet said: How excellent a gift and how
excellent a present is a word of wisdom which you hear and
remember and then carry it and teach it to your brother Muslim.
It is equal to worship for one year. He said: Accursed is the world
and what is therein except one who remembers the glorious God,
one who makes friendship with Him, one who learns and
teaches. God, His angels, the inmates of heaven and earth, even
the ant in its hole and the fishes in the sea like one who teaches
good to the people. He said: A Muslim gives his brother Muslim
no greater benefit than a fair tradition which has reached him
and which he subsequently transmits to him. He said: If a
believer hears a good advice and then translates it in to action, it
is better than his worship for one year. The Prophet once came
out and saw two assemblies - one was calling God and offering
their supplications and another giving the people good
instructions. The Prophet said: The first group offer
supplications to God. If He wishes, He may grant them and if He
wishes He may reject them. Another group are giving good
instructions to the people. I have been sent as a teacher. Then he
went to them and took his seatamong them.
The Prophet said: The simile of guidance and knowledge
with which God sent me is like that of profuse rain falling
upon a certain locality. One spot became full of water and
consequently abundant herbs and grasses grow therein. The
ditches and the canals in another spot reserve water and God
gives benefit to mankind therewith. They drink water
therefrom, irrigate their lands and grow crops. Then there is a
spot which neither hoards water, nor grows any grass and
herb. The first simile is that of a man who gets benefit from his
knowledge. The second simile is that of a man who does
benefit to others. The third simile is that of a man who is
deprived of both the benefits. The Prophet said: One who
guides towards something good is like one who does it.
The Holy Prophet said: When a man dies, all his actions stop
except three - 1) a permanent endowment for charity, 2) useful
knowledge (7) and righteous successors. He said There is no envy
except for two persons - 1) one whom God has given knowledge
according to which he conducts himself and teaches it to the
26 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-l
people. 2) and one whom God has given wealth and power to
spend it and he spends it in good deeds. He said: May God’s
mercy be upon my successors, He was asked: Who are your
successors? He said: Those who love my ways and teach them to
the people.
SAYINGS OF SAGES
Hazrat Omar said: He who learns a Hadis and induces one to
act up to it will get the rewards of one who translates it into
action. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said: If a man teaches good to the
people, everything seeks forgiveness for him, even the fishes of
the sea. A certain wise man said: A learned man is an
intermediary between God and men? So see how he acts as an
intermediary. A learned man said: The learned men are the lights
of the ages. Each is a light in his own time giving light to the
people of his time.
Hazrat Hasan Basari said: But for the learned, the people
would have been animals. In other words, learning takes a
man to the limit of humanity from the limit of animality. The
Prophet said as reported by Muaz-b-Jabal: Acquire
knowledge, because its acquisition is fear of God, search for it
is worship, its study is praise, search for it is jihad, teaching it
to him who does not know is alms-giving, imparting it to those
who are worthy is meritorious. It is the friend in journey,
companion in solitude, guide to religion and light to them in
happiness and misfortune, bosom friend to a stranger and
become to the path of Paradise. Through it, God exalts a
nation, makes them leaders and guides of good. Seeing them,
others also become guides to good and the people follow them.
The angels urge them to work. Everything, dry and fresh,
seeks forgiveness for them, even the fishes in sea, insects and
worms, beasts in forests, cattle and sheep and even the stars in
sky seek forgiveness for them, Knowledge gives life to a dead
heart, it is a light of eyes in darkness and gives strength to
body after removing weakness. By its help, a man reaches the
_ rank of the pious. To think of it is like fasting, and its study is
like prayer. By its help, God is obeyed and worshipped, by its
help warning is given, by its help, unity of God is understood,
tie of blood is maintained and lawful and unlawful things are
known.
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE . 27
PROOF OF REASON
The proof of reason for the excellence of knowledge is this. If
the word excellence is not understood, it is not possible to know
the excellence of other thing. For instance, if one desires to know
whether Zaid is a wise man, he should know first the meaning of
the word wisdom and then of Zaid or else he will go astray.
Excellence is the additional quality of a thing which has got no
defect. It is said that a horse is better than an ass. If the quality of
carrying loads is taken, both are the same but a horse has got
some additional qualities which are not found in an ass - the
quality of running fast and physical beauty. An animal is sought
for its quality and not for its body. Now understand why
knowledge is better. As a horse is called better than an ass for its
quality of running fast, so you will call knowledge better if it is
compared to other qualities, Knowledge is good for its own sake
and not for its connection with other qualities.
All precious things fall into one of three groups - 1) what is
sought for its own intrinsic value, 2) what is sought as a means to
an end, 3) and what is sought for both. What is sought for its own
instrinsic value, for instance knowledge is noble. What is sought
as a means to an end is gold and silver which are mere pieces of
stone having no value of their own. If God had not made them
instruments of purchasing things, their value would have been
equal to other stones. Knowledge is precious for its own sake,
because with its help the happiness of the next world and Divine
Vision can be gained. It is not so in case of gold and silver. What is
sought for both, that is for its own sake and as a means to an end
is physical health. If the body is healthy, all things can be easily
done, such as eating and drinking and other works. But the object of
these things is to gain happiness in the hereafter and nearness to God.
If this object is kept in view, you will get pleasure in the acquisition of
knowledge. The highest rank of man is the attainment of happiness in
the next world and the most excellent things are the ways that lead to
it. So knowledge is the root of good fortune in this world and in the
next. The result of knowledge is to enjoy nearness of God, to keep
company with the angels and the pious divines which are objects of
the next world and its result in this world is honour, influence over the
rulers and the people. So acquisition of knowledge and its teaching ar
excellent actions in order to seek good of this world and good of the
next and it is most laudable with the above object.
28 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
The affairs of this world do not become orderly except
through activities, but the human activities are divided into three
categories. 1) The first category includes four fundamental
activities without which the world can not go on in order. (i)
Agriculture for raising food stuffs for maintaining lives, weaving
for manufacturing clothes, architecture for building houses and
government for regulating human relations for living in peace
and harmony. 2) The second category includes such activities as
are helpful to the above mentioned activities, such as iron crafts
or ploughs for cultivation, instruments for spinning and weaving
clothes and other implements. 3) The third category includes
such activities as are supplementary to the principal industries
previously mentioned, such as eating, drinking, making dresses,
sewing clothes.
These activities are necessary for human habitation just as
the various organs of the body are necessary for up-keep of the
human body. The organs of the body also are divided into three
categories - 1) The fundamental organs, such as heart, liver and
brain. 2) What is helpful to these principal organs are stomach,
veins, and back-bone without which they can not function. 3)
Whatis supplementary to the above two categories for perfection
are nails, fingers, eye brows etc. Out of these three categories, the
most noble are the fundamental things, out of which the most
noble is government on account of which peaceful habitation
becomes possible. For this reason, experienced and expert men
are necessary to run the government.
Administration is divided into four classes. (1) The first class
is the highest as it is the government of the prophets and their
jurisdiction spread over the public and private mattes of the
people. (2) Next is the administration of temporal rulers over the
public matters of the people and not their private matters. (3)
Next is the administration of the learned and the wise over the
people in the matter of the religion of God as they are the heirs of
the prophets. It involves thoughts of the privileged few. (4) Next
is the administration of the preachers which involves the
thoughts of the common men. After the administration of the
prophets, the most noble is the diffusion of knowledge whereby
the people are saved from evil and destructive habits and are led
towards fortune and constructive virtues. This is the goal of
knowledge and education. :
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 29
Intellectual activities are more excellent than the other
activities, because the excellence of an activity is known by three
things - (1) by examining the natural qualities of a man by the
help of which an activity is recognised. For instance, acquisition
of knowledge is better than learning a language as knowledge
can be acquired by intellect, while language can be learnt
through the sense of hearing. As intellect is better than the sense
of hearing, so knowledge is better than language. (2) By
examining the extent of human usefulness, for instance,
agriculture is superior to the craft of a goldsmith. (3) By
observing the excellence of a business, for instance, the business
of a goldsmith is better than that of tanning hides. Knowledge
also has got the above three qualities. (1) Firstly, it is widely
known that the science of religion is the path of the hereafter.
Perfect knowledge and bright intellect can acquire it. This is the
most noble attribute of a man, because owing to this attribute,
trust of God has been accepted by him and through it, he can
enjoy the neighbourhood of God. (2) Secondly, there is no doubt
that the people in general get benefit of knowledge as its extant of
usefulness is very wide and it contributes to the happiness of this
world and the hereafter. (3) Thirdly, knowledge is a thing which
heals and governs the hearts and souls of men. Man is the lord of
creation and the lord of human organs is his heart. A spiritual
teacher purifies the heart and guides it towards God. So teaching
is the finest mode of worship. The heart of a learned man is one of
the good stewards of God. What rank is therefore higher than
that in which a man is an intermediary between his Lord and
fellow-men to draw them closer to God and to paradise?
SECTION 2
PRAISEWORTHY AND BLAMEWORTHY
BRANCHES OF KNOWLEDGE
COMPULSORY LEARNING (FARZE AYIN)
The Holy Prophet said: To seek learning is compulsory on
every Muslim. He said: Seek knowledge even though in China.
There is difference of opinion among the learned as to which
branch of knowledge is obligatory on an individual. There are
about twenty different groups in this matter. The scholastic
theologians any that it is scholastic theology because it
contributes towards understanding of Tauhid and the attributes
of God. The Jurists say that it is Fiqh or jurisprudence, because
30 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
with its help worship, worldly affairs, lawful and unlawful
things can be understood and known. The traditionists say that it
is the knowledge about the Quran and the ways of the Holy
Prophet. The Sufis say that it is Sufism. So on and so forth. Abu
Taleb Makki said that it is the knowledge about the five pillars of
Islam.
Knowledge is of two kinds - knowledge of practical religion
and knowledge of spiritual matters. The knowledge which fs
compulsory appertains to practical religion which deal with
three matter - beliefs, actions and prohibitions. For instance,
when a sane man attains puberty, it becomes compulsory on him
to learn the words of attestatton"There is no deity but God and
Muhammad is the servant and apostle of God. To know its inner
meaning does not then become compulsory on him. He is to
believe it without any doubt and proof. The Prophet first
required only mere verbal acceptance of Islam and confession of
faith from the Arabs. What was compulsory on them at that time
was fulfilled. After that, knowledge of the duties to do became
compulsory on them.
These duties deal with actions and prohibitions. As regards
actions, if a Muslim reaches the early afternoon prayer, it
becomes compulsory on him to know first how to pray it and to
putitinto action. This is the case with him in case of other prayers
also. If he lives up to the month of Ramazan, it becomes
compulsory on him to know the rules of fasting and then to fast.
This is the case with Pilgrimage, Zakat and other duties ordained
by God and binding onall Muslims.
AS TO PROHIBITIONS: It depends upon circumstances
and new events. It is not compulsory on the blind man to know
which sight is unlawful, on the mute to know which words are
unlawful. So to know a thing is not compulsory ona Muslim who
does not require it. If after the acceptance of Islam there is
anybody who wears silk dress or takes property of another man
by force or looks to a strange woman with passion, he must know
how to restrain himself from these things.
As to beliefs and thoughts of mind, their knowledge is
obligatory according to the state of mind. Thus if a man feels any
doubt in his mind about the meaning of attestation formulas, it
then becomes compulsory on him to know what will remove that
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 31
doubt. When a duty becomes binding on a man, to acquire
knowledge about it becomes binding on him. As a man is not free
from hatred, envy and impulses of evil, it becomes compulsory
on him to know some of the evils as described in the Book of
destructive evils. Why should it not be compulsory when the
Prophet said: Three things are destructive - sordid miserliness,
vehement passion and self- conceit. Other evils follow these
three destructive evils. To remove these evils from mind is
compulsory. If a man is converted to Islam, what is compulsory
on him is to believe in paradise, hell, resurrection day, judgment
day. The Prophet said: To acquire learning is binding on every
Muslim. He did not say to learn Alif, Lam or Mim, but he said to
learn the science of actions. As actions become gradually
compulsory on him, to acquire knowledge about these duties
becomes gradually compulsory on him.
FARZE KEFAYAH
(COMPULSORY DUTY ON COMMUNITY)
Know, O dear readers, that learning about the duties are
divided into two categories - those which are connected with
religion and those which are not so connected. The religions
learning are those which came from the Holy Prophets and in
which there is no question of intellect, and the learnings that are
not connected with the religion are Mathematics, Medicine etc.
They are of three kinds - praiseworthy, blameworthy and
permissible. The sciences which are necessary for progress in the
world are praiseworthy, such as Medicine, Mathematics etc.
These are Farze Kefayah or binding on the community as a
whole. Farze Kefayah is such compulsory duty without which no
nation can go on in this world. If a man at least acquires such
learning or science in a town or locality, all other people in the
town or locality get absolved from its sin. lf, however nobody
learns it, all will be transgressors. The sciences which should be
learnt for agriculture, administration, industry, horticulture,
weaving etc. are Farze Kefayah. To be expert in such learnings is
not Farze Kefayah. The learnings which are blameworthy are
sorcery, talismanic science juggling, gambling and the like. The
learnings which are permissible are poetry, history, geography,
biology etc.
All learnings connected with the religion are praiseworthy,
but when any other learning is mixed with any of thein, it
32 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
becomes sometimes blameworthy. The praiseworthy learnings
comprise sources branches helpful and supplementary
learnings. They are therefore of four kinds.
1) Sources of religious learnings are four in number (a) the
Book of God, the Sunnah or usages of the Holy Prophet, the
unanimous opinions of Muslim jurists (Ijma) and the sayings of
companions. Ijma is the third source of Islam as it shows the path
towards the usages of the Prophet. The first source is the Quran
and the second is the Sunnah. The fourth source is the sayings of
the companions because they saw the Prophet, witnessed the
coming down to revelations and they saw what others did not see
through their association with the Prophet.
2) Branches of learnings of religion are drawn from the
sources not according to the literal meaning but according to the
meaning adduced by the mind, thereby writing the
understanding as indicated by the following Hadis: A judge shall
not sit in judgment when angry. This means that he shall not pass
judgment when he is pressed by calls of nature, hunger and
disease. The last thing is of two kinds. One kind relates to the
activities of the world, such as the books of law and is entrusted
to the lawyers and jurisprudent; and the other kind relates to the
activities of the hereafter. The latter is the science of the
conditions of the heart and of its praiseworthy virtues and
blameworthy evils.
3) The third is the sciences helpful to the praiseworthy
sciences such as the science of language and grammar which are
necessary to know the Quran and Sunnah. They are not
themselves religious education. They were not necessary for the
Holy Prophetas he was illiterate.
4) The fourth kind is the supplementary sciences and is
connected with pronunciation of words and different readings
and meanings, such as tafsir, knowledge of revocation of verses,
books on authoritative transmission, biographies of illustrious
companions and narrators of traditions.
These are the religious learnings and are praiseworthy and as
such Farze Kefayah or binding on the community as a whole.
If you question: Why have you included Fiqh or
jurisprudence within the worldly sciences and Fagqihs or
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 33
jurisprudent as worldly scholars, the reply is this. Fiqh contains
the laws of the administration of the world and Faqihs are such
lawyers. There is of course no doubt that a Faqih also deals with
religion, but that is done through the intermediary of this world
as the world is the seed ground of the hereafter. The religion does
not become perfect without the world. If you leave the religion
with the rulers, you will find that the religion is the foundation
and the ruler is its guard. That which has got no foundation it
destroyed and that which has got no guard is also destroyed.
Rule can not go without a ruler and the instrument of rule is Fiqh
or administrative laws. The government does not belong
primarily to the religious sciences. It is well-known that
pilgrimage does not become perfect unless a companion is takeh
for protection from the ruffians and robbers in journey, but Haj
or pilgrimage is one thing, rule for pilgrimage is another thing,
guard is a third thing and the laws are a fourth thing. The object
of Fiqh is to give knowledge of administration. This is supported
by the following Hadis: Nobody can give legal decision except
three- ruler, authorised agent and one not so authorised and who
gives decision out of his own accord. A ruler or leader is qualified
to give legal decisions. One who is authorised by him is his
deputy. Except these two, the third person is called an intruder
who undertakes the responsibility himself. The companions in
general refrained from giving legal decisions, but when they
were asked about the Quran and the learnings of the hereafter,
they did not remain silent.
It may be said that the argument does not apply to various
acts of worship about which a Faqih gives decision. In reply, it
may be said that Fiqh gives decision about the following matters
of religion - Islam, Prayer, Zakat, Halal and Haram. About Islam,
a Faqih pays attention only to outward confession of Kalerna
‘Tauhid but the heart or mind is outside his domain. The Prophet
kept the rulers and the warriors outside it. He questioned a man
who praised another man as a martyr: Have you examined the
heart of the killed? He uttered Kalema Tauhid out of fear of being
killed and then he was killed,The jurisprudent will give decision
that his Islam was good even though he uttered it under the
shadow of sword. This is therefore a matter of this world. For this
reason, the Holy Prophet said: I have been ordered to fight the
people until their lives and properties are safe in my hand, but it
will come to no help in the hereafter. What will help him there is
34 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
the light of heart, its secret thoughts and its sincerity which are
outside the domain of Fiqh.
ABOUT PRAYER: A Fagih will give decision of correctness
of prayer if the outside formalities are observed even though
one’s mind was absent in prayer from first to last. This kind of
prayer will be of no use in the hereafter. As verbal expression of
Kalema Shahadat will be of no use in the hereafter, so also the
outward formalities of prayer will come of no use there. The
actions of mind and God-fear which appertain to the actions of
the hereafter and which help the outward actions are outside the
domain of a Faqih or jurisprudent.
ABOUT ZAKAT: A Fagih will see whether Zakat has been
realised according to th prescribed rules. It is related that the
judge Abu Usuf gave decision that if a man makes gift of his
wealth to his wife at the end of a year and takes back that wealth
to him by gift, it is alright although it is done to avoid payment of
Zakat. On this point, Imam Abu Hanifa declared that it is the
result of his knowledge of Fiqh and it is correct and the result of
worldly wisdom, but it will be of no use in the hereafter and its
harms in the hereafter will be greater that its benefits.
ABOUT HALAL AND HARAM: To abstain from an
unlawful thing is piety and there are four grades of piety: (1)
Piety which is required for attestation of truth. If a man gives it
up, he is not qualified to act as a judge, administrator or witness.
This kind of God-fear is only to save oneself from all unlawful
things (2) The second grade of piety is that of a pious man. He
saves himself even from doubt whether a certain things is lawful
or unlawful. The Holy Prophet said: Discard that which is
doubtful for that which is not doubtful. He also said: Sin is
heart-alluring (3) The third grade of piety is that of the
God-fearing man who gives up even a lawful thing for fear of
falling into an unlawful thing. The Prophet said: Nobody can bea
God-fearing man unless he gives up what causes no harm to him
for fear of what causes harm. For instance, such a man does not
state all affairs to the people lest he is drawn to back-biting or he
fears to eat a delicious food or drink lest it stimulates passion and
lust which drive the people to commit unlawful things. (4) The
fourth grade is the piety of the siddiqs or extremely religious man
who gives up everything except God for fear of spending one
single hour of life for nothing.
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 35
Out of the above four stages, only the first one is within the
domain of a Faqih and not the other three. The Holy Prophet once
said to Wabisaa: Consult your conscience even though they give
you decision (thrice). A Faqih does not express opinion
regarding the machinations of the heart but confines his opinion
on things which are subject matters of courts. His jurisdiction is
limited to the matters of the world.
Science of the road to the hereafter is divided into two parts -
the science of revelation and the science of practical religion. The
science of revelation is the primary object of the science of
practical religion. A certain Sufi said: I fear the bad end of a man
who has got no portion of the knowledge of revelation. The least
portion is to believe it and place it to those who are worthy of it. A
certain sage said: Whoever has got two characteristics-here say
and pride-will never be blessed with this secret science. Anot! er
sage said: Whoever is addicted to this world or persists in his low
desires will not attain this secret science though he might learn
the other sciences. This secret science is the science of the Siddiqs
and those who are in the neighbourhood of God. This is a light
which illumines the heart, cleansing it of all impurities and
blameworthy sins. He understands now what he heard before
but did not understand. he comes to learn the eternal and perfect
attributes of God, His works and wisdom in the creation of this
world, the meanings of prophethood, the devil, the angels, the
cause of revelation on Prophets, the meaning of Paradise, Hell,
punishment of grave, Bridge, Balance, accounts and many other
things. .
Some say that these things are mere examples, but God has
reserved for the pious what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and
no heart has conceived. Some say that man knows nothing of
Paradise except its attributes and names. Others hold that some
are mere patterns and some are identical with the realities which
these names signify. Likewise others hold that limit to the
knowledge of God is one’s inability to reach it. The object of
secret knowledge is to remove the covers of doubt over these
things from mind and the appearance of such light therein which
clears everything like day light. It is possible owing to the light of
heart. It is like a mirror through which one can see clearly
everything that falls on it if is cleared of all impurities therein.
The science of the heart is that by which these impurities are
36 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
removed from the heart as these impurities ar impediments or .
obstacles td the knowledge of God’s attributes. The mode of
clearing them is the abstinence from low desires and passions
and following the ways of the prophets. Thus to whatever extent
the heart is cleansed and made to face the truth, to that same
extent. will it reflect its reality. this cannot be attained without
discipline and efforts. This secret science cannot be written in
books, but it can be gained by experience as a gift of God. About
this science, the Holy Prophet said: this is such a knowledge
which is like a hidden things. None can grasp it except those who
know God. Don’t despise such learned man whom God has given
a portion of it, as God does not despise a man on whom He gives
a gift.
The second kind of practical religion is the praiseworthy and
blameworthy sciences of the states of the heart. Its praise- worthy
qualities are patience, gratitude, fear, hope, Contentment, as
criticism, God-fear, generosity, recognition of the gift of God
under all circumstances, good faith, good conduct, truthfulness
and sincerity. To' know the limits of these attributes, their real
nature and the means whereby they are attained, their results
__ and their sigris are included in the Science of the hereafter. The
blame-worthy-evils are the following-fear of poverty,
displeasure over. pre-decree, envy, hatred, hypocrisy, flattery,
hope for living long, pride, show, anger, enmity, greed,
miserliness, self-conceit, to honour the rich, to look the poor with
contempt, haughtiness, vanity, boasting, loss of fear of God,
expression of piety, lukewarm support for truth, secretly
fostering enmity with outward of friendship, revenge, deceit,
breach of trust, harsh treatment, contentment with the world,
oppression, loss of shame and kindess. These are the faults of the
mind, roots of evil deeds and miseries.
The opposing qualities are praise-worthy and the fountain
heads of all good deeds. To know their real nature belongs to the
Science of the hereafter and to know it is compulsory on the part
of a learned man of the hereafter. Whoever turns away from it
will be destroyed in the hands of the King of kings just as
anybody,going against the temporal rulers and the laws of a state
would be destroyed. The attention of the jurisprudents with
respect to the compulsory sciences is towards the world and the
attention of these people is towards the good of the hereafter. If
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 37
any Faqih is asked about sincerity, God-reliance etc., he would
make delay in reply, but as soon as he is asked about divorce and
other matters, he will at once reply and deal with’ subfle
intricacies.
Among the learned men of practical sciences, those who are
God fearing keep attached to the learned men of secret sciences.
As a student sits in school, so Imam Shafeyi used to sit near
Shaiban Ray and ask him: How shall I do this work? The people
asked Imam Shafeyi: Are you asking questions to a. Beduin? He
said: This man has learnt what we have not learnt. Imam
Ahmad-b-Hambal and Ihya- b-Mayen could not agree ona
certain matter and they therefore went to Maruf Karkhi who was
not equal to them in the science of practical religion. They said to
him: The Prophet said: What will you do when yau will not finda
matter in the Quran and Sunnah? He said: Ask the pious men
among you and consult themin this matter. We have come to you
for this.
Someone said: The learned men of exoteric knowledge are
the ornaments of the world and the state but the learned men of
exoteric knowledge are the ornaments of the kingdom and
angles. Hazrat Jun aid said: My spiritual guide said to me once:
With whom do you keep company when you leave my house? I
said: I keep company with Mohabasi. He said: Yes, follow his
knowledge and manner but avoid the subtleties ¢ of his scholastic
theology and return it to him. When I left him, I heard him say:
May God make you first a Muhaddis (traditionist) and then an
ascetic (Sufi), but not first an ascetic and then a traditionist. Its
meaning is that he should acquire first the science of tradition
and learning and then become an ascetic and he will then get
salvation, but he who becomes an ascetic before acquisition of
knowledge throws himself into faults.
As to Philosophy, it is not a single branch of science but
comprises four subjects. The first subject includes Geometry and
Arithmetic, both of which are permissible for those who are firm
in faith. The second subject is Logic which is a science of reason,
and it states proof, reason and cause. Both these are included
within theology. The third subject is the science of Sufism or the
science of His being and attritutes of God. This is also included
within theology. The fourth subject is Physics of which some
38 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
portions contradict Shariat and true religion and are therefore
not right.
I shall describe the character and conduct of the early Faqihs.
They had no other object except to gain the pleasure of Lord and
the signs of the learned men of the hereafter were known to them
from their conditions. They lived not only for the silence of Fiqh,
but also for the science of heart, The companions did not publish
books on Figh or read them. So also the Imams did not compile
books, yet they were experts in the science of Fiqh. Soon we shall
narrate the lives of some noted Faqihs not, to attack them but to
attack those who claim to be their followers act and contrary to
their character and conduct. The noted Faqihs are five:- Imam
Abu Hanifa, Imam Malek, Imam Shafeyi, Iman Ahmad-b-
Hambal and Imam Sufiyan Saori. Everyone of them was an
ascctic, devout, learned in the science of the hereafter, law given
for the people, seeker of God’s pleasure through the help of Fiqh.
Everyone of them possessed five qualities, but the modern
Faqihs accepted only one of these qualities. That is research in to
the minutest details of Fiqh. The four other qualities relate to the
good of the hereaften and only one relates to the good of this
world. They are followed only in respect of one quality and not
the other four.
IMAM ABU HANIFA
He was a great Imam and a great ascetic and God fearing
“man. He sought God’s pleasure by his knowledge Ibn Mobarak
said that Imam Abu Hanifa had good character and conduct and
observed prayer and fast too much. Hammad-b-Solaiman said
that he was in the habit of praying the whole night and in another
narration half the night. Once Abu Hanifa was walking ina street
when the people hinted at him saying: This man spends the’
whole night in prayer. He said: I am ashamed before God that I
am described by something which I don’t possess. Regarding his
asceticism, Rabiy-b-Asem said: Caliph Yezid sent me once to
Abu Hanifa and he wanted to appoint him as cashier of the state
treasury. On his refusal to accept the post, he was given twenty
stripes. Now see how he fled away from a prize post and as a
result he received punishment. Hakim-b-Hashim said: I heard
about Abu Hanifa at Syria that he was the most trusted man for
which the Caliph wanted him to be appointed as a Treasurer of
the state treasury and threatened him with punishment if he
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 39
would not accept it. He preferred king’s punishment to that of
God.
Ibnul Mobarak narrated about Abu Hanifa: Do you say of
that man who was given the treasures cf the world but who fled
away from them.? Muhammad-b-Shuja narrated: Caliph Abul
Mansur ordered 40,000 dirhams to be given to the Imam but he
declined the offer. On the day when the wealth would be
delivered to him, he covered his body with a cloth after prayer
and did not talk with anybody. The man of the Caliph went to
him with Dirhams but the Imam did not talk with him. One of the
people present said: This is his habit. Put it in a corner of his
room. This was done. Thereafter Abu Hanifa left death
instruction with regard to this wealth and said to his son: When I
die and you finish my burial, take this purse to the Caliph and tell
him: This is your trust which you have deposited with Abu
Hanifa, His son said: I did accordingly. The Caliph said: May
God have mercy on your father.
It is narrated that he was once offered the post of the chief
justice of the state, but he said: 1 am not fit for this post. When he
was asked about the reason, he said: If I have told the truth, it is
good for the post, and if I have told a lie, I am unfit for that post as
Tamailiar.
Abu Hanifa’s knowledge of the things of the hereafter and
his concern over the important matters of religion are proved by
the following narration. Ibn Juray said: I was informed that Abu
Hanifa was a great God fearing man. Sharik said: Abu Hanifa
used to spend long time in silence and meditation and converse
little with the people. These actions prove his exoteric
knowledge. He who has been given silence and asccuriem has
been given all knowledge.
IMAM SHAFEYI
‘
He was a devout worshipper. He divided the night into three
parts-one part for study, one part for prayer and one part for
sleep. The narrator said that Imam Shafeyi used to finish the
Quran 60 times in the month of Ramzan and every time he
finished it in prayer. Hasan Qarabasi reported: I spent many
nights with the great Imam. He used to spend one third of the
night in prayer and yet I have not seen him reciting more than
fifty to one hundred verses. At the end of each verse, he would
40 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
beseech God’s mercy upon himself and upon all Muslims. The
Imam said: I used not to take food with satisfaction for the last 16
years as a full stomach makes the body heavy, makes the heart
hard, increases sleep and renders a man lazy for worship. He also
said: Never have I taken oath by God whether true or false. He
said: He who claims that the love of the world and love of God are
united in him is a liar. Hudaidi said: Imam Shafeyi once went to
yemen with some men and returned to Mecca with 10,000
dirhams. A tent was fixed for him in the outskirts of Mecca and
people began to come to him He did not move from that place till
he distributed all dirhams among the people.
Generosity of the Imam was great and the root of asceticism
is generosity. Whoever loves a thing keeps it with him and
everything is insignificant to one to whom the world is
insignificant. This is asceticism which leads to God-fear. Once
Sufiyan-b-Aynabat fell in swoon before the Imam. He was told
that he had expired. He said: If he has died, the best man of his
time has died. Omar-b-Nabatah said: I have not found more
God-fearing man than Imam Shafeyi. 1, he and Hares-b-Labeed
went one day to the valley of Safa. Hares had a student with him
and he was a Qari or reader of the Quran. He had a sweet voice
and began to read: This is a day on which they will not speak and
they will not be given permission to rise excuse-77:35, I saw that
the colour of the face of the Imam became changed and he was
trembling vehemently and then fell in swoon. When he
recovered he began to say: O God, I seek refuge to Thee from the
place of the liars and the scoffing of the heedless. O God, the
hearts of gnostics have submitted and the necks of those who
yearn for Thee bowed. O worshipped, bestow Thy bounty upon
me and cover me with Thy mercy. Forgive my faults through the
grace of Thy countenance. Then he along with us left the place.
When I reached Baghdad, he was then in Iraq. I was making
ablution in the bank of the river for prayer. A man then was
passing by me and said: O young man, make ablution well, God
will then treat good with you both in this world and in the next. I
followed him. He looked at me and said: Have you got any
necessity? I said: Teach me something of what God has taught
you. He said: Know that he who knows God as true gets salvation
and he who fears his religion, remains safe from destruction. He
who remains indifferent from the world, will be cool at seeing
the rewards which God will give him tomorrow. Shall I give you
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 41
more advice? I said: Yes He said: The faith of one who has got
three characteristics is perfect-(1) to enjoin good to act according
to it, and (2) to prohibit evil and to desist from it, (3) and to guard
the limits of God. Shall I give you more advice? I said: Yes. He
said: Adopt asceticism in the world, entertain hopes for the next
world and believe God in all your affairs, you will then be among
those who will get salvation. Then he went away. I asked: Who is
he? They said: Imam Shafeyi. Such fear and asceticism are the
result of nothing but for his knowledge of God and not for his
knowledge of legal questions like advance payment, loan, wages
etc. as are embodied in Fiqh.
Imam Shafeyi said: The knowledge of one who does not
make himself perfect will come of no use to him. He also said:
Whose confesses his obedience to God through the help of his
knowledge, his heart becomes illumined. He also said: Every one
has got some persons who love him and some who hate him. If it
beso, beamong those who obey God.
Abdul Qader-b-Abdul Aziz was a God-fearing man. He once
asked Imam Shafeyi: Which of these virtues is better-patience,
trial and peace and mind (Tamkin)? The Imam replied: Peace of
mind is the rank of the Prophets and it is not attained except by
trial, and patience comes after trial. Don’t you see that God
‘examined Abraham and then He gave him peace of mind? he
examined Solomon and then gave him peace of mind and
kingdom. He did the same with Moses, Job, Joseph and others.
This reveals the deep knowledge of Imam Shaheyi about the
Quran. Sufyan Saori said: 1 or anybody has not seen like Shafeyi.
IMAM MALEK
He was adored with five qualities. Once he was asked: O
Malik, what do you say about search for knowledge? He replied:
It is fair and beautiful. If anybody does not separate from you
morning to evening, don’t be separate from him. When the Imam
intended to narrate traditions, he used to make ablution, sit in the
middle of his bed, comb his beard, apply scent and then become
fearful and grave and then narrate traditions. When asked about
these formalities, he said: I intend to show honour to the
’ traditions of the Prophet. He said: Knowledge is light. God places
it wherever He wishes. Regarding the seeking of pleasure of God
by knowledge, he said: There is no benefit in arguments about
42 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
religion. This is proved by a saying of Imam Shafeyi who said:
Once I was near Malek. He was asked about forty eight legal
questions: He replied regarding thirty two questions: I don’t
know. When the learned were mentioned, Imam Malek was
counted as a bright star. It is said that once the Caliph Mansur
prohibited him to narrate the particular tradition on the illegality
of divorce made under compulsion. The Caliph thereafter
instigated some one to question the Imam on the subject. He
declared among the people that divorce pronounced under
compulsion is not binding. For this, the Caliph had him flogged.
The Caliph Harun Rashid once asked Imam Malek: Have you
got any house? He said: No. The Caliph then gave him 3000
dinars and said: Go and buy with this money a house. The Imam
accepted the money but did not spend it for the purpose. When
the Caliph intended to return to Baghdad he asked Malek: You
should come along with us, because we have decided to make the
people follow ‘Mualta’ as Osman made them follow the Quran.
Malek said: This is not the way to make the people follow
‘Mualta’ because the companions of the Prophet after his death
dispersed around the different countries and they related the
traditions in each place. Further the Prophet said: Difference of
opinion among the people is a blessing. As for my going with
you, there is no way as the Prophet said: Had they known, they
would ‘have known that Medina is best for them again he said:
Medina removes its corruption just as the furnace removes the
dross of iron. Therefore here are your dinars. If you like, take
them back and if you like, you may leave them. Does this mean
that you ask me to leave Medina in return for what you have
given me? I prefer nothing more than the city of the Messenger of
God, not even the whole world. :
Such was the asceticism of Malek. When as a result of his
diffusion of knowledge and the spreading of his companions,
large wealth began to come to him from different corners of the
earth, he used to distribute them in charity. Such an ascetic was
Soloman despite his royal glory. Another example of his
asceticism is that Imam Shafeyi once said: I noticed a number of
Khorasani horses at the door of Malek. I have never seen any
other horse better than them. I said to Malek: How beautiful are
they! He said: They are then presents from me to you. I said to
him: Keep one of them for yourself for riding. He said: I shall be
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 43
ashamed before God to tread with the hoof of any least of burden
the soil wherein lies His Prophet. See therefore his benevolence
and his veneration for the soil of Medinah.
There is yet another report of his asceticism. He said: I once
went to the Caliph Harun Rashid. he asked Malek: O Abu
Abdullah, you should come frequently to my place, so that I may
learn from you ‘Muatta’. He said: May God exalt my master. This
knowledge has come from you. If you honour it, it will be
exalted; and if you dishonour it, it will be despised. Knowledge is
something you shall learn and not something you should receive.
Then the Caliph said: You are right. He said to his sons: Go
out to the mosque and acquire from him knowledge along with
the people.
Imam Ahmad and Sufiyan Saori had many followers.
Nevertheless they are known for asceticism and God fear. All
books contain their sayings and stories of their asceticism.
Now examine the lives of the Imams and serutinize those
who claim to be their followers. Did the Imams rise to such
eminence only for their knowledge of Fiqh which now means
contracts of the type of salam, hire, rental, lease and other
worldly laws?
SECTION 3
BLAMEWORTHY SCIENCES
Knowledge is not held to be blameworthy except for one of
three reasons. Firstly, if it leads to the harm of another, it becomes
blameworthy, such as magic, talisman, sorcery. These sciences
are true no doubt as the Quran testifies. The Sahihs Bukhari and
Muslim narrate traditions also that the Prophet of God was once
victim of sorcery for which he fell ill. Gebriel informed the
Prophet of this matter. The enchantment was taken out from
underneath a stone in the bottom of a well. It is a kind of
knowledge obtained through the learned men of the precious
stones and mathematical calculations of the places and times of
the rising of stars.
(2) The second reason is that if a science causes much harm to
the acquner, it is blameworthy, such as the science of Astronomy.
It is of two kinds, once coals with Mathematics and is connected
44 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
with accounts. The Quran says: The sun and the moon have got
courses reckoned-55: 4 It says again: As for the moon, I decreed
stations for it till it changes like an old and crooked palm
branch-36:39. The second kind deals with Astrology, the gist of
which is that the future events are indicated by the present
causes. Astrology is therefor an attempt to know the course of the
laws and ordinances of God in connection with His creations. -
The Sharia has declared it as blameworthy. The Prophet said:
Whenever Taqdir js mentioned, remain silent and whenever my
companions are mentioned, remain silent. The Prophet said: I
fear three things for my followers after me, the oppression of the
leaders, faith in Astrology and disbelief in Taqdir (predecree).
Hazrat Omar said: Learn Astrology, to conduct you in land and
sea and not more. There are three causes for this prohibition.
Firstly, itis harmful for majority of the people, because thoughts
occur in their minds that itis the stars which influence the course
af events and so the stars are to be worshipped. The wise man —
knows that the sun, the moon and the stars are subjects to the
commands of God. The second reason is that Astrology is purely
guess work. It has been termed blameworthy because it
command is that of only ignorance. Once the Prophet was
passing by a man surrounded by the people. He asked: Who is
this man? They said: He is a great learned man. The Prophet
asked: Of what learning? They said: Of poetry and Arab
geneology. The Prophet said: Such a learning which does not do
any benefit and such ignorance which does not do any harm. The
Prophet said: Learning is of decisive verses or lasting usages (of
Prophet) and just ordinances (based on the Quran and Sunnah).
It appears from this that discussion about Astrology and the like
sciences are useless undertakings.
(3) The third reason that this science is blameworthy is that it
becomes of no use to one who acquires it, for example, learning of
trivial sciences before the important ones learning of subtleties
before fundamentals, Ignorance, however, in some cases is
beneficial as is seen from the following story.
A certain person once complained toa physician that his wife
was sterile and that she bore no children. The physician left the
pulse of the woman and told her that she would die after 40 days.
The woman got extremely frightened and gave away all her
wealth and lived these forty days without food and drink. After
t_"
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 45
the period, her husband came to the physician and said that his
wife did not die. The physician said: Now cobabit with her arid
you will get an issue. He asked: How will it be? The physician
said: I saw that the woman was too fat and that grease was
blocking her uterus and that it could not be removed except by
fear of death. Then she became lean and fit for conception. It is
gathered from this story that ignorance is sometimes good.
Ignorance of some branches of knowledge is good and it will be
clear from the following Hadis of the Holy Prophet. He said: I
seek refuge to God from useless knowledge.
So don’t discuss about those learning which have been
declared by Shariat as useless. There are many things which, if
inquired into, will do harm.
SECOND MATTER
CHANGE OF THE MEANINGS OF SOME WORDS
CONNECTED WITH KNOWLEDGE.
The people have changed the original meanings of the words
Figh, Ilm, Tauhid, Tazkir and Hekmat and have given them the
meanings of their own. As a result, they have become now
blameworthy.
FIQH (religious learning). It has now the meaning of the
science of unusual legal cases, mystery of the minutest details of
jurisprudence and excessive debates on them. The man who
gives attention to such a science is called now Faqih or
jurisprudent. In the first century, it had a different meaning. It
was a science of the path of the hereafter and knowledge of the
beneficial and harmful matters of soul, knowledge of the
meanings of the Quran and the domination of God fear over the
heart. This is proved by the words of God in the following verse
that they may be expert in religion and may warn their people
when they come back to them-9:193. Fiqh or jurisprudence is that
which gives such a warning and fear rather than the details of
divorce, manumission, rental etc. God says: They have got hearts
but they do not understand therewith-2:178. Those who were
present before the Prophet did not know the details of laws.
Someone asked Sa’ad-b-Ibrahim: Who is the greatest Faqih in
Medina? He said: He who fears God most. This points out to the
result of Fiqh. The Prophet once said: Shall I not inform you
46 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
about a perfect Faqih? The companions said: Yes. He said: a
perfect Faqih is one who does not deprive the people of the mercy
of God, does not give hope of freedom from punishment, nor
makes them lose hope of His mercy, nor discards the Quran in
favour of something else. When Anas-b-Malek narrated the
following tradition-To sit with those who remember God from
dawn to sun- rise is dearer to me than the manumission of four
slaves’, the Prophet said: A man cannot become a perfect Faqih
unless he makes the people understand about the existence of
God and believes that there are several objects in the Quran.
Hazrat Hasan Basari said: A Faqih is one who renunciates the
world, remains steadfast to the hereafter, is wise in his religion
worships his Lord constantly, restrains himself from attacks on
the reputation of his fellow Muslims, is indifferent to their
wealth and wishes good of the Muslim world. He did not say.
One who commits to memory the intricacies of law is Faqih.
ILM is the science of religion, the science of the knowledge of
God and His verses. When the Caliph Omar died, Hazrat Ibn
Masud exclaimed: Nine-tenths of the science of religion have
passed away. The present people used the term Ilm to mean the
‘science of those who can well debate the cases of jurisprudence
with their adversaries and those who cannot do that are termed
weak and outside the category of the learned men. But what has
been said about the excellence of learning and the merits of the
learned men apply to those who are versed according to the
former meaning.
TAUHID (unity of God). The present meaning of Tauhid is
scholastic theology or Ilm Kalam, the knowledge of the
methods of argumentation, the manner of confronting
adversaries. Tauhid was then the belief that all things come
from God and it ruled out all intermediary causes, the belief
that good and evil all come from God and that the result of
Tauihid is God-reliance. Such people believed that another
fruit of Tauhid is to avoid complaints to the people, not to get
angry at them and to remain satisfied with the decree of God.
Another fruit of Tauhid is the saying of Hazrat Abu Bakr in his
illness. The people said to him: Let us call a physician for you.
He said: The Physician Himself has given me this disease. In
another narration, he said: The Physician said: I certainly do
what I wish-II:109, 85:16Q.
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 47
Tauhid is therefore a precious fruit which is engaged into
several husks, the outer husk is distant from the inner. The
modern people have taken up the husk and given up the pith.
The people have termed it as the science of husk and given up the
science of pith. The meaning of the husk of Tauhid is to utter by
tongue ‘There is no deity but God’. It is opposite to Trinity of the
Christians. The hypocrite Muslims also utter it. The pith of
Tauhid is confirmation by heart what the tongue confesses. The
heart believes it to be true. This is real Tauhid which is to entrust
every affairs of man to God in such a way that his attention is not
diverted to any other matter except to God. Those who follow
their passion do not conform to this monotheism.
God says: Have you seen such one who takes his passion as
God-25: 43Q?. The Prophet said: The worst deity in the sight of
God that is worshipped in the world is the deity of passion.
Idol worship is also done according to the wishes of passion.
For this reason, the soul of such a man inclines towards the
religion of his ancestors. Such a man is like one who rises up in
the morning and says facing the Ka’ba: I have turned my face
towards One who created the heavens and the earth, but he
really does not turn his heart towards God and begins the day
with a lie. The direction of the Ka’ba is not the direction of
God. He who turns his face towards the Ka’ba can’t be called to
have turned his face towards God as God is not confined
within space and direction. Mind is the mine of Tauhid and its
fountainhead. A man of Tauhid turns his mind towards God
and not towards any other direction.
ZIKR OR TAZKIR (God’s Remembrance). This is the
science of invocation and admonition. God says: Remind them
because Zikr or admonition benefits the believers-51:55Q. There
are many traditions regarding the merits of the assemblies of
Zikr. The Prophet said: When you pass by the garden of paradise,
enjoy yourselves. He was asked: What are the gardens of
Paradise? He said: Assemblies of Zikr (remembrance of God).
The Prophet said: The angels of God roam in the horizon except
the angels of creation. When they see any assembly of Zikr, they
accost themselves and say: Come unto your goals. They then
come to the place, surround them and hear them, remember God
and take lessons. Now the assembly of Zikr means the assembly
of lectures wherein the modern lecturers deliver long speeches,
48 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
tell stories, recite poems and poetries and sing songs. Such was
not the practice at the time of the four rightly guided Caliphs.
Story-telling is an innovation. Ibn Omar once came out of the
mosque exclaiming: None has sent me out except a story-teller.
Hazrat Ali turned out the story tellers from the congregational
mosque of Basra. He did not turn out Hasan Basari as he used to
deal with the hereafter, contemplation of death, defects of soul,
machinations of the devil. Such is the assembly about which the
Prophet said: To be present at the assembly of Zikr is better than
one thousand rak’ats of prayers, visiting one thousand sick men
and attending one thousand funerals. Hazrat Ata said: One
assembly of Zikr expiates the sins of seventy assemblies of —
useless talks. The Prophet once heard three talks from Abdullah-
b-Rawahah and said: O Abu Rawahah, keep yourself far from
ornamental talks. He asked the Prophet one day about the blood
money of a child which died in the womb of its mother saying:
How shall we pay the blood wit of a child who has taken no food,
no drink, nor cried, nor breathed. Such murder is excusable. The
Prophet said: are you like the desert Arabs who indulge in
ornamental words?
POETRY: As to poetry, its general use in sermons is bad. God
says: As to poets, those who go astray follow them. Don’t you
find the wondering in every valley and say what they do not
do-26 255? God said: I did not teach him (Prophet) poetry, nor it
is becoming of him. Furthermore what is narrated of poetries is
sermons comprises mostly of love episodes, descriptions of the
beauties of the beloved, the joys of union and pangs of
separation. This gives arise to lust and sexual passion more than
religious enthusiasm. There are however such poetries which
contain wisdom. The prophet also said: There is wisdom in
poetry.
HIKMAT: The word Hakim derived from the word Hikmat
is now used in the case of physicians, astrologers and those who
tell the future of the people by examining hands, but God says
about the word Hikmat (wisdom): He gives wisdom whom He
wishes Whoever has been given wisdom has been given a great
good-2:272Q. The Prophet said: If a man learns a word of
wisdom, it is better than the world and what it contains. Now
think what was Hikmat and what it has come to. Now think also
of the meaning of many words which have come down to us. One
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE A9
day a man asked the Prophet: Who is the worst creature in
creation? The Prophet said: O God, pardon me. On being
repeatedly asked, the Prophet replied: They are wicked learned
men.
Now you have come to know about praiseworthy and
blameworthy sciences and how the intermingled with one
another. Now chose either of the two. If you want good, you may
follow the path of the ancient sages and saints, and if you want,
you may follow the paths of the latter generations. All
knowledge which the ancient sages loved have vanished. The
Prophet said: Islam began with a few and it will soon return to a
few as it began. Good nes to those few. He was asked: Who are
those few? He said: Those who purify my Sunnah after the
people polluted them and those who revive my sunnah after
their death. In another narration: The few are a few righteous
people in the midst of many unrighteous men.
THIRD MATTER
HOW MUCH IS PRAISEWORTHY OF
THE PRAISEWORTHY SCIENCES?
Knowledge is divided into three parts. One part is
blameworthy in whole or in part, one part is praiseworthy in
whole or in part and one part is praiseworthy upto a certain limit
and beyond that it is blameworthy. Look to the condition of
physique. A little of health and beauty is good, but a little of ugly
figure and bad conduct is bad: Moderate expense of wealth is
praiseworthy but immoderate expense is blameworthy.
(1) The knowledge of which a little or much is blameworthy
has got no benefit either in this world or.in the next, because,
there is such harm in it which is greater than its benefit, for
example magic, astrology or talismnics. A valuable life should
not be spent uselessly but there are some sciences which have got
moderate benefits, but their harms are greater.
(2) The science which is beneficial up to the end is the
science of knowing God, His attributes and His works. His laws
affecting this world and the hereafter. This is the science which is
sought for its own attributes and by which the blessings of the
hereafter is gained. To exert oneself to the utmost of one’s
50 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
capacity to gain it falls far short of what is required, because it is
such a sea of which the depth is unlimited. Those who search it
are remaining constantly in its shores and edges. The Prophet,
the saints and the learned with faith according to their different
ranks, power and streng..1 and according to the decree of God
could not even navigate its ends. This is the hidden science which
can never be recorded in books. For it, precaution shall have to be
taken, efforts shall have to be made and the condition of the
learned men of the hereafter shall have to be examined. For this
science, a great deal of efforts, purification of mind, renunciation
of the world and the following of the Prophets and friends of God
are necessary. He who does all these things earns it according to
his fate and not to his efforts, but there is no escape from efforts as
efforts are the only keys of guidance and there is no otherkey.
(3) The sciences which are praiseworthy up to a certain limit
are those which have been narrated at the time of discussion of
Farze-Kafayah. Each has got three limits-first limit up to
necessity, second up to moderation and third up to excessive
quantity and there is no end of it during life. Beware of the two
persons. Either be busy with yourself or be busy after finishing
your work with others. Be careful of correcting others before you
correct yourself. If you keep busy with yourself, be busy with
acquisition of knowledge which is compulsory according to your
need, for instance, knowledge of open deeds such as prayer, fast
etc. More importance however is the science which everybody
neglects, It is the science of heart. Know which of these sciences
are bad and which are good as there is nobody who is safe from
envy, hatred, pride, self-conceit and such other destructive
faults. Performance of these outward deeds is like the external
application of ointment to the body when it is stricken with
scabies and boils while neglecting to remove the pus by means of
surgery. The learned men lay stress upon the outward actions
and the learned men of the hereafter remove the impurities of
mind.
So you should not engage yourself in Farze Kefayah duties
till you are pure in heart and acquire strength to give up open and
secret sins. Give attention first to the Holy Quran, then to the
Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, then to Tafsirs of the learned men
and then to other learnings. Don’t engage your life to the learning
of only one branch of education as life is short but the learnings
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 51
are many. The acquisition of these learnings are weapons for the
hereafter. There is no learning which has got no limits of
necessity, moderation and perfection. This is applicable also to
Hadis, Tafsir and Figh.
A certain saint asked a learned man in dream: Tell me the
condition of learning about which you held disputation. He said:
It has all vanished like scattered dust, Only two rak’ats of prayer
at the latter part of night has done me benefit. The Prophet said:
No people are misguided after guidance except disputation.
Then he read the following verse: They did nothing about you
but disputation. Rather they are a contentions people. About a
verse-‘But they in whose hearts there is perversity’(3:5:) the
Prophet said that they are a contentious people abput whom God
said: Beware of them. The Prophet said: You are living in an age
when you receive inspiration for actions but soon a people will
appear who will be given to disputation. The worst men to God
in creation are given to bitter disputes. He also said: Those who
has been given to disputation have not been given actions.
SECTION-4
HARMS OF THE SCIENCE OF POLEMICS AND EVILS
OF DEBATES AND DISPUTATIONS.
Know, O dear readers, that after the Prophet, the rightly-guided
Caliphs were the leaders of the learned in the science of God. They
were the eyes of knowledge and were experienced in the legal
decisions. They did not take the help of jurisprudents except in
cases where consultation was necessary. They decided on the
strength of Ijtihad and their decisions were recorded in their lives.
After their death, Caliphate went to those who were not so
experienced in legal matters and administrative affairs. They were
compelled to seek the aid of jurisprudents. At that time, a band of
Tabeyins (successors of companions) were alive and they persisted
in following strictly the injunctions of religion. Whenever the
Caliphs called them, they fled. But some learned men used to mix
with the Caliphs and consequently became humiliated. Therefore
there were differences of opinions among the learned men and
there grew different Mazhabs or sects as a result. There were
argumentations and disputations over the intricate questions of
religion. They composed also many works on these subjects. This
induced the people to take the controversies and disputations.
52 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
THERE ARE EIGHT CONDITIONS
OF DEBATES
(1) The first condition is that where debate for search of truth
is one of Farze Kefayah duties, one who has not already fulfilled
his part in duties of Farze Ain should not engage himself in the
debates even for searching truth.
(2) The second condition is that one should not consider
debates more important than Farze-Kefayah duties.
He commits sin who does other works leaving aside a more
important Farze Kefayah duty. He is like a man who does not
give water to drink to people who are thirsty and facing death
even though he has got power to do so, beacause he remains then
busy in giving lesson of cupping. Once the Prophet was asked :
When will the people give up enjoining good and fobidding evil?
The Prophet said : When flattery will grow in good people among
you, kingdom will go to the meanest of you and theology to those
who will be corrupt.
(3) The third condition which justifies debate is that the debater
should have ability and give decision on his own responsiblility
without referring to the opinion of Imam Abu Hanfia or any other
Imams. He who has not the ability of independent interpretation
should not express his opinion but should refer it to an Imam.
(4) The fourth condition which justifies debate.is that the
subject for decision should be about actual cases that crop up, for
example, the question of inheritance and not about future cases.
The companions also held consutations as questions arose or
were likely to arise in order to arrive at truth.
(5) The fifth condition is that debate should be held in priavte
in preference to open meetings in presence of noted people and
in grandeur because privacy is more suitable for clear thinking
and to examine what is right and what is wrong.
(6) The sixth condition is that the debater should like truth in
the same spirit as a lost thing is searched for. He should not mind
weather the truth is found by him or by his adversery. when
Hazrat Omar was once giving sermon, a woman pointed out to
him his mistake to which he submitted. At another time, Hazrat
Ali was asked a question by a man and he replied. When the man
pointed cut his mistake, he admitted it.
Vol-I . KNOWLEDGE 53
(7) The seventh condition is that the debater should not
prevent his adversary from giving up one argument in favour of
another and one illustration in favour of another.
(8) The eighth condition is that debate should be held with
such person from whom benefit is derived and who is learned.
From these eight conditions, you will be able to distinguish
those who debate for the sake of God and those who debate for
other purposes.
THIRD MATTER-EVILS OF DEBATES
The following evils arise out of modern debates.
(1) ENVY: The Prophet said : Envy consumes good deeds as
fire consumes fuels. A debater is never free from envy and
hatred. Envy is a burning fire. One who falls in it gets
punishement in the world. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : Acquire
knowledge wherever it is found and don’t obey the devils who
are prone to disputes.
(2) PRIDE: The Prophet said : A believer cannot have pride in
him. There is ‘a’Hadis Qudsi in which God said : Grandeur is My
cloak and pride is My mantle. I destory one who snatches
anything of these two from Me.
(3) RANCOUR: A debater is seldom free from the evil of
rancour. The Propherr said : A believer has got no rancour.
(4) BACK-BITING which is likened by God to the eating of
carrion (49:12). A debater ascribes to his oppoinent foolishness,
ignorance and stupidity.
(5) DECLARATION OF SELF-PURITY. God says : Don’t
attribute purity ot yourself. He knows best who fears Him (53:33).
(6) SPYING and prying into the secrets of adversary. God
says : Pry not (49:12).
(7) HYPOCRISY. A debater expresses his friendship for his
adversary outwardly but he cherishes hatred for him inwardly. -
The Prophet said: When the learned men do not translate their
learning into action, when they profess love for one another with
their tongue and nurse hatred in their hearts, when they sever the
54 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-l
ties of relationship, God sends curse upon them, makes their
tongues mute and their eyes blind.
(8) TO TURN AWAY FROM TRUTH. The most hateful
thing to a debater is to reject the truth revealed to his adversary
and thus he takes to deception and deceit. The Prophet
prohibited dispute about useless things. He said : If a man gives
up disputation in matters of unlawful things, a garden will be
built for him in paradise. If a man gives up desputation in matters
of truth, a house will be built up for him in the highest paradise.
God said : He is more wrongful than one who devises a lie
against God and calls the truth a lie when it comes to him 29:68.
God said : Who is more wrongful that he who lies against God
and treats the truth when it comes to himasa lie-39:33 ?
(9) ANOTHER FAULT OF DEBATE IS SHOW AND
FLATTERING the people in an effortto win their favour and to
nislead them. Hypocrisy is the greatest disease with which a
debater is attacked and it is a major sin.
(10) DECEPTION. Debators and compelled to deception.
These ten evils are the secret major sins arising out of debates
and disputations. Besides these major offences, there arise many
other guilts out of controversies leading to blows, kicks, boxing,
tearing of garments etc.
'
The learned men are of three classes. One class comprise
those who ruin themselves and also ruin others. Another class
make themselves fortunate and make other also fortunate. Such
learned men call others towards good. The third class learned
men call ruin to themselves but make others fortunate.
SECTION 5
Manners to be observed by teachers and students. These
manners comprise ten duties.
(1) The first duty of a student is to keep himself free from
impure habit and evil matters. Effort to acquire knowledge is the
worship of mind. It purifies secret faults and takes to God. Prayer
is observed by outward organs and as outward purity is not
gained except by outward organs, so worship by mind, the
fountain head of acquisition of knowledge, cannot be attained
without the removal of bad habits and evil attributes. The
Vol-I ; KNOWLEDGE 55
Prophet said : Religion is founded on cleanliness. So outward
and inward purities are necessary. God sys : The polytheists are
impure 9: 28Q. It is understood from this that purity and
impurity are not merely external as the polytheists also keep
their dresses clean and bodies clean, but as their mind is impure,
so they are generally impure. The inward purity is of greatest
importance. The Prophet therefore said : Angels do not enter a
house wherein there are dogs. Human mind is a house, the
abode of angels, the place of their movements The blameworthy
evils like anger, lust, rancour, envy, pride, conceit and the like are
dogs. When dogs reside in a heart, where is the place for the
angels? God takes the secrets of knowledge to the hearts throught
the angels. They do not take it except to the pure souls. Hazrat
Ibn Masud said : Knowledge is not acquired through much
learning. It is a light cast in heart. A certain sage said : Knowledge
is God-fear as God said : The learned among the people fear God
most.
(2) The second duty of a student is to reduce his worldly
affairs and keep aloof : from kith and kin as acquisition of
knowledge is not possible in these environments. For this reason,
a certain sage said : God has not gifted two minds to a man. For
this reason, a certain sage said : Knowledge will not give you its
full share till you surrender your entire mind to it.
(3) The third duty of a student is not to take pride or exalt
himself over the teacher but rather entrust to him the conduct of
all his affairs and submit to his advices as a patient submits to his
physician. The Prophet said : It is the habit of a believer not to
flatter anyone except when he seeks knowledge. Therefore a
student should not take pride over his teacher. Knowledge
cannot be acquirred except through modesty and humility. God
said : Herein there is warning for one who has got a heart or sets
up ear while he himself being a witness-50:36. The meaning of
having a heart is to be fit for receiving knowledge and one who is
prepared and capable of understanding knowledge. Whatever
the teacher should recommend to the student, the latter should
follow it putting aside his own opinion. The people should
question only in the matter which the teacher permits him. Here
there is an instance of Moses and Khizir Khizir said : You will not
ask me anything I do. Still Moses questioned him and for that he
separated him.
56 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(4) The fourth duty of a student is that he should first pay no
attention to the difference whether about wordly sciences or
sciences of the hereafter as it may perplex his mind and he may
lose enthusiasm. He should adopt first what the teacher says and
should not argue about the different mazhabs or sects.
(5) The fifth duty is that a student should not miss any branch
of knowledge. He should try to becOme perfect in them as all
branches of learning help one another and some branches are
allied with others. If a man does not get a things, it becomes his
enemy. God says : When they do not find guidance they say, it is
an age-long lie 46:10 A poet said : A sweet thing is bitter in the
mouth of a patient as sweet water is tasteless to a sick man. Good
knowledge is acquired according to one’s genius. It leads man to
Gud or helps him in that way. Each branch of knowledge has got
its fixed place. He who guards it, is like a guard who patrols the
frontiers in jihad. Each has got a rank in it and each has got a
reward in the hereafter according to his rank. The only condition
required is that the object of acquisition of knowledge should be
to please God. °
(6) The sixth duty of a student is that he should not take up all
branches of knowledge at a time, but should take up the most
important one at first as life is not sufficient for all branches of
knowledge. A little learing if acquired with enthusiasm perfects
the knowledge of the hereafter or the sciences of the worldly
usages and the sciences of revelation. The object of the science of
worldly usages is to acquire spiritual knowledge. The goal of the
spiritual knowledge is to know God. Our object by this
knowledge is not that belief which is handed down from
generations to generations. Our object for this knowledge is to
acquire light arising out of certain faith which God casts in soul.
Such light was acquired by Hazrat Abu Bakr. The Prophet said
about Abu Bakr: If the faith of the people of the world is weighed
with the faith of Abu Bakr, his faith would be heavy. In short, the
highest and the noblest of all science, is to know God This science
is like a sea of which the depth cannot be ascertained. In this
science, the highest rank is that of the Prophets, then of the
friends of God and finally that of those who follow them. It has
been narrated that the portraits of two ancient wise men were
seen on the wall of a mosque. One of them held a peice of paper in
which it was written: If you purify everything, don’t understand
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 57
that you have even purified one thing till you know God and
know that He is the cause of all Causes and the Creator of
everything. In the hand of the second man, there was a scroll in
which it was writen : I removed thirst before by drinking water
and then I have come to know God. But when I have come to
know God, my thirst was quenched without any water.
(7) The seventh duty of a student is that he should not take up
a new branch of learning till he has learnt fully the previous
branch of learning, because it is requisite for the acquisition of
knowledge. One branch of knowledge is a guide to another
branch. God says : Whoso has been given the Quran recities it
with due recitation-2:15 In other words, he does not take up one
learning till he masters the previous one. Hazrat Ali said : Dont’t
‘onceal truth form men, rather know the truth, then you will be
+e master of truths.
(8) The eighth duty of a studnet is to know the causes for
which noble sciences are known. It can be known from two
things, nobility of its fruit and the anthenticity of its principles.
Take for example the science of religion as medicine. The fruit of
the science of religion is to gain an eternal life and the fruit of the
other is to gain a temporary life. From these points of view. the
science of religion is more noble as its result is more noble. Take
up Mathematics and Astrology, the former is nobler because the
former is more authentic in its foundations. From this, it is clear
that the science of the knowledge of God, of His angels, of His
books and of His prophets is the noblest and also the branches of
knowledge which help it.
(9) The ninth duty of a student is to purify mind and action
with virtues, to gain proximity to God and His angles and to live
in the company of those who live near Him. His aim should not
be to gain worldly matters, to acquire riches and properties, to
argue with the illiterate and to show pride and haughtiness. He
whose object is to gain nearness of God should seek such learning
as helps towards that goal, namely the knowledge of the
hereaafter and the learnings which are auxiliary to it. God said :
God will raise herewith in rank who are believers and to whom
knowledge have been given-58:11. God said : They have got
stages, some lower, some higher. The highest rank is that of the
Prophets, then of the friends of God and then of the learned who
are firm in knowledge and then of the pious who follow them.
58 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(10) The tenth duty of a student is that he should keep
attention to the primary object of knowledge. It is not in your
_ power to enjoy bliss of this world and that of the next world
together. This world is a temprory abode. Body is a conveyance
and the actions run towars the goal. The goal is God and nothing
else. All bliss and happines lie in Him. So give more importance
to the sciences which take to that ultimate goal.
There are three kinds of learnings.
(1) One kind of learning is like the purchase of commodities
in journey. They are the sciences of medicine, laws (Fiqh) and all
other sciences which keep connection with the welfare of the
people in the world.
(2) Another class of learning is like the science of travelling in
the desert and surmounting obstacles. They purify the mind
from evil traits and take it to a high place that does not fall to the
lot of any except to those whom God shows favour.
(3) The third kind of knoweldge is like the knowledge of
pilgrimage and its rules and regulations. This is the science of
knowledge of God, His attitutes and the knowldge of the actions
of angels. This is the knowledge which can not be gained except
by the agnostics who are close to Him. Those who are lower in
rank than them will get also salvation. God says : As for one who
is of those nearest to God, there is happiness, bounty and garden
of bliss for him. But as for one who is of the companions of the
right hand there is peace for him-56:87. This is a certain truth
which they perceived through contemplations. This is more clear
than seeing with eyes. They are confirmed in their faith after
seeing for themselves. Others are like those who have got faith
but without contemplation and without seeing with their own
eyes.
By the soul, I don’t mean heart made up of flesh but it is a
subtle Sir or secret essence which the bodily senses fail to
perceive. It is a spiritual substance from God and has been
described sometimes by Nafs, sometimes by Qalb. The material
heart is the vehicle for the spiritual essence to remove the veil
from it as it belongs to the science of revelation, a sceince which is
withheld from men and there is no permission to discuss it. What
is permissible is the discussion that it is a precious jewel and
belongs to the world of spirit and not to the world of matter. God
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 59
says : They ask you about soul. Say : Soul proceeds from the
command of my Lord-17:87. The connection of soul with God is
nobler than that of all the bodily limbs. To God belong the
creation and the command is the most precious thing which can
carry the trust of God. It is nobler than the heaven and the earth
and what they contain as the latter refused to bear the trust out of
fear of the spiritual world. Ithas come from God and it will return to
God. Itis the spiritual substance which drives towards God.
SECOND SUBJECT-DUTIES OF A TEACHER
A man has got four conditions in relation to wealth. A
wealthy man at first produces commodities. Secondly he hoards
his productions and does not seek the aid of others, Thirdly, he
spends it for himself and rests satisfied with it. Fourthly, he
spends there from for another to get honour. The last is the best.
Similar are the conditions of knowledge. It is acquired like
wealth and has got four conditions. - (1) condition of acquisition
of knowledge, (2) condition after acquisition of knowledge, (3)
condition wherein he will contemplate and enjoy his
achievement and (4) condition wherein he would impart his
knowledge to others and this last condition is the best. He who
acquires knowledge and acts up to it and teaches it to the people
is noble to the angels of heaven and earth. He is like the sun
which illumines itself and gives light to other things. Such a man
is like a pot of musk which is full of fragance and gives fragrance
to others. He who teaches knowledge to others but does not
himself act up to it is like a note-book which does not benefit
itself but benefits others or like an instrument which gives edge
to iron but itself has got no edge, or like a needle which remains
naked but sews clothing for others, or like a lamp which gives
light to other things but itself burns.
A poet said :-
"Knowledge without action is like a glowing wick,
it gives light to others but itself dies burning.
Whoever takes up the profession of teaching should observe
the following duties :-
(1) He will show kindness and sympatty to the students and
treat them as his own children. The Prophet said : ‘I am to you
like a father to his son.’ His object should be to protect the student
60 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
from the fire of Hell. As parents save their children from the fire
of this world, so a teacher should save his students or disciples
from the fire of Hell. The duties of a teacher are more that those
of parents. A father is the immediate cause of this transient life,
but a teacher is the cause of immortal life. It is because of the
spiritual teacher that the hereafter is much remembered. By
teacher, I mean the teacher of the sciences of the hereafter or the
sciences of the world with the object of the hereafter. A teacher
ruins himself and also his students if he teaches for the sake of the
world. For this reason, the people of the hereafter are journeying
towards the next world and to God and remain absent from the
world. The months and years of this world are so many stations
of their journey. There is no miserliness in the fortunes of the nxet
world and so there is no envy among them. They turn to the
verse: "The believers are brethren"-49:10.
(2) The second duty of a teacher is to follow the usages and
ways of the Prophet. In other words, he should not seek
remuneration for teaching but nearness to God therefor. God
instructs us to say : Say, I don’t want any remuneration for this
from you-9:31. Wealth and property are the servants of body
which is the vehicle of soul of which the essence is knowledge
and for which there is honour of soul. He who searches wealth in
lieu of knowledge is like one who has got his face besmeared with
impurities but wants to cleanse his body. In that case, the master
is made a servant and the servanta master.
(3) The third duty of a teacher is that he should not
withhold from his students any advice. After he finishes the
outword sciences, he should teach them the inward sciences.
He should tell them that the object of education is to gain
nearness of God, not power or richnes and that God created
ambition as a means of perpetuating knowledge which is
essential for these sciences.
(4) The fourth duty of a teacher is to dissuade his students
from evil ways with care and caution, with sympathy and not
with rebuke and harshness, becausesin that case it destroys the
veil of awe and encourages disobedience. The Holy Prophet is
the guide of all teachers. He said : If men had been forbidden to
make parridge of camel’s dung, they would have done it saying
that they would not have been forbidden to do it unless there has
been some good in it.’
er tegen ene
Or na eer yENSe er
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 61
(5) The fifth duty of a teacher is that he shall not belittle the
value of other sciences before his students. He who teaches
grammer naturally thinks the science of jurisprudence as bad
and he who teaches jurisprudence discourages the science of
traditions and so on. Such evils are blameworthy. In fact the
teacher of one learning should prepare his students for study of
other learnings and then he should observe the rules of gradual
progress from one stage to another.
(6) The sixt duty that a teacher should do is to teach his
students up to the power of their understanding. The students
should not be taught such things as are beyond the capacity of
their understanding. In this matter, he should follow the
Prophet who said : We prophets form one class. We have
been commanded to give every man his rightful place and to
speak to men according to their intellect. The Prophet said :
When a man speaks such a word to a people who cannot grasp
it with their intellect, it becomes a danger to some persons.
Hazrat Ali said pointing out to his breast : ‘There is much
knowledge in it, but then there should be some people to
understand it. The hearts of pious men are graves of secret
matter.’ From this, it is understood that whatever the teacher
knows should not all be communicated to the students at the
same time. Jesus Christ said : Don’t hang pearls around the
neck of a swine. Wisome is better than pearls. He who knows it
as bad is worse than swine. Once a learned man was
questioned about something but he gave no reply. The
questioner said : Have you not heard that the Prophet said?-
He who conceals any useful knowledge will on the
Resurrection Day be bridled with a bridle of fire." The learned
man said : You may place the bridle of fire and go.
If I don’t disclose it to one who understands it, then put the
bridle of fire upon me. God said: Don’t give to the fools your
property (4 : 4). There is warning in this verse that it is better to
safeguard knowledge from those who might be corrupted by it.
Togivea thing to one who is not fit for it and not to give a thing to
one who is fit for it are equally oppression. A certain poet
therefore said: ar
Should I cast pearls before the illiterate shepherds?
They will not understand, nor know thir worth.
62 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
If God by His knowledge sends one with knowledge, I will
give my goods to him, and gain his love. He wastes his learning
who gives it to one unworthy. He commits sin who witholds it
from one worthy.
(7) The seventh duty of a teacher is that he should teach his
backward students only such things as are clear and suited to
their limited understanding. Every man thinks that his wisdom is
perfect and the greatest fool is he who rests satisfied with the
knowledge that his intellect is perfect. In short, the door of
debates should not be opened before the common men.
(8) The eighth duty of a teacher is that he should himself do
what he teaches and should not give a lie to his teaching.
Knowledge can be grasped by internal eye and actions by
external eye. Many people have got external eyes but very few
have got internal eye. So if the actions of a teacher are contrary
to what he preaches, it does not help towards guidance, but it
is like poison. A teacher is like a stamp to clay and a student is
like clay. If the stamp has no character, there is no impression
on clay. Or he is like a cane and the student is like the shadow
of the cane. How can the shadow of the cane be straight when
the cane itself is crooked? God said: Do you enjoin good to the
people and forget it for yourselves - 2 : 44? Hazrat Ali said:
Two men have broken my back, the learned man who ruins
himself and the fool who adopts asceticism. The learned man
misleads the people through his sins and the fool through his
evil actions.
SECTION 6
EVILS OF KNOWLEDGE AND SIGNS OF THE LEARNED
MAN OF THE HEREAFTER
We have enumerated the excellence of knowledge and
learned men, but a great warning has come about the dishonest
learned men. For this reason, one should know the differences of
the learned men of this world and the learned men of the
hereafter. What I mean by the learned man of the world is that his
object of learning is to live in ease and comforts and to get honour
and prestige from the people. The Prophet said: The most
severely punished among men on the Day of Resurrection will be
a learned man whom God has not blessed on account of his
knowledge. The Prophet said: Nobody can be learned unless he
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 63
puts his learning into practice. He said: Knowledge is of two
kinds-knowledge by tongue which is open proof of God for the
children of Adam and the science of soul which is useful. He said:
In the latter days, there will be ignorant worshippers and sinning
learned men. He said: Don’t acquire knowledge to boast over the
learned nor dispute with the ignorant and gain popularity
among the people. He who does this will go to Hell. He said: He
who conceals his knowledge will be given by God a bridle of fire.
He said: I fear most for one who appears as Anti-Christ than
Anti-Christ himself. Someone asked him: Who is he? He said: I
fear most for the misguided leaders. He said: He whose
knowledge is great but guidance less is away from God. Jesus
Christ said: How can you guide the night travellers along the
right way when you yourself are perplexed? These and other
traditions show that a learned man faces eternal happiness or
eternal damnation.
SAYINGS OF WISE-MEN
Hazrat Osman said: I fear most for this nation the hypocrite
learned men. People asked: How can a hypocrite be a learned
man? He replied: He has verbal knowledge, but his mind and his
actions are ignorant. Hazrat Hasan Basari said: Don’t be included
within those persons who are learned in wisdom and knowledge
but are equal to the ignorant in actions. Khalid-b-Ahmed said:
There are four kinds of men - (1) One who has real knowledge
and knows that he knows. He is a real learned man. (2) One who
has knowledge but he does not know that he knows. Be careful of
him. (3) One who has no knowledge and knows that he does not
know. Such a man is fit to be guided, so guide him. (4) One who
has no knowledge and does not know that he knows not. Leave
him alone. Ibn Mobarak said: A man is learned till he searches for
knowledge. When he thinks that he has knowledge, he becomes
ignorant. Hazrat Hasan said: Death of the heart is the
punishment of a learned man. The death of the heart is search of
the world with the actions of the hereafter. A poet said:
"Woe to one who buys misguidance
in lieu of guidance;
“Woe more to one who buys the world
in lieu of the hereafter;
woe still more to one who fosters irreligion
in lieu of religion.”
64 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
The Propet said regarding a wicked learned man: Some
learned men will suffer such intense agonies of torture that the
inmates of Hell will seek refuge on seeing their tortures. They are
the wicked learned men. The Prophet said: On the resurrection
day, a learned man will be brought and will be thrown into Hell.
His bowels will gush forth and he will roam with his bowels as a
donkey moves round a mill-stone. The inmates of Hell will move
along with him and ask: What is the matter with you? He will
reply: I used to enjoin the people to do good but I was not myself
accustomed to do it. I used to prohibit them evil but I myself used
to do it. God says: The hypocrites will remain in the lowest abyss
of Hell (4: 144) as they refused to accept truth after they acquired
knowledge.
There is a story of Bal’am-b-Baura about whom the Quran
says: Narrate to them the story of one to whom I revealed My
signs. He rejected them. So the devil followed him and he became
one of those who were misguided. He is therefore like a dog which
lolls out its tongue whether you chase it or leave it alone - 7 : 175.
This has been said about the wicked learned man. Bal’am also got
God’s book but he kept himself busy in worldly affairs and was
therefore likened to a dog. Jesus Christ said: The wicked learned
man is like a rock which has fallen into the source of a stream. It
neighter absolves any water itself, nor permits it to flow out and
reach the plants. The wicked learned man is also like pipes which
come out of a garden full of stenchy smell as it has got graves of
dead men. Its outer part is cultivated but its inner part is full of
dead men’s bones.
These traditions and historical narratives show that the
learned man who is given to lust and worldly love will be
disgraced and put to endless tortures and one who is a learned
man of the hereafter will get salvatic n and gain nearness of God.
SIGNS OF THE LEARNED MAN
OF THE HEREAFTER
There are many signs of the learned man of the hereafter. (1)
He does not seek the world by his learning He considers the
world as insignificant and the hereafter as great and ever-lasting.
He considers this world and the next world as diametrically
opposed to each other like two hostile friends of a man, or like
two co- wives. If one friend or co-wife is pleased, the other friend
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 65
or co-wife becomes displeased. The two worlds are like two
scales of a balance, the lower the one falls, the other rises up
higher. Or they are like the east and the west. The more one
advances towards the east, the more he goes distant from the
west. Or the two worlds are like two pitchers, one is full and
another empty. The more you pour water from the full pitcher
into the empty one, the more the full pitcher will become less and
the empty one more in water. There is defect in the intellect of a
man who has not come to know that the happiness of this world
will soon pass away, as this matter has been established as true
by veritable sights and experiences. He who does not recognise
the grave nature and stability of the next world is an unbeliever
bereft of faith. He who does not consider this world and the next
world as opposed to each other does not know the religion of the
Prophets and does not believe the Quran from first to last. Such a
learned man is not included within the category of the learned
men of the hereafter. he who knows these things but does not
love the next world more than this world is in the hand of the
devil.
God said in the scripture of David: If any learned man loves
his passion more than his love for Myself, My treatment with him
is that I deprive him of the pleasure of communion with Me. O
David, don’t take the message of God tosuch a learned man. The
world captivated him and he will turn you from My love. Sucha
man is a robber in the pathway of My servants. When you see
such a man who searches Me, he is a true servant. O David, I
write one as a man of sound judgement who flees towards Me. I
will never punish such a person.’ For this reason, Hasan Basari
said: Death of the heart is the punishment of a learned man and
death of the heart means search of this world in exchange of the
actions of the next world. Hazrat Ihya-b-Muaz said: When the
world is sought by learning and wisdom, his light goes
gradually. Hazrat Sayeed-b- Musayyeb said: When you see a
learned man frequenting the houses of rulers, he is a robber.
Hazrat Omar said: When you see a learned man addicted to this
world, disregard him for the sake of your religion, because every
learned man is addicted to his object of love.
The saint Sahal Tastari said: Every branch of learning is
worldly except the learning of religion which, if put into practice,
is next worldly. Every action without sincerity is fruitless. He
66 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
also said; All are dead except the learned. All learned men are ina
state of stupefaction except those who translate their learning
into practice. All the learned men who translate their learning
into practice are in error except those who are sincere. Those
learned men who are sincere are in fear till they come to know
their ultimate good end. Jesus Christ said: How can a man be
counted as a learned man who persists in the pathways of this
world although his journey is towards the next world? The
Prophet said: He who searches learning in which there is
pleasure of God but by which he seeks worldly honour will not
get fragrance of paradise on the Resurrection day.’ God says of
the dishonest learned men: They devour this world in lieu of
learning. He described the learned men of the hereafter as
God-fearing and given to asceticism. God says regarding the
learned men of the world: God took oath from the People of the
Book that they would disclose it to the people and would not
conceal it, but they threw it behind their backs and sold it for a
small price - 3 : 184. God says regarding the learned men of the
next word: There are such men among the People of the Book
who believe in what was revealed to them and what has been
revealed to you. They don’t sell the verses of God for a small
price. Their reward is near their Lord - 3: 198.
The Prophet said: God sent revelation to a people: Those
who learn jurisprudence for an object other than that of religion’
and those who search the world with the actions of the next
world are like those who wear the dress of goat’s skin before the
people but whose hearts are like the raving wolves. Their
tongues are sweeter than honey but their hearts are more bitter
than colocynth. They deceive Me and scorn Me. I will create such
a calamity for them which will perplex even the patient. The
Prophet said: The learned men of my followers are of two kinds.
God gives to one kind learning which they distribute among the
people and for which they do not covet anything and they do not
sell it for a small price. The birds in the horizon, the fishes in
water, all the animals in the world, and the honourable scribes
invoke blessings for them. They will come to God being
honoured on the resurrection day and they will even get the
company of the Prophets.
God gives learning to another kind of men but they are miser
to distribute it to the people. They take wealth in its exchange and
a —
i
t
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 67
sell it for a small price. Such people will be brought on the
resurrection day with bridles of fire and they will raise up shrieks
before all the creatures. It will be proclaimed: They are children
of so and so. God gave them learning but they were miser in
distributing it to the people and took small price in lieu thereof
and property in exchange. Thus they will be punished till God
finishes the judgment of account.
A more severe punishment will be meted out to the following
kind of people. A certain man was a servant of Prophet Moses. He
went round saying: Moses, the chosen man of God told me this.
Moses, the confident of God, told me this. Moses, the intimate
friend of God, told me this. Saying these, he became rich and then
disappeared. Moses searched for him but his whereabouts were
not found. Sometime after, a man came to Moses witha pig witha
rope tied to its neck. Moses said to him: Do you know such and
such a person? He said: Yes, he is this pig. Moses said to him; O -
Lord, turn him into his former position. I shall ask him about his
condition. God revealed to him. If you remember Me with what -
Adam and his successors remembered Me, I shall not accept your
invocation. I shall inform you how he was changed to this
condition. He searched for the world in lieu of religion.
A more severe narration was reported by Muaz-b-Jabal to the
effect that the Prophet had said: ‘One danger of a learned man is
that he would prefer talking than hearing, as there is
ornamentation and exaggeration in his speech. A speaker is not
free from these faults but there is safety and wisdom in silence.
There is such a man among the learned who guards his learning
but does not like to communicate it to others. Such a learned man
is in the first stage of Hell. There is such a man among the learned
who is like a king in learning. In other words, if any objection is
raised against learning, he becomes angry. He is in the second
stage of Hell. There is such a man among the learned who
broadcasts his learning and narrates traditions to the rich and not
to those who are in need of them. Such a learned man is in the
third stage of Hell. There is such a man among the learned who
remains busy with legal decisions and commits mistakes and
remains satisfied with one who does divine service. Such a
learned man is in the fourth stage of Hell. There is such a man
among the learned who delivers lectures quoting the sayings of
the Jews and Christians to show his learning. Such a learned man
68 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP vol-I
is in the fifth stage of Hell. There is such a man among the learned
who delivers lectures with pride and self conceit and considers
his speech as good and when any other man delivers lectures, he
sneers at him. Sucha learned manis in the seventh stage of Hell.
There is in Hadis: If a man is praised so much that it fills up
what is between the east and the west, it is not valuable to God .
even like the wing of a mosquito. The Prophet said: Don’t sit with
every learned man. Sit with the learned man who calls towards
five matters towards faith from doubt, sincerity from show,
modesty from pride, love from enmity, and asceticisn from
worldliness.
(2) SECOND SIGNS: The second sign of the learned man of
the next world is that his words and actions are the same, rather
he does not order an action to be done without first doing it
himself. God says: Will you enjoin the people to do good deeds
but forget them for yourselves - 2 : 41? God says: It is a hateful
thing to God that you say what you do not do - 61 : 3. God says in
the story of Shuaib: I don’t wish to do anything which [ myself
forbid you - 9 : 90. God says: Fear God and He will give you
knowledge - 2 : 282. God says: Fear God and you will know - 2: 190.
God says: Fear God and listen - 5: 11. God said to Jesus Christ: O
son of Mary, take lessons to yourself and then give admonition to
others, otherwise you will be ashamed of Me. The Prophet said: I
passed by a party of men in the night of my ascension to heaven.
Their tongues were being cut with scissors. I asked them: Who
are you? They said: We used to give advice to others for good
deeds but we used not to do them. We used to prohibit evil deeds
to others, but we used to do them.
The Prophet said: The corrupt learned men and illiterate
worshipers will be the cause of destruction of my people. The
Prophet Once came to his companions and said: Take to learning
as far as possible, but God will not give its rewards till you
translate it into action. Jesus Christ said: He who teaches good
but does not translate it into action is like a woman who commits
fornication in secret and becomes pregnant but when her
pregnancy is exposed, she becomes repentant. God will disgrace
one before all people on the Resurrection Day who does not act
according to his learning. Hazrat Muaz said: Beware of the
learned man’s error, because he is the most honoured one among
the people and because the people follow his error. Hazrat Omar
1 eee Re
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 69
said: Three things will cause the end of time. One of them is the
error of the learned men. Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud said: Soon there will
come a time over the people when sweetness of heart will vanish.
At that time neither the teachers, nor the taught will get any
benefit from learning. The hearts of the learned will be hard like a
hard stone. Rains will fall on it from the sky but it will slip away
therefrom. The reason is that the hearts of the learned will be
addicted to the love of this world in preference to that of the next
“world. God will then rob them of the fountain of wisdom and
extinguish the light of guidance from their hearts. They will say
to you by their tongue ‘Fear God’ but sin will be exposed in their
actions. Tongue will then become dry and heart hard. The only
reason is that the teachers will teach except for the sake of God
and the students will learn except for the sake of God. There is
written in the Torah and Bible: Don’t search for learning which
you do not know till you do what you know. Hazrat Huzaifa said:
You are now in an age wherein if you give up one tenth of what you
know, you will perish, but there will soon come an age wherein if a
man does one-tenth of what he knows will get salvation.
The simile of the learned man is that of a judge. The Prophet
said: Judges are of three classes. One class of judges judge with
justice and with knowledge of truth and they will go to Paradise.
Another class of judges judge unjustly with or without
knowledge of truth and they will go to Hell. Another class of
judges judge contrary to the laws of God and they will go to Hell.
The Prophet said: The devil sometimes will prevail over you on
account of knowledge. It was questioned: O Prophet of God, how
will it happen? He said: The devil will say: Search for knowledge
but don’t put it into practice till you acquire it. So he will remain
busy with :acquisition of knowledge but will remain without
action up to his death and at the time of his death he will have no
action. Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud said: The Quran was revealed in order
that men may direct their lives according to its teachings. Direct
your life according as you read it. There will soon appear such
men who will keep it like an arrow and they are not good among
you. The learned man who does not act up to his knowledge is
like a patient who describes the qualities of a medicine without
using it or like a hungry man who describes the taste of a food
without eating it. God said: Woe unto you for what you utter. The
Prophet said: What I fear most for my followers is the errors of
the learned and the arguments of the hypocrites about the Quran.
70 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(3) THIRD SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the
next world is that his mind would be directed towards such
learnings as will be useful for the next world and give
encouragement to pious deeds. He will avoid those learnings
which will bring lesser benefit and wherein there are much
arguments. He who shuns the learning of practice and remains
busy in arguments is like a sick man who suffers from many
diseases, but when he fears death, he goes to an experienced
physician and asks him many questions of the qualities of drugs
and complexities of medical profession but he does not ask him
about his diseases. This is the height of foolishness.
On day a man came to the Apostle of God and said: Teach me
some of the strange things of knowledge. He asked him What
have you done with the beginning of knowledge? The man said:
What is the beginning of knowledge? The Prophet replied: Have
you known God? He said: Yes, He asked: What have you learnt
about this truth? He said: What God willed. The Prophet said:
Have you known death? He said: Yes, He said: How have you
prepared for it? He said: What God willed. The Prophet said: Go
and gain experience of these things first and then I shall teach
you some of the strange things of knowledge.
A student should be like Hazrat Hatem Asem who was the
disciple of Hazrat Shaqiq Balakhi. He once asked Hatem: How
long are you in my company? Hatem said: For the last 33 years.
He said: What have you learnt from me during this period?
Hatem said: I have learnt only eight things. Shaqiq said: You
have not learnt except eight things! He said: Yes, O dear teacher, I
have learnt nothing except eight things. I don’t wish to speak
falsehood. He said: Describe those eight things to me. Let me hear
them. Hatem began to describe them.
First, | looked around and beheld that every man has got an
object of love and he lives with that thing until his death. When
he goes to the grave, it becomes separate from him. I pondered
over the following words of God "We are for God and to Him we
shall return.” So I have made good deeds as my object of love.
When I will go to the grave, my good deeds will accompany me to
the grave. The sage Shaqiq said: O Hatem, you have done well.
Secondly, I have pondered over the following words of God
"As for one who fears the majesty of his Lord and refrains his soul
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Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 71
from lust, paradise is his resting place - 79 : 40 Q. [have come to |
know that the words of God are true. I have tried my utmost to
suppress my lust and remained satisfied with obeying the
injunctions of God.
Third, I looked around the people and found that everyone
values what he possesses. Then I turned to the following words
of God: What is with you will end and what is with God will last -
16:98 Q. Then I began to give unto God whatever valuable things
fell into my hands.
Fourth, I looked around and saw that everyone puts his trust
in his wealth and properties, his name and fame and his honour
and glory and found that there is nothing in them. Then I looked
towards the following words of God ‘The most honourable of
you to God is one who is the most God-fearing among you’ - 49:
13Q. Then I intended to accept God-fear in my life till I am
honoured by God.
Fifth, I looked around the people and found them slandering
and cursing one another because of envy and hatred and then I
looked towards the words of God: It is I who distributed their
subsistence among them in this world’s life - 43 : 31 Q. So I gave
up envy and hatred and realised that subsistence comes from
God and then] disliked the people no more.
Sixth, ' looked to the people and found them ungrateful to
one another and even some of them kill others and then I looked
towards the following word of God: The devil is your foe and so
take him as foe - 35 : 6 Q. So I took the devil as a foe and ceased to
have enmity with the people.
Seventh, I turned to the people and found everyone seeking
his livelihood and for that debasing himself and committing
unlawful things and then I looked towards the following words
of God: There is no animal in the earth of which the provision is
not upon God - 11 : 8Q. Finding that I am one of the animals
whose provision is upon God, I turned towards the duties
prescribed by God and entrusted my fate unto Him.
Eighth, [ turned to the people and found that everyone
placed his trust in something created, some in his wealth, some in
his profession, some in his industry and some in the health of his
body and then looked towards the following words of God: If a
72 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-l
man relies on God, He is sufficient for him - 65 : 3Q. Then I relied
on God and Heis sufficient for me.
On hearing Hatem, Hazrat Shadiq exclaimed; Hatem, may
God prosper you. I examined the Torah, the Bible, the Jabur
(Psalms) and the great Quran and found that all these centre
round these eight things and he who puts them into practice
follows these four books.
In short, the learned men of the hereafter seek and acquire
knowledge but the learned men of the world are engaged in
acquiring wealth and name and fame and give up those learnings
for which God sent the Prophets.
(4) FOURTH SIGNS: Another sign of the learned man of the
next world is that he has got no attraction for various kinds of
foods and drinks, luxury in dresses, furnitures and houses, but
rather he adopts moderate course in all these things following
the earlier sages and he is best satisfied with the least of
everything. The less is a man attracted towards luxuries, the
more he will be close to God and the more he will be in
association of the learned men of the hereafter and in rank.
Abdullah-b-Khawas used to keep company with Hazrat
Hatem Asem and he said: Once I with 320 pilgrims went to Rayy
along with the sage Hatem Asem. We had food stuffs with us and
not food. We went to a merchant who was well known for love of
the poor. We became his guests that night. He said next day to the
sage Hatem: Have you got any necessity with me? I wish now to
go to see an ailing theologian. Hatem said: "Visiting the sick is no
doubt meritorious but looking after the poor is worship. I will go
along with you. The sick man was Muhammad-b-Maagaitil, judge
of Rayy. When we came near his gate, we looked at his lofty and
beautiful palace. Hatem thought for a moment and then said: Is
this the condition of the house of a learned man? After
permission, we entered the house and found it very beautiful and
spcious with carpets spread all over the floor and screens of
varied colours hanging. The judge lay down ona oft mattress and
a servant was standing with a fan near his head. The merchant
asked about his health but Hatem stood silent. Being requested to
sit, he did not sit but asked the judge: From whom have you got
your learning? He said: From the companions of the Apostle of
God. He asked him: From whom did the companions learn? He
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 73
said: From the Apostle of God, He asked: From whom did the
Apostle of God learn? He said: From Gebriel and he learnt from
God. Hatem asked: Have you found in their learnings that to God
the rank of a man whose palace is high and spacious is grater? He
said: No. He asked: What then have you found? The judge said: I
found therein that a man who renunciates the world, turns his
attention towards the next world, loves the poor and proceeds
towards the hereafter has got a great rank near God. Hatem said
to the judge: Whom have you followed, prophets or their
companions, or the pious men, or Pharaoh and Namrud who
erected lofty buildings with bricks? The dishonest learned men
like you are fools. Then he went away from that place.
Ibn Maagatil’s sickness became thereafter acute and the
inhabitants of Rayy came to know what passed between him and
Hatem. They said to Hatem: The palace of Tanafusi and Qazawin
is more lofty and spacious. Hatem went there on his own accord
and said to Tanafusi: May God have mercy on you! I am a
foreigner and I wish that you should teach me the elements of my
religion and the particulars of ablution. Tanafusi said: Yes, O lad,
bring a pot of water. when it was brought, Tanafusi made
ablution and washed each limb thrice and said: This is thus
Hatem said: I am making ablution in your presence. Then he
began to wash each limb four times. Tanafusi said: O Shaikh, you
have been extravagant and washed your hands four times.
Hatem said: O glorious God, i have been extravagant for washing
my hands four times, but you do not consider yourself extravagant
for what you are in all these luxuries. Tanafusi then came to know
that he had no necessity of learning from him ablution. Thereafter
he did not come out to the people for forty days.
Hatem once went to Bagdad and there Imam Ahmad went to
see him and asked him: What will ensure salvation from the
world? Hatem said: You are not safe in this world unless you
_ possess four characteristics - (1) overlook the ignorance of man,
(2) conceal your ignorance from them, (3) seek their good and (4)
don’t seek anything from them.
When the sage Hatem went to Madina, some of its
inhabitants went to him and he asked them: O people, what is the
name of this city? They said: It is the city of the Prophet of God.
He asked: Where is the palace of the Prophet of God? I shall
observe my prayer therein. They said: He had no palace except a
74 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
small cottage wherein he rested. He asked: Where are the palaces
of his companions? They said: They had no palaces. They had
only cottages in this world for rest. Hatem said: O people, this
city then is the city of Pharaoh. They brought him before the
Governor and said: This man is a foreigner and says that this is
the city of Pharaoh. The governor asked him: Why do you utter
this? Hatem said: Don’t be hasty in judgment upon me. I am a
foreigner. Then he narrated the whole conversation between him
and some Medinites. Then he said: God said: You will find in the
Prophet of God an excellent example - 33 : 21 QO. Whose example
have you adopted, example - 33 ; 21 Q. Whose example have you
adopted, example of the Prophet or of Pharaoh? They then left
him. These are the stories of Hatem Asem.
In short, use of ornamentation in permissible things is not
unlawful but it creates fondness for these and to give them up
at the end becomes difficult. The Prophet did not lay stress for
renunciation of the world. It has been narrated that Caliph
Yahya-b-Syeed once wrote to Imam Malek-b-Anas saying: In
the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
and blessings on Prophet Muhammad. From Yahya-b-Sayeed
to Malek-b-Anas: I have been informed that you put on fine
cloths, eat delicious food, sleep on soft couches and keep a
door-keeper at your door. You sit in the assembly of learning
and people come to you from distant places. They have taken
you as Imam and they are satisfied with your words. O Malek,
fear God, take to humility. I write to you this letter as an
admonition,. None has seen its contents except God. Imam
Malek wrote back saying: J have received your letter and it has
come to me as an admonition, kindness and a sign to good
conduct. May God bless your piety and reward you for your
advice. I seek His help. There is no power and might except by
His help. We do what you have mentioned but beg forgiveness
of God for them. God said: Who has made unlawful the
fineries of God which God has gifted to His servants and clean
and pure foods - 7 :32Q? I know certainly that abstinence from
these things is better than indulging in them. Don’t give up
writing to me. Peace be on you.” See then the sense of justice
which Imam Malek showed. He did not make the fineries of
the world unlawful but admitted that abstinence from luxuries
is better.
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 75
(5) FIFTH SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the
hereafter is that he keeps himself distant from the ruling
authorities arfd avoids their company, because this world is
sweet, ever-new and its bridle is in their hands. He who comes
near them is not free from their pleasures and harms. They are
mostly unjust and do not obey the advices of the learned men.
The learned man who frequents them will look to their grandeurs
and then think God’s gift upon him as insignificant. To keep
company with the rulers is the key to evils. The Prophet said: He
who lives in desert becomes hard-hearted, he who follows them
becomes unmindful and he who frequents the rulers falls into
danger. He said also: Soon you will have rulers to whom you will
bear allegiance or not. He who rejects his allegiance to them will
be save and he who hates them will be safe but God will keep him
distant who remains satisfied with them and follows them. He
was asked: Shall we fight with them? The Prophet said: No, till
they pray.
Hazrat Huzaifa said: Be careful of the place of danger. He
was asked: What is it? He said: The palaces of the rulers. Some
one of you will go to a ruler, approve his lies and say that he
possesses an attribute which he does not actually possess. The
Prophet said: The learned are the representatives of the Prophets
to the people till they do not mix with the rulers. When they mix,
they commit treachery with the Prophets. So beware of them and
don’t mix with them. Hazrat Sayed-b-Musayyeb said: When you
see a learned man frequenting the house of a ruler, beware of his
company as he is a thief. Hazrat Aozayi said: There is nothing
more hateful to God than a learned man who frequents the house
of a ruler. The Prophet said: The learned men who frequent the
houses of rulers are worst and the rulers who frequent the houses
of the learned men are best. Hazrat Maqhul said: He who learns
the Quran and becomes expert in religious learning but comes to
the company of the rulers out of greed is immerged in the sea of
Hell fire. When you see a learned man loving the world, convert
him to your religion because I have learntit by experience.
Hazrat Hasan Basari said: There lived before your time a
man who was born in Islam and enjoyed the company of the
Prophet. He is Sa’ad-b-Abi Waqas. He did not frequent the
houses of rulers and hated it. His sons said to him: Those who are
like you in following Islam and keeping company with the
76 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
Prophet frequent the houses of rulers. It would have been better
if you frequnent their houses, He said : O dear sons, the world is a
corpse and the people surround it. By God, I will not be a partner
to it even if I am able to do it. They said : O father, you will then
die of starvation. He said : O sons, I would rather starve to death
than die as a great man with hypocrisy. Hazrat Hasan used to say
to the opposing parties : By God, know that earth will consume
the flesh and fat but not faith. Hazrat Omar-b-Abdul Aziz wrote
a letter to Hasan Basari saying : Name such persons to me who
will help me in enforcing the injunctions of God. He replied to
him : Those who are religious do not wish to go to you. You will
not wish the company of those who love the world Keep the
noble in company as they will defile their honour by breach of
trust.
(6) SIXTH SIGN. Another sign of the learned man of the
hereafter is that he does not give Fatwa or legal decision in a
hurry but tarries to be relieved of it. When he is asked about a
matter known to him from the Quran, Hadis, Ijma and Qiyas, he
gives his opinion, When he has doubt, he says : I don’t know.
When he is asked about a matter about which he has formed an
opinion through Jjtihad, independent interpretation and
speculation, he is careful not to commit. himself but refer the
matte to someone else who is more capable than himself.
According to one tradition : There are three roots of learning, the
express word of the Quran, the lasting usage of the Prophet (and
another root is unknown to me-reporter). The sage Shubi said : "I
don’t know" is half of learning. He who remains silent for God
owing to his ignorance gets reward not less than that of the man
who does not remain silent, because to confess one’s ignorance is
the most difficult thing. Such was the condition of companions of
the Prophet and the earlier sages. When Ibn Omar was asked any
question, he would say : Go to the ruler, because he has taken the
affairs of men. Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud said : He who gives opinion as
soon as a question is put to himis mad. He also said : [don’t know
is the shield of a learned man. !f he commits mistakes; it would
amount to murder.
Ibrahim-b-Adam said: There is nothing more formidable to
the devil than a learned man who manifests his knowledge both
openly and salinity. The devil says : Look to this man. His silence
is severer to me than his speech.
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Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 77
Some wise man said: There are Abdals (worshipers) in the
world . Their meal ends when they are still hungry. They sleep
when it overcomes them. Their words end only in necessary
talks. In other words, they donot speak unless asked and they
remain silent when sufficient reply is obtained from others.
When compelled, they reply. Ibn Omar used to say : Do you wish
to use us as a bridge over which you wish to cross over to Hell,
Abu Hafs Nishapuri said : A learned man is he who fears the day
of questions, who fears that he will be asked on the Resurrection
Day : Wherefrom have you got this answer : The Prohpet said : I
don’t know whether Uzair was a Prophet or not, whether Tubba
was accursed or not, whether Zul-Qarnain was a Prophet or not.
When asked about the best and worst places on the earth, the
Prophet said : I don’t know. But the Almighty God said to me that
the best place is mosque and the worst place is market. When
Hazrat Ibn Omar was asked ten questions, he replied only one
and not others, Hazrat Ibn Abbas replied nine and did not reply
one. Someone said that among the jurists, the greater number
were men who used to say we don’t know than the numbers who
who used to say we know. Sufiyan Saori said : Malek-b-Anas,
Ahmad-b-Hanbal, Fuzail, Bashar and others were among the
former, Abdur Rehman-b- Abi Laila said : I met in this mosque
120 companions of the Prophet among whom there was none
who when questioned to express an opinion would not have
wished that someone else would reply to it. It is narrated that
when somebody presented something to someone of Ahle Suffa,
he would give it to another who would give it to another and so
on, until it finally came back to the first one. Now see what was
the condition of the learned men of that age and what is the
condition now.
The Prophet said: Let not the people seek legal decision
except from three persons, a ruler or a person to whom power is
delegated or a religious man. Some one said : the companions
used to refer to one another about four things-Immate
(leadership), Wasiat (legacy), Amant (deposit) and Fatwa (legal
decision). Someone said : One who hurriedly used to give
opinion was a less learned man. The activites of the companions
and their followers were confined only to four things, reading the
Quran,building mosques, Zikr of God and enjoining good had
forbiding evil. They heard the Prophet say : There is no good in
most of their secret talks except only in. his who enjoins
78 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
alms-giving or what is right or concord among men. Hazrat Ibn
Hussan said. Any question of legal decision, when put to them,
used to be placed before Hazrat Omar who used to call all the
warriors who took part in the battle of Badr for consulation. The
Prophet said : If you see a man adopting silence and asceticism,
take advice from him, as he is not free from wisdom.
The learned men are of two kinds, a learned man for the
public who is a Mufti or giver of legal decision and a companion
of the ruler, and another learned man for Tauhid and good deeds
and he resides in solitude. It is said that such a learned man was
Imam Ahmad-b-Hanbal who was like the river Tigris and
everyone used to take benefit from him. The sage Bashr-b-Hares
was also like him. He was like a covered well of fresh water
visited by a single person ata time. A wise man said : When know
ledge increases, loquacity decreases.
If any question was put to Hazrat Abu Darda’a, he used to
give no reply. When Hazrat Anas was asked anything, he used to
say : Ask our Jeader Hazrat Abbas. When Hazrat Abbas was
asked, he used to say : Ask Hares-b-Zaid. When Ibn Omar was
asked anything, he used to say : Ask Sayeed-b-Musayyeb.
(7) SEVENTH SIGN. The seventh sign of the learned man of
the next world is that his main object of anxeity is to learn secreat
knowledge, observation of the heart, knowledge of the paths of
the hereafter, to travel thereon and to have abiding faith in
finding self mortification and obsertion, because self
mortification leads to Mushahadah or contemplation and lets
flow the fountain of wisdom through the intricate details of the
science of heart. Reading of books and learning of sciences are
not sufficient for it. But this wisdom appears as result of hard
labour. It opens if one sits in loneliness with God with a mind
turned with humility of spirit towards God and through
self-mortification, observation and watching. This is the key of
Itham or inspiration and the fountain head of Kashf or secret
knowledge. Many students who have been learning for a long
time could not move more than what they heard. There are many
students who cut short their education and remain busy in
actions and observations of the heart. God opens for them; the
niceties of wisdom for which the wisdom of the’wise becomes
perplexed. For this reason, the Prophet said : If a man acts
according to his learning, God gives him such a knowledge as
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 79
was unknown to him. It was also mentioned in one of the books
of ancient ages : O children of Israil, don’t say that knowledge is
in heaven. Who will bring it down to the earth? Don’t say that
knowledge is in the lowest abyss of the earth ? Who will dig it
out? Don,t say that knowledge is far beyond the ocean. Who will
bring it after crossing it?
Know, O dear readers, that knowledge is in your hearts. Take
its lesson from those who have got knowledge of soul or heart
and make one’s character like that of the Truthful and than
knowledge will spring forth in heart so much so that it will
immerge him therein. Sahal-Tastari said : The learned men, the
worshipers and the ascetices departed from the world with their
hearts locked up. They can not be opened except by the hearts of
the truthful and martyrs, Then he recited this verse of God : To
him are the keys of unseen thing. None knows them but He-6: 59.
Had it not been for the fact that the light of the heart of one who
has a heart with inner light determines the outward or esoteric
knowledge, the Prophet would not have said : If they seek justice
to you (thrice), ask your heart. The Prophet said that God said: A
man continue to come close to Me with optional divine services
till [love him. When I love him, I become his ears with which he
hears, etc. So many are the subtle meanings of the mysteries of
the Quran that appear in the hearts of those persons who have
devoted themselves to Zikr and maditation of God. It is not
found in the commentaries and it also did not appear in the
hearts of the reputed commentators, It appear as a result of the
meditation of a devotee. When its meaning is presented to the
commentators. They take it as good and realise that they are the
news of a pure soul and a gift of God arising out of sincere
devotion and reflection. The condition of secret knowledge, the
science of practical religion and the subtleties of the flow of
thoughts of the heart is similar Each of these beneficial learnings
is an ocean of which the depth is beyond reach. Each disciple gets
its clue in proportion to his ability and good deeds.
Hazrat Ali said in the course of a long discouse about such
men : Hearts are like different vessels and the best vessel is that
which holds good things. Men are of three kinds, the divine
learned men, the travellers to the path of salvation and the
ignorant people calling towards evils who are swayed by every
passing wind. Their hearts are not illumined by the light of
80 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
knowledge and stand not on its firm foundation. Knowledge is
better than wealth. It guards you, but you guard wealth, ,
Knowledge increases by expense, while wealth descreases.
Learning is knowledge by which religion is learnt and by which
allegiance is obtained in your life time and which becomes a good
thing to be remembered after your death. Knowledge is a judge
and wealth seeks justice. Along with death the benefits of wealth
disappear, but the benefits of knowledge remain. All people are
dead, but the learned are alive and will live as long as time shall
last. Then taking a deep breath and pointing to his breast, Hazrat
Ali said : Alas, here, is abandant knowledge, but I find none to
carry it, I don’t find any trusted seeker but I find such men who
seek the world with the weapon of religion and attribute to the
friends of God the gifts of God and give prevalence of His proof
over His creations, make subdued the seekers of truth, but on the
first onslaught of oposition doubt arises in their minds. They lose
their insight owing to their-scepticism and keep themselves busy
in indulgences. They amass wealth and hoard it. O God, thus will
knowledge perish when its people will die. The world will not be
free of men who will establish religion secretly and openly in
order that the proofs of God are not obliterated. They will be few
in number but they will be great in honour. They will be lost
openly, but their pictures will reign in hearts. God will preserve
His religion through them. They will leave the religion for their
successors and will plant it in the hearts of the young. The real
nature of knowledge ledge will be disclosed with their help. They
will get good news from the life of sure faith. They will make easy
what the rich think difficult and they will make clear what the
heedless think obscure. They will keep company with the world
with their bodies, but their souls will be kept hanging in lofty places.
They are servants of God among His people, His trustees and
deputies on the earth. Then he wept and said: How eagar I am to
meet them." These are the attributes of the learned men of the next
world which can be gained by constant actions and sincere efforts.
(8) EIGHT SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the next
world is that he is sincere and upright for making his faith firm
and strong as firm faith is the root of religion. The Prophet said:
Sure faith is belief in its entirely or perfect faith. So it is necessary
to learn the learning of faith, after which the path of the heart will
be opened. For this reason the Prophet said: Learn sure faith.’ In
other words, keep company with those who have firm faith, hear
a
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 81
from them the learning of sure faith, follow them always, so that
your faith may become firm as their faith became firm. A little
sure faith is better than many actions. When two persons, one of
whose sure faith was good but whose sins more and another
whose actions were more and faith little, were mentioned to the
Prophet, he said: There is no man without sin. One whose
intellect is short and faith sure cannot be injured by sin, because
whenever he commits sin, he repents and seeks forgiveness.
Thus his sins are expiated and his virtues remain intact and he
enters paradise. For this reason, the Prophet said: Among the
things you have been given, the least is firm faith and
determination for patience. Whoever is given a special share of
these two, has got faith even if he misses prayer at night and
fasting by day. Loqman advised his son: O dear son, action is not
possible except through firm faith in religion. A man cannot act
except in proportion to his sure faith and his action does not
decrease except when his sure faith decreases. Ihya ibn Muaz
said: Tauhid (monotheism) has got light and shirk (polytheism)
fire. The light of Tauhid for the sins of the monotheists is more
warm than the fire of polytheists for their virtues. Here light
means sure faith. God referred to those who have sure faith
several times in the Quran and pointed out also that through
faith they receive His blessings.
The reply to the question - What is meant by Yegqin or sure faith
is as follows. The philosophers and the scholastic theologians say
that its meaning is faith in objects beyond doubt. There are four
states of a person when he is eager to know the truth of a thing.
Firstly when truth and falsehood are equal in the mind of a person.
Such a state is called doubt. Secondly, if mind inclines more to a
thing out of the two states and if mind knows that it may be
otherwise, the first state will be stronger. For instance, if you are
asked about a man who is in your sight pious and God-fearing,
whether he will be punished or not, your mind inclines more to his
not being punished as there are outward signs of his piety. Never
the less you admit the possibility that something which requires
punishment has been concealed in his secret life. This admission is
mixed with your first inclination and creates in your mind
conjecture. The third state is that the mind is strongly inclined toa
thing and opinion adverse to it cannot come to it. This is called
I’teqad or belief approaching certainty. This is the conjecture of
the general public about religious matters.
82 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
The fourth state is sure or certain faith in a matter without the
least doubt in it. This is called ‘yeqin’. For instance, when a wise
man is asked: "Is there anything eternal in existence” he cannot
suddenly reply to it as the eternal thing is not subject to conjecture
or perceived by the senseg and it is not like the sun and the moon of
which the truth can be perceived by eyes. So the existence of an
eternal thing cannot suddenly be said to be true without thought.
The truth of an eternal thing is not such as the truth that two is
greater than one or as the truth that nothing can occur without a
cause. Knowledge of these things come out spontaneously without
the necessity of any thought. So true belief in the truth of an eternal
thing does not come spontaneously in the mind. Those who have
knowledge of an eternal thing tell the people of it and the people
believe it and stand on it. This is called I’tiqad or faith. This is the
state of allcommon people.
But there are such men who established the truth of an
eternal matter by such proof as follows. If there be no existence of
an eternal thing, then all things are originated or created. If all the
things are created, they come without cause or some of them
come to existence without cause. This is impossible and that
which leads to impossibility is itself impossible. Therefore the
mind is compelled to believe in the existence of something
eternal. All things fall under one of the three categories. 91) All
existing things are eternal, (2) or all existing things are originated
or created, (3) or somethings are eternal and somethings are
originated. If all things are eternal, the object is attained as the
truth of eternal things has been established by proof. But if all
things are created, it becomes impossible as the existence of a
thing becomes without a cause. In that case, either the first or the
third position is established. The knowledge thus obtained
through reasoning such as above or through the mind
instinctively as the impossibility of any created thing coming
into existence without a cause or through traditions as the
knowledge that there is existence of Mecca, or through
experimentation such as our knowledge that cooked scammony
is purgative, or through some evidences as we have already
stated, is called Yeqin or certain faith. The ordinary meaning of
Yeqir. is belief without doubt.
The second meaning of Yeqin is that of the jurists, sufis and
most of the learned men. It is not to look at a thing with
Vol-l KNOWLEDGE 83
conjecture or doubt. For instance, it is said that so and so has got
weak faith about death, although there is no doubt init. Another
instance is that so and so has firm faith in earning wealth,
although a time comes when he cannot even earn his livelihood.
Thus whenever anything prevails over the mind and enjoins one
to do and prohibits him not to do is called Yeqin or certain faith.
All people believe firmly about death and it is free from doubt,
but there are men who don’t turn their attention to it and there
are men who engage all their thoughts towards preparation for
death. Such men are called men of strong faith. For this reason,
some one said: I have seen nothing so certain and at the same
time completely unheeded as death. According to this, faith may
be described either with strength or with weakness. What I wish
to impress is that the object of the learned man of the hereafter is
to make his faith strong, certain and firm as it is a medicine of
doubt, so that it becomes so strong in his mind that it can rule
over him.
Thus it is clear from what has been described above that
Yeqin can be described in there meanings - as to strength and
weakness, increase and decrease and clearness and vagueness.
What the Prophets said from the first to the last is a subject of
certain faith. Yeqin is a work of special: Marfat. These matters
appertain to Shariat and Iam mentioning some of these matters
which are the roots of certain faith.
(1) TAUHID: This is to believe firmly that all things come
from the Cause of all causes, with no attention to the secondary
causes but to the First Cause. It is not to look to the means or
intermediaries but to the original and primary cause. It is that all
causes come from Him and that everything is within His control
and power. It is that everything is subject to His will and nothing
has got any will of its own. If one has got sure faith in this Tauhid,
his wrath on others, hatred for others and jealousy for others
vanish away and His will remains supreme in his mind. Then to
him, the means or intermediaries become like hand and pen. He
does not express gratefulness to hand and pen as he considers
them as weapons and means. This certain faith is highest in rank.
Then he understands that the sun, moon, stars, animals, plants
and all creatures are subject to His order, that the pen moves
under the control of the Writer who moves them. (2) From this,
his faith that God provides every man with subsistence grows
84 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
strong. God says: There is no moving animal in the earth whose
provision is not upon God (9 : 8Q). He believes that what has
been pre-ordained for him must come to pass. The result of
this certain faith is that he will not regret for anything he loses.
(3) Then he beliewes firmly in the following: Whoever does an
atom weight of good will find it and whoever does an atom
weight of evil will find it - (99 : 7). That is a faith of reward and
punishment. As there is connection of bread with satisfaction of
stomach and punishment with sins or poison with loss of life, so
he finds connection of good deeds with rewards artd of evil deeds
with punishment. As there is greed to satisfy hunger whether its
quantity is large or small, so he strives to do all acts of worship,
whether few or many. Just as a man avoids poison regardless of
quantity, so a man avoids sins, major or minor. Belief in its first
meaning is found among all believers, while certain belief of the
second meaning is found only in the favourites of God. The
stronger the faith, the stronger is carefulness and the more are the
religious actions.
Fourthly, he believes that God watches him in all
circumstances and sees his currents of thoughts in mind and
machinations of the devil. This certain faith is in accordance with
the first interpretation. The object is noble according to the
second interpretation as it is the faith of a Siddiq. In this case, he
observes all the ettiquits in loneliness as he observes them before
an emperor. For this reason, he makes his heart more pure and
clean than his body. In this condition, shame, fear, humility,
peace, modesty and all other praise worthy qualities appear in
him. So certain faith is the root and its branches are many.
(9) NINTH SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the
next world is that he becomes humble and adopts silence. The
effect of God-fear appears on his body, dress, character
movements, speech and silence. If any man looks at him, it
reminds him of God and his nature and character are proofs of
his actions. His eye is a mirror of his mind. The signs of the
learned man of the hereafter are recognised in his face,
tranquillity, modesty and freedom from pride and vanity. A
certain wise man said: God has not given a man with a garment
better than the garment of God-fear. It is the garment of the
Prophets, Siddiqs, pirs and the learned men. The sage Sahal
Tastari divided the learned into three classes. (a) One class are
as
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 85
those who are well acquainted with the commands of God but
not punishment of God. They are examined by lawful and
unlawful things. Such kind of learning is God-fear which cannot
be inherited. (2) Another class are those who have got knowledge
of the commands of God and His punishments and they are the
ordinary believers. (3) Another class are those who have
knowledge of God, His commands and punishments. They are
siddiqs, and God-fear and humility become strong in their
minds. Hazrat Omar said: Acquire knowledge and therefor
acquire tranquillity, gravity and patience. Humble yourselves
before your teacher and let your students do the same before you.
Be not among the proud learned men lest your knowledge
encourages ignorance. There is in a tradition: There are such
good man among my followers who rejoice getting the mercy of
God and weep secretly for fear of His punishment. Their soul is
in the earth but their wisdom is in the hereafter. They walk with
modesty and come close to God through the means of His grave.
Hazrat Hasan Basari said: Patience is the vizier of knowledge,
kindness‘its father and humility its garment. Bashr-b-Hares said:
If a man seeks to rule by knowledge, the nearness of God keeps
enmity with him, as he is detested both in heaven and earth.
There is a story that a certain wise man of Banu Israil composed
360 books on wisdom for which he was called Hakim (wise). God
then revealed to his Prophet: Tell so and so, the earth has become
full of your hypocrisy and you have not sought My pleasure
therein. So I accept nothing of it. The man became repentant and
gave it up. He began to mix with the people and roamed in the
streets befriending all the children of Israil and he humiliated
himself. God then revealed to their Prophet: Tell him: You have
now earned My pleasure.
It has been narrated that the Prophet was asked: O Prophet of
God, which actions best? He replied: To avoid evil and to make
your tongue wet with tlie remembrance of God. He was asked:
Which companion is best? He replied: The companion who helps
you when you remember God and reminds you when you forget.
He was asked: Which companion is worst? He replied: The
companion who does not remind you when you forget. If you
remember, he does not help you. He was asked: Who is the most
learned man among the people? He replied: The most learned
man among them is he who fears God most. He was asked:
Inform us about the best men among us, so that we may keep
86 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
company with them. The Prophet said: Those who remind you of .
God whenever they are seen. He was asked: Who are the worst
among men? He said: O God, I seek Thy pardon. They said: Tell
us, O Apostle of God. He said: The corrupt learned men. The
Prophet said: Those who have been the most God-fearing in the
world will be the most secure in the hereafter. Those who have
wept much in the world will laugh most in the hereafter. Those
who have suffered most in the world will be happiest in the
hereafter.
Hazrat Ali said in his sermon: This is my responsibility and I
‘am pledged for the following. The crops of nobody will wither if
they were planted with piety. The roots of no tree will get thirsty
if they were raised with righteousness. The most ignorant man is
he who knows not the honour of God-fear. The worst man to God
is one who gathers knowledge from every quarter and yet
remains covered in the darkness of trials. The worst man calls
such a man a learned man, while he has not lived a single day in
learning. He gets up in the morning from sleep and searches for
increase of wealth. He goes after greater knowledge little
knowing that a little knowledge of right kind is better than a
great deal of knowledge which detracts man from God. He lives
in doubts and scepticism like living in the spider’s web and does
never know whether he committed mistake or not.
Hazrat Ali said: When you hear the word of knowledge,
remain silent and don’t mix it with frivolous talks. It will yield no
fruit. Someone said: If a teacher possesses three qualities, gifts
become perfect on a student, patience, humility and good
conduct. When a student possesses three qualities, gifts become
perfect on a teacher, intelligence, good manners and keen
understanding. In short the qualities which the Quran mentions
are found in the learned men of the hereafter as they learn the
Quran for actions and not to acquire name, fame, power and
prestige. A certain wise man said: Five qualities inferred from
five verses of the Quran are the signs of the learned men of the
hereafter, God-fear, humility, modesty, good conduct and love of
the hereafter more than that of the world which is asceticism.
Fear of God is based on the following verse: Of His servants, the
learned fear God most (35 : 25Q). Humility is based on the
following verse: They are humble to God and they barter not His
verses for a small price (3 : 198 Q). Modesty is based on the
re
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE ~ 87
-following verse: And lower your wing for the believers (15 : 88Q).
Good conduct is based on the following verse: You have become
gentle to them on account of the mercy of God (3 : 153 Q).
Asceticism is based on the following verse: But they to whom
knowledge has been given said: Woe to you, the reward of God is
better for one who believes and does good deeds (28 : 80Q).
When the Prophet read this verse: If God wishes to guide
anyone, He expands his breast for Islam (6: 125), he was asked as
to the meaning of expansion of breast and he said: This is light.
When it is cast into heart, it expands. He was asked: Has it got any
sign? The Prophet replied: Yes, to be separate from this world of
deceit, to turn to the hereafter and to prepare for death before it
actually comes.
(10) TENTH SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of the
hereafter is that he studies the learning of practice and avoids
such leanings as destroy actions, keep mind anxious and provoke
evils. The root of religion is to be careful of evil deeds. For this
reason, a poet said:
Thave not known evil for evil’s sake.
Ihave not known it but to live.
He who is ignorant of the evil of men.
Falls un 0 italthough he is wise.
Hasan Basari was the man whose words had the greatest
similarity to those of the Prophet and whose ways of life nearest
‘to those of the companions. He was asked: O Abu Sayeed, you
utter such words which nobody knows except you. Wherefrom
have you got them? He said: From Huzaifah, Huzaifah was
asked: You utter such words which no companion heard except
you. Wherefrom have you got them? He said: From the
Messenger of God, He was always asked about good deeds but I
used to ask him about evil deeds, so that I may not fall therein.
The companions were want to ask the Prophet: O Apostle of God,
whatare the rewards of one who does such and such good deed$?
I used to ask him: O Apostle of God, what corrupts the deeds? So
Hazrat Huzaifa had special knowledge about hypocrisy,
hypocrites and subtleties of dangers and difficulties.
The natural way of the actions of the learned men of the
hereafter is to make efforts about the different conditions of heart
but this knowledge is now rare. Whenever anything of it is
88 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
presented to a learned man, he expresses wonder at it and says
thatit is the deception of one who believés sermons. A poet said:
"The true path is one out of many paths.
Very few are so journers to this path.
Their goal is obscure, they are unknown.
Slowly and steadily they march to their destination,
People are indifferent to their goal,,
Ignorant also are they of the true path."
It has been said that at Basra there were 120 men of scholastic
theology regarding speech and Zikr but there were only three
men regarding the knowledge of Yeqin or certain faith and the
conditions of soul and secret attributes. They were Sahal Tastari,
Shu’biand Abdur Rahman.
(11) ELEVENTH SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of
the next world is that he relies on his insight and knowledge
which enlighten his heart and not on books and what he learns
from others. His object of following is what the law giver said
and enjoined. The companions believed blindly what they heard
from the Prophet and they put into it practice. He from whose
soul screen has been removed and whose soul has been illumined
with the light of guidance is an object to be followed and he
should not follow others besides him. For this reason, Ibn Abbas
said: There is nobody except the Apostle of God whose
knowledge is not sometimes followed and sometimes rejected.
One sage said: We placed in our hearts and in our eyes what we
received from the Prophet. We accepted something of what came
from the companions and rejected something. Their successors
were mere men like ourselves. The companions were superior,
because they saw the circumstances under which the Prophet
had lived and saw with their own eyes the revelation of the
Quran and hence their rank is higher as their minds were imbued
with it. The light of Prophethood was so strong on them that it
saved them from many sins. They were not satisfied with the
words of others. Their minds were distant from books and
manuscripts which were not in vogue in their times, nor in the
time of their successors. These books were compiled firstin about
120 Hijra after the death of the companions and some of their
successors specially after the death of Hazrat Sayeed-b-
Masayyeb, Hasan Basari and other pious successors. Hazrat Abu
Bakr and one party of the companions did not like to collect even
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 89
the Quran in a book form for fear that the people would not
commit the Quran to memory and lest the people depend only on
this. Then Hazrat Omar and some companions gave advice to put
it in to writing. Thus Hazrat Abu Bakr had the Quran collected in
one book. Ahmed-b-Hanbal was critical of Malek for his
composition of Al-Muatta and said: He has done what the
companions did not do:
It has been said that the first books in Islam was written by
Ibn-Juray on dialects of the Quran and historical sayings based
on what he heard from Mujahed, Ata and the students of
Ibn-Abbas at Mecca. Then Moammer-b-Rashed composed a book
in Yemen on traditions and usages of the Prophet. Then came the
book Mutta of Imam Malek and the Jame of Sufiyan Saori. Then
in the fourth century many books on scholastic theology and
argumentation were written. When the people were inclined to
these books, Yeqin or certain belief began to diminish. Thereafter
the science of heart, research in to the qualities of soul and the
learning of safety from the stratagem of the devil began to
disappear. Thus it became the custom to call the scholastic
theologians and story tellers who embellished their words with
ornamentation and ryhmed prose. Thus the learnings of the next
world began to decrea“e.
(12) TWELVTH SIGN: Another sign of the learned man of
the next world is that he saves himself from innovations even
though the people are unanimous on innovations and novelties.
He is rather diligent in studying the conditions of the
companions, their conduct and character and their deeds. They
spent their lives in jihad, meditation, avoidance of major and
minor sins, observation of their outer conduct and inner self. But
the great object of thought of the learned men of the present time
is to teach, compose books, to make argumentation, to give
Fatwa, to become mutawalli of Waqf estates, enjoy the properties
of orphans, frequent the rulers and enjoy their company.
Hazrat Ali said: ‘The best of us is one who follows this
religion.’ In short if you follow the companions of the Apostle of
God, no blame will attach you even if you act in opposition to the
people of this age. Hazrat Hasan Basari said: Two innovators
have appeared in Islam, a man of bad judgment who holds that
paradise is for those whose judgment is like mine, and a rich man
who loves this world and searches it. Reject these two. God saved
90 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
the learned man of the next world from these two kinds of
persons.
The Prophet said: Word and guidance act two matters. The
best word is the word of God and the best guidance is the
guidance of the Prophet. Beware of innovation, because it is the
worst thing. Every innovation is here say and every here say is a
sin. Beware don’t think that the end will be delayed. Your hearts
may become hard. Whatever is ordained is impending. Beware,
what has passed will not return. The Prophet said in a sermon:
Blessed is he whose concern for his own faults keeps him away of
finding fault of others, who spends out of his lawful earnings,
keeps company with theologians and the wise and spurns the
sinners and the wicked people. Blessed is he who humbles
himself, makes his conduct refined, heart good and does not do
harm to the people. Blessed is he who acts up to his knowledge,
spends his surplus wealth, abstains from superfluous talks,
follows sunnah and does not introduce innovations.
Ibn Masud used to say: In latter days, good guidance will be
better than many actions. He also said: You are now in an age
when the best of you is one who is quick in doing good deeds, but
soon there will come an age when the best of you will be one who
will be firm in faith and remain silent to ward of doubt. Hazrat
Huzaifa said a more wonderful saying: Your good deeds of this
age are the evil deeds of the past age and the evil deeds of. this age
will be considered as good deeds of the next age. You will be in
good deeds till you know the truth. The learned man among you
will not conceal truth. He said the truth, because most of the good
deeds of this age were reprehensible at the time of the
companions. The good deeds of our age is the embellishment of
mosques, excess in ablution and bath, huge expenses in the
construction of buildings for mosques, spreading of soft and fine
rugs in mosques etc. The early Muslims seldom placed anything
for their prayer. Hazrat Ibn Masud truly said: You are living in an
age when passion is harnessed hy knowledge, but soon there will
come over you a time wherein passion will have priority over
knowledge. Imam Ahmad-b-Hanbal used to say: People have
discarded knowledge and followed strange things. How little is
their learning. God is our helper. Imam Malek said: In past times
people were not in the habit of questioning as they do
now-a-days and their learned men did never say that sucha thing
A a
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 91
is lawful and such a thing is unlawful and the question of
unlawfulness never arose, as their condemnation of unlawful
thing was open.
Abu Solaiman Darani said: Nobody who gets any
inspiration for something good should attempt to do it unless it is
conformed by a tradition. Let him then praise God for he has got
what was in his mind. When the Caliph Merwan introduced the
custom of a pulpit in the I’d prayer, Hazrat Abu Sayeed Khodri
said to him: O Merwan, is it not innovation? He said: It is not
innovation. It is better than what you know. Many people
assembled here. I wish that my sound should reach them. He
said: By God, you don’t know better than what I know. By God, I
will not pray to-day behind you. He declined to pray behind him
saying that the Prophet used to stand with a stick in his hand at
the time of I’d prayer and deliver sermon.
There is a well known Hadis: Whoever introduces such an
innovation in our religion which is not there is an evil man. There
is in another Hadis: The curse of God, angels and all people is
upon one who deceives our people. He was asked: O Prophet of
God, what is the deception of your people? He said: God has an angel
who proclaims every day Saying: He who oppresses the religion by
introducing an innovation in opposition to the usages of the Prophet
in relation to one who commits it, is like a man who changes the reign
ofa king in relation to one who opposes his particular order. The latter
crime can be forgiven but there is no pardon of one who changes the
regime. A certain learned man said: Truth is heavy. He who increases
it transgresses and he who decreases it fails and he who keeps
attached to it is satisfied. The Prophet said: Adopt the middle course.
He who goes in advance retards it and he who remains behind
advances. God says: Avoid those who make their religion a sport and
pastime (6 :69Q). God says: Have you seen one who considers his evil
as good and it appears to him alright?’ What has been introduced as
innovation after the companions and what is unnecessary appertain
to sport and pastime.
These are the twelve signs of the learned men of the next
world and every quality was found in the learned men of early
ages. Be therefore one of the two. Either be imbued with these
attributes or be repentant after admitting your sins and faults.
But never be the third one, as in that case doubt will arise in your
mind. If you take the weapons of the world in lieu of religion,
92 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
follow the conduct of the transgressors and if you take to
ignorance and refusal of faith, you will reside with those who are
doomed to destru. .ion and despair.
SECTION 7
INTELLECT AND ITS NOBLE NATURE
The noble nature of knowledge has been revealed through
intellect. Intellect is the source and fountain head of knowledge and
its foundation. Knowledge is like the fruit of a tree and it flows from
intellect, or like the light of the sun or like the vision of the eye. Why
should it not be honoured when it is the cause of fortune in this
‘world and the next? Whatis there to distinguish between beasts and
men except intellect? Even a ferocious beast which has got more
strength than man fears a man at seeing him as it knows thathe may
put him into snare on account of his intellect.
For this reason, the Prophet said: Just as the rank of the
Prophet upon his followers, so is the rank of an old man over his
people. This is not for his wealth or for his long body or for his
great strength but for his ripe experience grown out of intellect.
For this reason, you find the ignorant near the quarupeds and
they were about to kill the Prophet. But when they saw his noble
countenance, they feared him and there shone on their face the
brilliance of his prophethood although it was latent in his soul in
the same manner as intellect. My object is to show the honour of
intellect from the Quran and Hadis. Intellect has been termed as
Nur or light in the following verse: God is the light of the heavens
and the earth. His light is like a niche etc (24 : 35). He named
benefiting learning arising therefrom as spirit, revelation or life.
God said: Thus I have revealed to you spirit by My command
(42 :5Q). God said: Have I not given life to one dead and have I not
created light for him with the help of which he can mix with the
people - 6 : 122? Whenever God mentioned about light and
darkness, He meant knowledge and ignorance. God said: He will
take them from darkness into light (5 : 18Q). The Prophet said: O
people, acquire knowledge from your Lord and advise one another
with intellect. Know what you have been enjoined and what you
have been prohibited. Know that intellect will give you rank to your
learning. Know that intelligent man is who obeys God, although his
face is ugly, his body dwarf, his rank low and appearance shabby.
An ignorant man is he who disobeys God though his appearance is
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 93
beautiful, his body long, his conduct good and his speech fluent.
He who disobeys God is not more intelligent than an ape or a pig.
Don’t mix with those who received honour for love of the world
as they are doomed. The Prophet said: The first thing God created
is intellect. He said to intellect: Come near aru it came near. Then
He said to it Go back and it went back. Then God said: By My
honour and glory: I have created nothing in my sight more
honourable than you. Through you I take, through you I give,
through you I give reward and through you I punish.
Once a party of men were praising a man before the Prophet
and praised excessively. The Prophet asked: How is his intellect?
They said: We shall inform you after seeking his diligence in
prayer and other good deeds. Why do you ask us about his
intellect? The Prophet said: The ignorance of an ignorant man is
more harmful than the transgression of a sinner. On the
Resurrection day, a man will be raisedjto the rank of nearness to
God in proportion to his intellect. Tne Prophet said: Nobody
earns a better thing than intellect. It shows him path towards
guidance and saves him from destruction. The intellect of a man
does not become perfect and his religion firm till his faith does
not become perfect. The Prophet said: A man acquires the rank of
praying all nights and fasting all days through good conduct.
The good conduct of a man does not become perfect till his
intellect is not complete and when his intellect becomes perfect
he obeys God and disobeys his enemy the devil. The Prophet
said: Every thing has a root and the root of a believer is intellect
and his divine service will be in proportion to his intellect. Have
you not heard the words of the sinners in Hell: Had we heard and
understood, we would not have been the inmates of Hell.
Hazrat Omar asked Tamim Dari: What is the supreme
authority among you? He said: Intellect. He said: You have
spoken the truth, I had asked the Prophet as I asked you and he
had replied as you replied. Then the Prophet said: I asked
Gebrail: What is the main thing? He said: Intellect. Hazrat
Bara’a-b-Azeb said: I asked many things to the Prophet. He said:
O people, for everything there is a mainstay and the mainstay of
man is intellect. He who among you learns a thing by proof and
argument is the best in intellect among you. Hazrat Abu
Hurairah said: When the Prophet returned from Uhud. He heard
him say: So and so is such and such. The Prophet then said: You
94 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
have got no knowledge about these men. They asked: O Prophet
of God, how? He said: Each man has got rank according to the
intellect ‘God’ has given him. Their victory and their hope were
in proportion to their intellect. So they reached to their different
ranks. On the Resurrection Day, they will get those ranks
according to their intention and intellect.
The Prophet said: Angels have been earnest and diligent in
their obedience to God through their intellect, while the believers
among the children of Adam have endeavoured to that effect in
proportion to their intellect. He who is more earnest in obedience
of God’s commands is greater in intellect. Hazrat Ayesha asked:
O Apostle of God, for what thing do the people in the world get
excellence over one another? He said: For intellect. I asked: In the
next world? He said: For intellect. I asked him: Will they not get
their rewards in proportion to their actions? The Prophet said: O
Ayesha, do they act except in proportion to their intellect? Their
actions will be in proportion to their intellect and they will get
reward in proportion to their actions.
The Prophet said: Everything has got a weapon and the
weapon of a believer is his intellect. Everything has got a
mainstay and the mainstay of man is his intellect. Everything has
got a support and the support of religion is intellect. Every
people have got a goal and the goal of this people is intellect.
Every people has got a missionary and the missionary of the
worshippers is intellect. Every merchant has got merchandise
and the merchandise of the diligent is intellect. Every amity has
got a permanent house and the basis of the house of Siddigqs is
intellect. Everything has got a basis and the basis of the next
world is intellect. Everyman has got an offspring to whom he is
as crited and mentioned and the offspring of the Siddiqs to which
they are ascribed and mentioned is intellect. Every journey has
gota tent for shelter and the tent of a believer is his intellect. The
Prophet said He who is greatest in intellect among you is most
dearful of God and the greatest observant of what has been
ordered and prohibited even though he does not do much
optional worships among you. The Prophet said: The believer
whetis most load by God is he whose sole goal is to obey the
commands of God, to admonish His servasts,-to complete his
intellect and to admonish himself. He who a@@imeccording to that
for the few days of his life gets success and salvation.
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 95
TRUTH ABOUT INTELLECT
AND ITS DIVISION
Intellect is a word which has got four meanings.
First Meaning. It is an attribute for which man can be
distinguished from other animals. It shows the path to theoretical
learnings on mastering the abstract disciplines. Hares-b-Asad said
in defining intellect that it is a natural attribute by which theoretical
sciences are grasped and understood. It is like a light which falls in
to the heart and helps it to understand things. He who denies this
meaning and limits intellect to understand only the necessary
sciences is wrong, as he who is indifferent to the sciences and he who
is asleep are both classed by him in the same rank. They have got this
instinct though they are not learned. Just as life in them helps them to
move their bodies at sweet will, so also intellect is so much
intermingled with some men thatit helps them towards acquisition of
theoretical learnings. Had it been possible that the natural intellect,
sensation and power of understanding of a man and an ass are equal
with no difference, then it would have been possible that an ass and a
lifeless thing are equal regarding life with no difference. Just as
according to natural law, an ass has been helped with life, so
according to natural law, a man and a beast have been differentiated
in the matter of theoretical learnings by intellect. Intellect is like a
mirror which can be differentiated from other things having bodies
by their special attribute regarding form and colour. This special
attribute is a polisher. Forehead can he differentiated from eye as it
has not been given the special quality of sight as in case of eye. As
there is connection of eye with sight, so also there is the connection
of this natural quality of intellect with learning. Just there is
connection of sun’s rays with sight, so there is connection of Shariat
with intellect with a vigw to express and spread learning.
Second Meaning: According to this meaning, intellect is
wisdom which appears even in childhood, as a body knows by
instinct that two is greater than one, that and individual cannot
remain in two different places at the same time and that a lawful
thing is not the same as an meee tal thing.
Third Meaning: Intellect Theans according to this knowledge
acquired through experience. Thus he who is laugh by
experience and schooled by time is called a man of intellect and
he who lacks these qualifications is called ignorant.
96 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
Fourth Meaning: When the natural power of a man reaches
such point by which he can know th result of actions and for
which the present pleasure of sexual passion is controlled, it is
said that he has got intellect. Such a man is called an intelligent
man. Such a man acts not by dictates of passion but by the
ultimate result of an action.
The first meaning of intellect is its base and fountain-head. The
second meaning is its branch and near the first meaning. The third
meaning is the branch of the first and second meanings. The fourth
meaning is the ultimate result of intellect and distant goal. The first
twoariseas natural causes and the latter two are acquired.
Hazrat Ali said:
Knowledge is of two kinds, natural and acquired,
Acquired knowledge is useless without the other,
Just as the light of the sun rendered useless,
When the light of the eye is closed.
The first meaning is understood from the following Hadis.
The Prophet said: God has not created anything more
honourable than intellect. The fourth meaning is understood
from the following Hadis: When a man comes close to the doors
of religion and good deeds, he come close to intellect. The
Prophet said to Abu Dard’a: Increase intellect, then your
nearness to Lord will increase. Abu Darda’s said: May my
parents be sacrificed to you, how will it be in my case? The
Prophet said: Avoid illegal things prohibited by God and fulfill
the obligatory duties ordered by God, you will then become a
man of intellect. Do good deeds, your honour and fame will
increase in this world and you will gain for that proximity to
your Lord and honour in the next world.
Hazrat Abu Hurairah and others went to the Prophet and
said: O Prophet of God, who is the most learned of men? He said:
The wise. They asked him: Who is the best worshipper among
men? He said: The wise. They asked him: Who is the most
excellent of men? He said: The wise. They asked him: Is not he the
wise man who is best in conduct, whose eloquence is
well-known, whose hand is full of charity and whose rank is
exalted? The Prophet said: These are the treasures of the life of
the world but the hereafter is for the God-fearing. The wise man
is God-fearing though he is abject and despised in the world.
Vol-I KNOWLEDGE 97
The Prophet said: The wise man is he who believes in God,
believes in His Prophet as true and obeys His commandments. It
appears from this that intellect is the name of natural instinct. It is
however applied to knowledge as a thing is known by its fruit. A
learned man is one who fears God, as fear of God, is the fruit of
learning. Thus the word intellect, if applied to any fruit, becomes
like a natural attribute. Knowledge does not come from outside.
It lies under intellect as a natural course. It is like water hidden in
earth. If a well is dug, water comes out of itand no new thing is
poured over it. Similarly there is oil latent in almond seeds and
otto in roses. To this effect, God says: When your Lord took out
progency from the children of Adam from their backs and then
took witnesses ‘Am I not your Lord’ they all said: Yes - 7: 171 Q.
This means confession of their souls, not verbal promise by
tongue. God says about this matter : If you ask them "Who
created you," they would certainly answer "God" (43 : 87Q). In
other words, their souls will bear witness about it God says; The
natural religion of God upon which He created men (30 : 29Q). In
other words, the natural religion of every man is upon a thing
that he should have faith in one God and know the natural
attribute of each thing. In other words, this attribute is latent in
him. So Iman or faith is hidden in the heart of every man.
Viewed from this angle, men are of two kinds. To one kind of
men Iman was presented but they forgot it and they are
unbelievers and to another kind of men who cultivated their
souls and remembered it. These people are like those who forgot
a thing after remembering it and afterwards it is reminded to
them. God says for this : So that they may remember (14 : toQ).
that those with understanding may remember (38 : 28Q).
Remember the gits of God upon you and your convenant with
Him (5 : 10) I have made the Quran easy for rememberance. Is
there any one who will remember it (54 :17Q)?
Soul is like a horseman and body like a horse. The blindness
of the horseman is more serious and harmful than that of the
horse. The power of internal insight is more than that of external
sight. Thus God said : His soul fulfilled not what he saw-53 : 18Q.
And thus I showed Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and
earth - 6 : 75Q. The opposite of inner light and insight is blindness.
God says : It is not the eyes that are blind but the souls which are in
breasts-22:45Q. God says : He who is blind in the world will be also
\
98 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
blind in the hereafter. These secrets were revealed to the Prophet,
some through insight and some through sight and both were
called sight. He shose insight is not ripe, acquired nothing but
husk of religion. These attributes are called intellect.
INTELLECTUAL DISPARITY OF MEN
As the lands are of serval kinds, so also there is disparity of
intellect in different individuals by instinct. This disparity of
intellect in different indviduals is also understood from a
tradition. Abdullah-b-Salam narrated that the Prophet at the end
of a long sermon described the Throne and stated that the angels
asked God : O God, hast Thou created anything greatter than the
Throne? He said: Yes, intellect. They asked: How great is it? He
said : Alas, your intellect cannot grasp it. Can you count the
number of sands? They said : No. God said : I have created
intellect in different minds as numerous as sands. Some men
have been given one grain, some two, some three, some four,
some over one Farq, some one Wasq and some more.
This disparity of intelleft is found in all its meanings as
knowledge, such as the thing that two are greater than one, that
an object cannot reamin in two different places at the same time
or that a thing cannot be both eternal and originated. Intellect
with reference to the three other meanings is subject to disparity.
With regard to the fourth meaning of intellect, namely
controlling power, disparity of men is clear and evident. For
instance the power of control of appetite and sexual passion is
different in diffefent individuals even it is different in the same
individual at different stage of life. A wise man will be able to
overcome appetite more easily than an ignorant and illiterate
man. A young man may fail to overcome sexual appetite but
when he grows old, he is able to do it.
The disparity is also due to the differences in knowledge of a
subject. Thus a man having special knowledge of medicines may
refrain from some harmful foods whil a lay man fails to do that
simply because he lacks in medical knowledge. Similarly a
learned man is more competent to give up sin than an ignorant
man.
-O-
paar pee eine
CHAPTER II
SECTION 1
FOUNDATION OF BELIEF
Praise be to God, the Creator, the First, the Last, the Doer of
whatever. He wills, who guides His servants towards the true
path, who makes Himself known to men that He exists by
Himself without any partner, He is single without any associate,
the Eternal without any before Him and without any beginning,
the Everlasting without any end. He is the First, the Last, the
External and the Internal, the Al-Knowing. The following beliefs
aboutGod is necessary.
(1) To believe in His Transcendence. He is without body
and form, free of restriction, limitation and resemblance, not
divisible. Nothing is like Him and He is not like anything. He is
not limited by measure, space and time. He is free from diligence,
rest and change. Everything is in His grasp. He is above Arsh,
above heaven and above everything. He is nevertheless helow
the deepest depth. Yet He is near, very close to a thing, nearest to
the jugular vein of a man. He fs not in anything and nothing is in
Him. He is beyond space and beyond time. He is now as He was
before. He expresses Himself through. His creatures and not by
existence. He is free from change, increase or decrease.
(2) To believe in His power and existence. He is Everliving,
Al- powerful, Almighty, fhe great Destroyer. He is free from
faults and failures, slumber, sleep, disease, death. He is the Lord
of the entire universe, angles and of everything. The heavens are
rolled in His hands. He is unique in creation and unrivalled in
ever new creations. He fixed the provision and death of created
being and nothing can escape from His power. His power and
might are above counting. :
(3) To believe in His Knowledge. His knowledge is without
limit and He knows everything. Whatever happens between the
deepest abyss of the earth to the highest heaven is within His
knowledge. The smallest atom in the earth or in heaven is not
outside. His knowledge. He knows the creeping of an ant and on
a solid stone in intense dark night or in the movement of a moste
in the air. Everyting open and secret is within His knowledge :
Every thought in mind, every contrivance of the devil and every
100 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
thought good or bad is within His knowledge. His knowledge is
eternal and unlimited without any increase or decrease and
without any defect.
(4) To believe in His will. Nothing comes into being small or
great, good or evil, benefitting or not benefitting, faith or
infidelity, known or unknown, profit or loss, sin or virtue
without His order, power and will. What He will comes into
being. What He does not will comes not into being. Not a glance
of the eye, not a stray sudden thought in mind is outside His will.
He does what He wills. There is none to rescind His command,
there is no obstacle to it. There is no refuge of one who is
disobedient to him. There is none to follow His command
without His will. If mankind, jinn, angels and devil want to
remove an atom from its proper place, they won’t be able to do it
without His will. His will lies naturally in His attributes which
are unlimited. There is no precedence or subsequence of any
event from its appointed time.
(5) To believe in His hearing and sight. He hears and sees.
His hearing and sight are all pervading. Nothing however scanty
can escape His hearing and nothing however subtle can go from
His sight. Distance is no bar to His hearing and seeing, rather
distance and nearness are all equal to Him. Darkness can not
obstruct His sight. He sees without eyes, cathces without hand
and creates without instrument. His attributes are not like those
of the created beings as His being is not like that of the created.
(6) To believe in His words. God speaks without sound. It is
eternal, ancient and self-existing unlike the talks of the created.
His talk is without sound. It has got no connection with
circulation of air. It does not take the help of words and
languages through the movement of lips. The Quran, the Bible,
the Gospel and Psalms are His created books to His Prophets. The
Quran is recited by tongue, written in papers and preserved in
heart, nevertheless it is eternal existing with the eternity of God.
Hazrat Moses heard His words without sound and language and
the righteous will see Him in the hereafter without body and
space.
(7) To believe in His actions. There is no creator of actions
except He and nobody is outside His judgment. He created
everything in its best of make and form and no other form is
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELJEF 101
better that in. He is wise in His actions and justin His judgments.
His justice is not comparable to that of men. Whatever exists in
the world, men, jinn, angels devils, heaven, earth, animals,
plants, inanimate things comes out of nothing but by His power.
He existed in eternity by Himself and there was nothing along
with Him. Tereafter He originated creations not because of His
necessity. He has got no fatigue or languor. Whatever He does is
from a sense of justice, not of oppression or injustice. Obedience
to Him is binding on all His creatures and He expressed it
through His Prophets. He gave them miracles and conveyed His
injunctions and prohibitions through them.
(8) To believe in the other words. It is to attest to the
prophethood of Muhammad. God sent the unlettered Quraishite
Prophet Mahammad as an apostle to all the Arabs and
non-Arabs, to the jinn and men and by his law he abrogated all
other laws. He gave him superiority to all other Prophets and
made him leader of mankind and did not make complete any
faith with the words of Tauhid till it was followed by the
attestation that Muhammad is His servant and apostle. He made
compusolory to believe whatever he said about this world and
the next world. He does not accept the faith of a man unless he
believes in these articles of faith along with the following.
(a) To believe in Munkar and Nakir. They are two terrible
angles. They will make the dead one sit up with his soul and body
and ask him about his religion and his Prophet. This is the first
examination after death. (b) To believe in the punishment of
grave as true. (c) to, believe in the Balance with two scales and a
tongue the magnitude of which is like the stages of heaven and
earth. Therewith the actions of men will be weighed. The weight
would be like a mote or mustard seed to establish exact justice.
(d) To believe in the Bridge. It is a bridge stretched ever Hell,
sharper than the edge of the sword and thinner than a hair. The
feet of the unbelievers will slip and they will fall down into Hell.
The feet of the believers will be firm upon it by the Grace of God
and so they will cross it to paradise. (e) To believe in the
Fountain. It is a fountain of the Prophet. The believers will take
drink from it and enter paradise after crossing the bridge.
Whoever will drink therefrom once will never be thirsty. Its
water will be whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. There
will be so many pitchers around like so many stars in firmament.
102 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(f) To believe in the judgment. Some will render little account,
some great and some will enter paradise without account. They
will be in the neighborhood of God. Those who believe in Tauhid
will come out of Hell after their due punishment in Hell. (g) To
believe in the intercession of the Prophets then the learned, then
the martyrs, then the rest of the believers. They will have the
right of intercession in proportion to their ranks to God. (h) To
believe in the goodness of the companions, first of Abu Bakr, then
of Omar, then of Osman and then of Ali. You will have good idea
about them and praise them as God and His Apostle praised
them.
EXCELLENCE OF BELIEF
What has been said above about belief is applicable to a boy
in his early years in order than he may commit them to memory.
_Its meaning will be gradually unfolded to him. The first duty of a
*boy is to commit them to memory, then to understand them and
then to believe them and then to know them as certain and sure. It
comes to his mind as a matter of course without proof. The root of
faith of the ordinary people is Taqlid or blind belief on authority.
True it is that the belief which is based on authority, is not free
from some weakness, but when it is certain and sure, it becomes
perfect. To achieve this end, one should not resort to scholastic
theology but to reading the Quran, Tafsir and Hadis and to
understand their meaning because in that case the light of divine
service appears in him, and the advices of the pious, their
company, their character and conduct, their God- fear and their
asceticism spread effect in his mind. Instruction to the boy is like
the sowing of seed in his heart. The above actions are like the
serving of water and tending the seed. It grows, becomes strong
and thrives in to a tree and its root becomes strong and firm and
its branches rise high. The boy should also be guarded against
argumentation and speculation as their harms are greater than
their benefits. To make faith strong by argumentation is like
striking a tree with an iron matter. To teach by proof is one thing
and and to see proof by eyes is another thing. It the boy wants to
be included within the travellers of the hereafter with Taufiq or
God’s grace as his friend, the doors of guidance are opened up for
him till he remains engaged in attions attached to God-fear and
restrains himself from passions and lusts making efforts in
discipline and self mortification. Owing to these efforts, a light
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 103
from God falls in his heart as God says: Whose strives for Us, We
shall guide them in our paths, for God in assuredly with those
who do right —29:69Q. That is the most valuable jewel and the
ultimate goal of the saints and favourites of God. That is the
secret matter which rested in the breast of Hazrat Abu Bakr and
for which he was superior to all others. The expression of this
secrecy has got different stages. 't will be open to one in
proportion to ones efforts and strivings and the more one makes
his soul clean and pure. It is like the learning of the mysteries of
medicines, jurisprudence and other science. They differ in
proportion to the differences of intellect and knowledge. As there
is no limit to these stages, there is also no limit to the degrees of
secrets.
—oO—
SECTION 3
PROOF OF BELIEF
Iman or belief is founded upon four pillars, each of which has
got ten bases.
(1) FIRST PILLAR: It is the knowledge of essence of God and
it is established upon ten bases. They are the knowledge and
belief that God is existing, eternal, ancient, without form,
without body, without length and breadth, without any special
direction, occupying no space, object of vision of the next world
and He is one without any partner.
(2) SECOND PILLAR: It is to have knowledge of His
attributes and to believe them. It is founded on ten bases—He is
Al- powerful, Al-knowing. living for ever, willing, hearing,
seeing, speaking, eternal in words, knowledge and will and free
from changes of events.
(3) THIRD PILLAR: It is to have knowledge and faith in His
works which are established over ten bases. They are that men’s
actions are created, willed and fixed by God, that He is kind to
creatures free from imposing works beyond power of men, that
He punishes men, does what He wills, that there is nothing
obligatory on Him, that He sent apostles and that our Prophet
was helped by miracles and that his prophethood will last till the
day of Resurrection.
104 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(4) FOURTH PILLAR: It is to believe in the things accepted
on authority and it is based on ten things. It is to believe in the
truth of Resurrection, questions by Munkar and Nakir,
punishment of grave, the Balance, the Bridge, Paradise, Hell, the
true Imams, excellence of the companions in accordance with
chronological order and qualifications of being an Imam.
FIRST PILLAR
The basic principles of faithfor knowledge of God
(1) The first basic principle is to have knowledge of the
existence of God. The first light which illuminess faith and the
first thing to be followed is the Quran and there is no word better
than the word of God. God says : Have I not made the earth a
couch, mountains its tents? I have created you of two sexes and
ordained your sleep for rest. night as a mantle and day for
gaining livelieood. I created above you seven solid heavens and
placed therein a burning lamp and | sent down waters in
abundance from clouds that I night bring forth by it corns and
herbs and gardens thick with trees—78:6. God says : In the creation
of the heaven and the earth and in the alternation of night and day
and in the ships which pass throught the sea with what is useful to
man and in the rain which God sends down from heaven, giving life
by it to the earth after its death and by sacttering over all kinds of
earth and in the change of the winds and in the clouds that are made
to do service between heaven and earth, are signs for those who
understand—2:159. God says : Don’t you see how God created the
seven heavens one over the other, placed therein the moonas a light
and the sun as a torch and God caused you to spring forth from the
earth like a plant, He will turn you back in to it again and will bring
you forth again—71:14 God said : Don’t you see the germ of life? Is it
you who created it or I? I have decred death among you and | shall
not be overcome to change you forms and create you what you
know not—56:58:
It is clear that if he who has got a little intellect and ponders
over these verses and looks to the wonderful creations of the
heavens and the earth will realise that without a great Designer
these workmanships are impossible. The human soul naturally
testifies that God exists and that everything is governed by His
Laws. For this reason God says : Is there any doubt about God,
the Creator of heavens and earth (14 : 11) ? The Prophets were
Vol-l FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 105
therefore sent by Him to call the people towards monotheism
there is no deity but Got’. They were not commanded to say : For
us there is one God and for the world another God, because such
a thing was inborn in their minds from the time of their births.
God said. If you ask them who has created the heavens and the
earth they will reply ’God’. God said : Turn your face then
towards the true faith, the natural religion whereon God created
men—30:30. There fore there are testimonies of the Quran and
human nature which are sufficient proofs. All other proofs are
unnecessary but still we shall prove by the proof of knowledge
that God exists.
PROOF OF KNOWLEDE
A new thing cannot come into existence without a cause.
The would is an originated new thing and it did not come into
existence without a cause. That a thing cannot come into
existence without a cause is clear, for such a thing belongs toa
certain definite time and it also comes to our intellect that it
comes at a fixed time without precedence or subsequence,
because of the urgency of its fixed time. The world is a new or
orginated thing. Its proof is found in the fact that it is not free
from motion and rest which are the characteritics of every new
material thing. Even motion and rest are two new orignated
things not free from changes. The world and whatever exists in
it are originated things. There are three matters in this
argument. Firstly, a body is not free from motion and rest. It
requires no meditation. Secondly, motion and rest themselves
are originated things. Its proof is that one comes after another.
It is found in all bodies. What is static can move and what is
moving can become static according to the dictates of intellect.
If any of the above two things is predominant over the body, it
becomes a new event. A new thing is originated because of its
emergence an old thing is distant because of its extinction. If
the eternity of a thing is established, its extinction is
impossible as we shall prove it by the subsistence of the
Creation. Thirdly, what is not free from changes is an
Originated or new thing or whatever is not indepedent of
Originated things is itself originated. Its proof is that if it were
not so, the world before every new thing may change which
has got no beginning and unless these new things come to
nought, the turn for the-present new things to come into being
106 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
would never come. But it is impossible for a thing which has no
end to come to nought.
Another reason is that if there is no end of the motion of
heavenly bodies, three conditions would arise —their numbers
would be either odd or even, or both odd and even or neither odd
or even. The last two are impossible, as positive and negative are
united therein, since the affirmation of one is the negation of
another and negation of one is the affirmation of another. They
cannot be even, as even number comes odd by the addition of
one. That which has no end cannot be even without change. They
cannot be odd, because the number becomes even with the
addition of one. How can it change into odd when its number has
gotno end? They cannot be even or odd as it has got no end. From
this, it is concluded that the world is not free from changes and
therefore it is an originated thing. When it is an originated thing,
it requires a Creator to bring it into existence.
(2) The second basic principle is the knowledge that God is
eternal. He has got no beginning and no end. He is the final of
everything and before everything living or dead. Its proof is this.
If He were an originated thing and not eternal, He would have
need of a Creator who would also have need of a Creator. Thus it
would have continued without end. Whatever comes in
succession ends in an ancient creator which is the first. For this
reason, the Creator is the First and the Last, the Creator of the
world and its Fashioner.
(3). Third basic principle. It is that God is everlasting
wihtout end. He is the first and the last, the open and the secret.
When the attribute of eternity has been established, his end
becomes impossible. Its proof is this. If He had an end, He would
have remained in two conditions, either he would come to
nought by Himself or through an oposing annihilating agent. If it
is possible for a thing which is self-existing to come to nought, it
is also possible for that thing to come into existence. The reason is
that if a thing requires a cause to come to existence, it also
requires a cause to come to nought. It is not possible that a thing
comes to nought after meeting with an opposing agent. If that
thing which comes to nought is eternal, how does the form of
existence of a thing become? It is not also possible. than an
originated thing coming before an eternal thing loses its identity
and existence. God is eternal as we have learnt it from previous
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 107
discussions. How then did He exist in eternity with His opposite?
If the opposite is an originated thing, its existence from eternity is
impossible.
(4) Fourth basic principle. It is that God is wihtout form not
occupying any space and free from space, motion and rest. Its
proof is this. Every form occupies a space and moves and stays in
it. Body has got motion and rest which are the characterof
originated things. What is not free from changes is an originated
thing. If any form is limited by space and is eternal, it is
understood that the sustance of the creation of the world is
eternal. If a man says that God has got body and occupies space,
he commits blunder for using such word and not for its meaning.
(5). Fifth basic principle. It is that God is not comoposed of
abody having different substances. When He does not occupy
any space, He has got no body as every body is limited by space
and composed of different substances. The substances of the
body are not free from division, composition, motion, rest, form
and quantity. These are the qualities of an originated thing. If it
were possible to believe that the Creator of the world has got a
body, then it would be possible to attribute divinity of the sun
and the moon and other heavenly bodies. If a designer wishes to
make a body without the substance of body, he will commit
mistake.
(6) Sixih basie principle. God has got no length and breadth
as these are attributes of a body which is an originated thing. Its
Creater exised from before it. So how would He enter in a body as
He existed by Himself before all originated things and there was
nobody along with Him. He is Alknowing, Almighty, Willing
creator. These attributes are impossible for a body. He is not like
any worldly thing, rather He is ever-living, ever-lasting and
noting is like Him. Where is the similarity of the Creator with the
created, the Fashioner with the fashioned? Hence it is impossible
thatanything is like Him.
(7) Seventh basic principle. It is that God is not confined
within any direction as he created direction, either above or
below, right or left. front or behind. He created two directions for
man, one rests on earth called the direction of feet and one above
his head. What rests above head is above and what rests below
feet is below. To an ant, below the roof, the above portion is it
108 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
lower side and the lower side is it upper side; though they are
contrary in our case. He created for man two hands, one right
hand and another left. Accordingly there is right hand direction
and the left hand direction. Then there are front direction and
back direction. When direction is an originated thing, how can
He be governed by that ? Along with the creation of men,
directions have been created. There is nothing above God,
because He has got no head and the word ‘above’ is connected
with head. There is noting below Him as the word ‘below’ is
conneted with feet and God has no feet. If He is above the world,
there is a direction opposite to itand every opposite thing has got
a body like it or similar to it. But God is free from it. He is unique,
He is the Designer.
(8) Eighth basic principle. It is that “od is soated upon His
Throne, that is upon power. It is not inconsistet with the attribute
of His grandeur and the symptoms of origination and
annihilation. This is what is meant by the following verse of the
Quran : Then He ascended to heaven and it was then but
smoke—41 : 10. It means his dominion and power as the poet
said :-
Bishr has gained power in Iraq.
Without sword and shedding blood.
The people of truth accepted this interpretation as the people
of untruth were compelled to accept the interpretation of these
words of God : He is with you wherever you are (57:4). This
means that He encompasses everything. This is supported by the
following Hadis: ‘The hea ‘ of a believer in is with two fingers of
the Merciful,’ meaning within His power or might. It is also
supported by the following Hadis : ‘The Block stone is the right
hand of God in the earth,’ meaning it is established on honour in
the earth. If its meaning is taken literally, the result would be
impossible. His taking rest on the Throne means this. If it is taken
literally, it becomes possible to believe that He has got a bod» and
the Throne is also a body limited by space. It is impossible.
(9) Ninth basic principle. It is that although God is free from
form,, space and direction, He is an object to be seen in the
hereafter as He said : On that day shall faces beam with light
looking towards their Lord—75 : 22. He is not visible in this
world as God said : Vision does not comprehend Him, but He
er ee. =
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 109
comprehends vision—6 : 103; also because of the following verse:
God addressed Moses saying : You cannot see Me—7 : 139. don’t
understand how the Mutazalites hold that God is visible in this
world also though Moses could not see Him. Insight is a kind of
Kashf and knowledge, and Kashf is more clear than knowledge.
When God has got connection with knowledge and not with
direction, He has got connection also with insight without any
direction. As God sees His creation though not in front, the
creation also sees Him though not in fornt. As it is possible to
know Him without modiality or form, it is also possible to see
Him likewise.
(10) Tenth basic principle. It is that God is one without any
partner, single without any like. He is unique in every new
creations, innovations, and inventions. There is nothing like
Him. The Quran says : Had there been any other god therein, they
would have gone to ruin—21 : 22. If the first God willed
something, the second would have been compelled to him. This
means that he would have no supreme power. If the second is to
oppose the first, he would be powerful and the first would be
weak rather than an almighty God.
SECOND PILLAR OF FAITH
God’s attributes based on ten principles.
(1) First basic principle. It is that God is Almighty as He said:
He is powerful over all things—15 : 120. He is truthful as the
world is perfect with His designs and well regulated. He who
sees a garment of silk of which the weaving and texture are fine
and says that it has been made by a dead man or a man who has
got no power, would be lacking in natural inteNect and is utterly
foolish.
(2) Second basic principle. It is that whatever exists is within
His knowledge and under His control. Even an atom in heaven
and earth is not outside His knowledge. He is truthful in all His
promises and has got knowledge of everything. This is attested
by the verse : Does He not know who has created ? He is subtle,
cognisant—77 : 14. Take this proof by your intellect that there is
nothing like of what He created with wonderful design. This
shows the deep knowledge of the Designer and wonderful
intricacies. He is the end of praise and guidance as He described
Himself. :
110 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(3) Third basic principle. It is that God is everyliving,
because it has been established that He has got knowledge and
power and that He has got life. If it were conceived that a
powerful and knowing designer is without life, then it is possible
also to doubt the lives of animals inspite of their motions and
rest. This is height of foolishness.
(4) Fourth basic principle. It is that every action happens
according to the will of God. In other words every existing thing
lives according to His will. He is the orignal Creator and repeats
creations and whatever He will,s He does. When every action
happens according to His will, the opposite thing also comes into
being according to His will.So power leads His will ta two
different directions.
(5) Fifth basic principle. It is that God is hearing and seeing
and it is impossible to evade His sight and hearing. He is the
bridge of mind and lies secretly in thoughts and reflections. The
thinnest sound of the creeping of a black ant on a solid stone in
the deep darkest night does not evade His hearing. How will it
not be when His sight and hearing are perfect beyond doubt and
there is no decrease of this power? How can the power of the
created become perfect in relation to the power of God? How can
a designer become perfect in relation to the great Designer? How
can a portion become equal to one whole?
(6) Sixth basic principle It is that God speaks without words
and sounds and letters. It does not resemble the speech of other
beings. In reality His speech is speech of the mind. Just as speech
of mind has got no sound or words, so His speech has got no
sound or words. A poet says:-
Speech is of the mind
Tongue is the vehicle of mind.
He who cannot conceive it is a fool. Pay no attention to one
who does not understand that the eternal is that before which
nothing existed. Thus in the word, ‘Bismillah’ the word ‘B’
precedes ‘S’ and consequencty ‘S’ cannot be eternal. God has got
a secret for leading some men astray as He says : There is no
guide for one whom God misguides—13 : 33. Whose thinks it
impossible that the Prophet Moses heard God’s words which had
no sound or words, it becomes impossible for him to believe that
he will see in the next world such a thing as has got no body
}
t
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 111
though he understands that a thing can possible by seen which
has got no colour, body or size, even though he has not seen such
a thing. Similarly conceive of hearing what is applicable to sight.
If you understand that God has got knowledge of everything,
understand it also that along with His being, He has got attribute
of speech. Understand also that all the words represent His
speech. If it is possible to conceive of the existence of the seven
heavens Paradise and Hell all written in a small piece of paper
and that Taqdir of men is preserved in the minutest part of heart
and seen with an eyeball without the things existing in the eye
ball, it is also possible to concevie of the speech of God as being
read with tongue, preserved in mind, written in paper, but the
essence of speech does not come down on these things, because if
it comes down on paper on account of writing, then the essence of
fire would come down on paper on account of its writing and
would burn it.
(7) Seventh basic principle. It is that the words emanting
from God are eternal along with His attributes, since it is
impossible that He is subject ot change. Rather it is necessary that
His attributes should become eternal as His being is eternal. He is
without change and without novelty. He exists with His
attribiutes from eternity. What is not free from change is _
originated. Origination is an attribute of body as it is subject to
change and the attribute of body is also subject to change. How
can the Creator be sharer with it in the attribute of change? For
~ this it can be said that He is eternal, His words are eternal but our
words and sounds are new and originated.
(8) Eighth basic principle. It is that His knowledge is eternal.
Whatever occurs in His creation is within His knowledge from
eternity and not his new knowledge. Whenever any animal is
born, His knowledge about it is not new but eternal and ancient.
For instance, if I know that zaid will come at sun-use, his arrival
at sun-rise and to welcome him would be owing to that
foreknowledge and not for any new knowledge The eternal
knowledge of God should be understood in this way.
(9) Ninth basic principle. It is that His will is eternal. His will
to make an event at the appointed time has got connection with ©
His eternal knowledge, because if there is rise of a new will, it
remains confined to the place of event. If His will rises in another
object and not in His being, He cafyhot will just as you can not
112 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
execute an action which is not in yourself. How can you do it
when it depends on the will of another which again depends on
the will of another and so on to infinity and there is no end of it. If
it is possible for a will to come into being without another will, it
would be possible for the world to come into being without a
will.
(10) Tenth basisc principle. It is that God is wise by His
knowledge, living with His life, mighty with His power, willing
with his will, speaking with His words, seeing with His light and
hearing. These attributes belong to His eternal attributes. If one
says that He is wise without wisdom, his words will be like those
of aman who says that he is wealthy without his wealth, learned
without his learning and the object of learning. Learning, object
of learning and the learned man are inseparable, as murder
murderer and one murdered are in separable. As murder can not
be conceived without the killer and one killed a learned man
cannot be concevied without learning and an object of learning.
THIRD PILLAR OF FAITH
Knowledge of the action of God involving ten principles.
(1) First basic principle. It is the knowledge that every event
in the world is His action. creation and invention. There is no
creator of it except He. He well regulated the creation and gave it
its due power and motion. All the actions of His servant are His
creations and keep connection with His power, confirming
thereby His words-God is the creator of everything—9 : 102. God
created you and what you make—37 : 96. Whatever is your
conversation, hidden or open, He truly knows the innermost
recess of your hearts.” "What ! does He not know when He has
created, when He is the subtle, the cognisant” He ordered men to
take precaution in their actions, words, secret matters and
thoughts as He knows the orientation of their actions and gave
proof of His knowledge by creating creations. How will He not
be the Creator of the actions of men when He-has got full power
without any decreae? His power is connected with the
movements of men. All motions are similar and are connected
with power of God. What then would prevent its connection in
the case of some actions and would not prevent it in the case of
other actions when all are similar? How could animals be
independent of the Creator when the wonderful workmanship of
spiders, bees and other animals amaze the wisest and intelligent
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 113
minds? Who has got power of spaciality in these creations except
God? Then animals themselves donot know of the benefits they
produce. So they cannot be called the cause of workmanship
Now think that all creations bow down to One who is the Creator
of the heavens and the earth. '
(2) Second basic principle. It is that God being the Creator of
the power of men, does not prevent them from doing voluntary
actions by way of acquisition, for God created power and -ne
container of power, choice as well as the container of choice.
Power is an attribute of a man though it is the creation of God and
not acquired by man. Motion is also the creation of God and an
attribute of man acquired on the strength of power, because the
power with which he was created is his attribute, but motion is
connected with the attribute of power and for this reason of
connection, it has been named power of motion. The power of
motion is not the result of compulsior on any man as he can move
according to his will and knows the difference between
compulsion and volition. How can this motion be his creation
when he does not know the different parts of acquired actions
and their numbers? When these two matters are disproved,
namely the matter that actions are the result of compulsion and
the matter that they are the result of volition, there remains the
middle position which is this that actions are voluntary in a fixed
manner through power of God by invention and through the
power of a man by acquisition. God has no necessity of keeping
connection with the container of power in the matter of creation
because the power of God is eternal and its connection with the
world is eternal.
(3) Third basic principle. It is the knowledge that though the
actions of man are his acquisitions, they are nevertheless not
outside the will of God. Neither a twinkling of an eye, nor a
sudden rise of thought in mind in the visible and invisible world
occurs except through His order, power and will. Good or evil,
benefit or loss, belief or infidelity, knowledge or ignorance,
success or failure, guidance or misguidance, sin or virtue, Shirk
or Iman come from Him. There is none to reject His command,
none to disobey his decree, He guides whom He wishes and
misguides whom He whishes. There is none to question Him of
what He does, but the people will be questioned (21 : 33). All say :
What He’ wills occur and what he does not will does not occur.
114 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
God says : If God willed, He would have guided all men aright
13:30. Had I wished, I would have given every soul its guidance -
31: 13. He who thinks that God does not will sins and evils as
they are evils and that it is the devil who wills them is cursed.
Tell me how a Muslim can deny the supreme rule of God. If the
power of a village chief is curtaited, he will think it
dishonourable. He will think it derogatory to his position if
actions are conducted according to the wishes of his enemy in the
village. The result will be that many will be out of his control.
Now it is seen that evil deeds are predominant in men. If every
sin is done against the will of God, God’s helplessness is seen.
When it is established that all actions of men are creations of God,
it follows that the evil actions are also the result of His will.
Question may be asked how God commands to do what He
does not wish and how He prohibits what He wishes. In reply we
shall say that command is one thing and will is another thing.
Thus if a master beats his salve, the ruler rebukes the master for
beating his slave. The master shows reason that his slave does
not obey him. Asa proof he orders his slave to arrange the bridle
of his horse before the ruler though he knows that the slave will
not obey it. If he does not order him, his objection before the ruler
does not stand and if he wishes that his order should be obeyed it
amounts to his murder. It is impossible.
(4) Fourth basic principle. It is that God is generous in
inflicting trouble on men by His commands. Neither creation,
nor imposition of obligations is necessary for Him although the
Mutazalites hold that they were necessary for the welfare of men.
But this is impossible since He is the only being to enjoin and
prohibit. How will it be limited by compulsion? The object of
compulsion is one of two things, such a work which if given up
will cause harm in future as it is said that it is compulsory on men
to obey God who will punish him in the hearafter by the fire of
Hell: or it is to avoid such present harm which is injurious as it is
said that to drinik water for a thirsty man is compulsory so that
he may not die. Secondly it is such a work the negation of which
seems impossible. Thus it is said that the existence of a thing
which is known is necessary because if it does not exist, it
becomes an impossibility. If it occurs, knowledge becomes
ignorance.
'
‘
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 115
(S ) Fifth basic Principle. It is that God can inflict on man
what is beyond his capacity. It were not possible, it would have
been impossible for men to pray for removing it. The people
prayed : O our Lord, lay not on us that for which we have no °
strength-2:246Q. This is against the belief of the Mutazalites.
(6 ) Sixth basic Principle. It is that God is free to punish a
man inspite of his virtues and to reward a man inspite of his sins.
The Mutazalites hold the contrary view. God has got freedom of
actions among His servants and it is impossible that His servants
will oppose His freedom. Tyranny means to dispossess a man
from his possession but it is impossible i in the case of God as He
does not dispossess others in view of the fact that the kingdom of
heaven and earth is His. It is proved by this. Slaughter of
animals is infliction of pain on animals and men. Various
tortures inflicted on animals have not been proceded by any
offence or crimes committed by the animals. If itis said that these
animals would be raised up again and awarded for this which is
incumbent upon God, then we would say:that every ant killed
under feet and every bug crushed would be brought back to life. ~
It would violate the dictates of reason and law as nothing is
incumbent upon God. _
_ (7) Seventh basic Principle. It is that God does with regard
to men what He wills and it is not incumbent on Him to do
whatever is good for them. It has already been stated that
nothing is compulsory on God but His dealings are not
intelligible to men, because there is nobody to question Hlim
what He does but men are subject to questions. ‘The Mutazalites
Say that it is incumbent upon God to do whatever is salutary for
men.
(8) Eighth basic Principle. It is that to have knowledge of
God and to obey His commands are compulsory on men, not on
account of the reason as the Mutazatities say, but on account of
Shariat. Shariat declared poisonous serpents beyond death,
while reason in realising that what Shariat foretells thinks it
possible and urges that precautions should be taken against'arty
possible punishment. But reason itself does not lead to that
knowledge of harm. If a man warns by saying : A lion stands
behind you, he should at once take to his hecls without searching
reason.
116 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(9 ) Ninth basic Principal. It is that sending Prophets to men
is not impossible. Some say that there had been no use in sending
-them, because reason renders it unnecessary. This is false,
because reason does not support the actions which will lead to
salvation in the hearafter just as it does not guide them to discuse
the medicines which are useful for health. The necessity of
Prohets for men is like that of the physicians for men. The
integrity of the physicians is known by experience and the
truthness of the Prophets is known by miracles.
(10) Tenth basic Principle. It is that God sent Muhammed as
the last Prophet and as an abrogator of all previous laws of the
Jews, Christians and the Sabians and God helped him with opem
miracles and wonderful signs, such as splitting up the moon into
two parts, the praise of the pebbles causing the mute animals
to speak, water flowing from his fingers etc. The open miracle
with which he guided the Arabs is the Quran, as the beauty of
the language throughout the Quran is unparalleled and the
Arabs could not surpass it inspite of their eloquence and
rhetoric. Though the Prophet was illeterate and did not learn
how to read and write, yet God informed him in the Quran
about the histories of the previous nations. The informations
which he gave about the previous nations in the Quran being
an illiterate person, the prophecies he made about the future
events and the clue he gave to the unknown things are his
miracles. For instance God says : You will enter the sacred
mosque if God wills having your heads shaved and your hair
short—48:27. The verse : The Romans have been vanguished in
a land nearby but after their defeat they will defeat them in a
few years—30:1. The object of these verses is to prove the truth
of the messenger of God by miracles.
FOURTH PILLARS OF FAITH
To believe the Hadis of the Prophet involving
ten basic Principles
(1) First basic Principle. It is to believe in the Resurrection of
the dead and the Day of judgment as in the traditions. It is a
settled fact like the beginning of our creation. God said : People
say : Who shall give life to bones when they are rotten? Say, He
shall give life to them who gave them life at first—36:78. The
beginning of creation is the proof of its resurrection. God said :
Your creation and your resurrection are like a single soul—31:27.
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Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 117
Resurrection is the second stage of men and is possible like the
first stage of creation.
(2) Second basic Principle. It is the question of Munkar and
Nakir which has been mentioned in traditions and therefore to
believe it is compulsory. The second life will be in such a place
where he willbe questiond. This is possible naturally, as the
stiliness of the dead man’s corpse nor its failure to hear the
questions put to it will refute it, bcause a sleeping man is openly
still and dead-like but his soul feels pain and and pleasure at that
time in dream. Its effect can beseen when he wakes up from sleep.
The Prophet used to hear the words of Gebriel and see him but
the men surrounding him did not hear his words or see him. As
God did not give them such power of sight and hearing, they did
not see and hear.
(3) Third basic Principle. It is to believe in the punishment of
the grave as it have come in Shariat. God said : They will be
exposed to Me morning and evening and on the Resurrection
Day. The supporters of Pharaoh will be given severe
punishment—40:49. This is possible and to believe it is
compulsory. Animals have got special organs to feel pains and
pleasure even though they are eaten by ferocious animals.
(4) Fourth basic Principle. It is to believe that the Balance is
true. God said : I will set up just balance on the judgment day-
21:48. God said : Those whose balances will be heavy will get
salvation, and those whose balance willbe light will be losers
—7:7.
(5) Fifth basic Principle. It is to believe in the Bridge which is
spread on the back of Hell, thinner than a hair and sharper than
the edge of a sword. God said : Guide them to the bridge of Hell
and tell them to wait there, as they will be questioned—27:23. It is
possible, because He who make the birds fily in the horizon can
take the people to travel on the Bridge.
(6) Sixth basic Principle. It is the belief that Paradise and
Hell have been created by God. God said : Vie in haste for pardon
of your Lord and a Pradise, vast as the heavens and the earth,
prepared for those who fear God—3 : 127. This proves that
Pradise and Hell are created. ;
118 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(7) Seventh basic Principle. It is to believe that the rightful
Imams after the Prophet are Hazrats Abu Bakr, then Omar, then
Osma, and the Ali and that the Prophet's attention was not upon
any particular Imam. As to the struggle which took place between
Muwayiah and Ali, it was the result of differences of opinion to
discover truth by Ijtehad. Hazrat Muwayiah did not do it for
leadership. Hazrat Ali considered that the mode of punishment of
the murderers of Osman was to be belated as they got relations in
the army. Hazrat Muwayiah considered that their arrest was better
as their influence might help further blood-shed.
(8) Eighth basic Principle. It is to believe the excellence of the
companions in accordance with their chronological order in
which they succeeded the Prophet and the real excellence is in
the sight of God and that it did not come to anybody except to the
Holy Prophet. Several verses to that effect in praise of the
companions were revealed and there are a number of traditions.
(9) Ninth basic Principle. It is to believe that an Imam, in
addition to his qualifications of his being a Mulsim, mature and
intelligent must have five other qualities—(1) he must be a male,
(2) he must be a God fearing man, (3) he must be learned, (4) he
must be competent, (5) he must belong to the tribe of Quraish as
the Prophet said : The leaders are from the Quraish. When these
qualities are found in a man, he is fit to become an Iman or ruler
provided majority of the people swear allegiance to him. Those
who oppose the majority of the people are rebels and it is
incumbent to bring them under control.
(10) Tenth basic Principle. It is that if a man who is invested
with the. power of rule is found lacking in God fear and learning
and if there is fear of distrubance and trouble in case of his
removal, then his rule will stand, because if he is removed, two
conditions will arise. (1) Another man will be reinstated in his
place or the post will remain vacant. In the first case, the harms
* which will be caused to‘ the Muslims in general will be greater
than the harms of one who has got no God fear and learning in
him. The qualties of leadership are for the greater good of the
people.
These four pillar involving forty basic principles are the
articles of belief. He who believes in these things follows Ahle
Sunnat or the people of the ways of the Prophet.
Vol-I ‘FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 119
SECTION 4
RULES. OF ARTICLES OF BELIEF
This section comprises three questions—(1) significance of
the words ‘Belief’ and ‘Islam’, (2) whether belief increases and
decreased, (3) and the meaning of ‘belief’ pocorsins to the early
Muslim sages.
(1) First question. There is difference of opinion regarding
the meanings of Islam and Iman, but there are three questions in
that connection—(a) literal meanings of the words (b) their
technical meaning in the Quran and traditions and (c) functions
of the terms according to jurisprudence.
(a) Literal meanings. Iman means belief or confirmation of
truth. God said : You have not brought faith in Me—12 : 17,
meaning you do not believe Me as true. Islam means submission
and surrender and avoidance of unbelief, rebellion and
disobedience. Heart is the special seat of Iman or confirmation of
truth and tongue is its interpreter. Islam means submission and
surrender and confirmation by tongue. The word ‘Islam’ is more
comprehensive and ‘Iman’ is a special term. Iman is a part of
Islam. Iman is Islam. but every Iman is not Islam.
(b) The second question relates to interpretation of the
words Iman and Islam. Shariat used the words in three diffrent
ways both (a) in one meaning, (b) in two meanings, or (c) in two
meanings mixed together. (a) The one meaning is supported by
the verse : I have taken out the believers who were in the city and
I did not find in it but only one house of Muslims—51 : 35. In fact
there was only one family of Muslims. God said :O my people, if
you believe God, then put your trust in Him if you are
Muslim—10:84. The Prophet said : Islam is built upon five pillars.
He answered it when questiond about Iman. (b) As to the two
meanings of the words, God said : The desert Arabs say : We have
believed. Say, you have not believed, but say : We have accepted
Islam—49:14. This shows that they surrendered outwardly.
Gebriel once asked the Prophet : Whatis Iman and what is Islam ?
The Prophet replied in two different meanings. These meanings
are mixed together. Islam is the work of mind, words and actions.
while Iman is an action of mind or to confirm truth by mind.
120 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(c) the third meaning relates to rules of Shariat which
governs the two terms : One relates to the hereafter and another
to this world. The former is to bring out men from Hell fire and
not allow them to remain there forever. The Prophet said : Whose
has in his heart the belief to the weight of an atom will be brought
out of Hellfire. What sort of Iman is this ? Some say it is inward
belief and some say it is verbal confession. Some Say it is actions
according to Islam. It is again said that he who combines in
himself all these three elements will be taken out of Hell. With
regard to the second element, a man will also be taken out of Hell
although he committed some major sins. He is called Fasiq or a
great sinner. The third element is confirmation of faith by mind
and attestation by tongue but not followed by action. Regarding
confirmation of truth by mind at death before verbal confession
by tongue, sucha man also will betaken out of Hell as the Prophet
said: He who has an atom of belief in his heart will be taken out of
Hell. Regarding verbal confession by tongue of Kaleima
Shadadat but not confirmation by mind, there is no doubt that
such a person will remain forever in Hell.
(2) Second question. Iman is subject to increase and
decrease. It increases by good deeds and decreases by evil deeds.
There is existence ofa thing which has got increase or decrease
and nothing grows or diminishes of itself. So there is existence of
Iman which increases by good deeds and decreases by evil deeds.
God says : He increased their belief God says : In order to
increasse their belief along with their belief. The Prophet said :
Belief increases and decreases. This law is applicable to every
attribute of mind. Mind appertains to the unseen spiritual world
and the actions of organs appertain to this world. There is subtle .-- -~
tie between these two worlds and some men think that the two
worlds are the same. He who has seen both the worlds perceived
the real nature of things. This is the first meaning. Regarding the
second meaning of increase and decrease of belief, the Prophet
said : Belief has got more than seventy branches. He also said :
When a fornicator fornicates, he ceases to be a believer at the
time. So there is action along with belief which shows that it
increases and decreases. Regarding its third meaning, it is sure
and certain belief which can be seen by Kashf, expansion of
breast and deep insight. Mind is not satisfied till it has got faith
like the fact that two is more than one, that fire burns and that the
world is created. So this isthe highest stage of belief after increase.
Vol-I FOUNDATION OF BELIEF 121
(3) Third question It is with regard to the answer I am a
believer if God wills’ on a question put to one—"Are you a
believer"? The reply should! not be "I am a true believer or I am
abeliever to God". These qualifications are correct or put forward
for four reasons, two of them come from doubt and two donot
come from doubt. The first reason which does not come form
doubt is the care taken for fear of showing oneself pure. God
says: Don’t inpute purity to yourself. God says : Have you not
seen those who hold themselves to be righteous 4 : 52? A certain
wise man was asked : What is detestable talk ? He said : To prasie
oneself. The second reason for the use of these qualifications is
courtesy and to entrust all actions to the will of God. God says, by
way of instruction to the Prophet (18 : 23): Don’t say of anything :
‘I will do it tomorrow’ without saying if God wills.’ The third
meaning keeps connection with doubt when one says : ama true
believer if God wills. There is doubt whether the man is a perfect
believer because God said: True believers are those only who
believe in God and His Apostle and afterwards do not doubt and
who fight with their lives and properties for the cause of God.
These are the truthful—9%4 : 15. It has been expressed also in
verses—2 : 172, 58:12, 57 : 10. The Prophet said : Belief has got
seventy branches. The fourth reason arises also from doubt. It is
the fear of bad end, for no one knows what will be his end, good
or bad.
These are therefore the different reasons for qualifying
answer to the question : Are you a believer ?
Le 2 on
CHAPTER III
MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS
The Holy Prophet said : Religion is founded on cleanliness.
He said : Cleanliness is the key to prayer. God said : Therein there
are men who love purity and God loves the pure—9:109. The
Prophet said : Cleanlines is one half of belief. God said : God
desires to make you clean and to complete His favours on
you—5:7. ,
Those who possess insight understand by these sayings that
the most important thing is the purification of the heart. If the
tradition ‘cleanliness is one half of faith is limited only to the
external cleanliness of physical organs by water and not also-to
the purification of the heart which may entertain evil designs and
- thoughts, its meaning then will be distant and it is impossible.
PURITY HAS GOT FOUR STAGES
(1) The first stage is the purification of the external organs
from excrements and filths. (2) The second stage is the
purification of the bodily organs from sins and faults (3) The
third stage is the purification of the heart from evil traits and evil
vices. (4) The fourth stage is the purifications of the innerself
from everything except God. This is the stage of the Prophets and
the saints. Every item of cleanliness is half of action, because the
object of the actions is the glorification and greatness of God. In
realjty God’s knowledge is not attained unless the heart is
purified of all things other than God. For this reason, God said :
Say ‘God’ then leave them to play in the useless falks—6:91.
There can be no two things in mind at the same time and God also
has not created two minds in the same man. The object of the
actions is to adorn the mind with praiseworthy qualities and
religous firm faith. It is well known that the mind will not be
adorned with those aualities till the blameworthy evils and false
faith reign in it.
To purify the mind from these evils comprises half of its
actions and the first half is pre-requisite for the second. In this
sense, purity is said to be half of belief. So to purify the bodily
limbs from the prohibited things is the first half and to strengthen
it with religous acts is its second half. These are the stages of
Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 123
belief and every stage has got its rank. Nobody will attain a
higher stage unless he first goes through the lower one. He can
attain real purity of heart till he purifies it from the blameworthy
vices and adorn it with the praiseworthy qualities. He can’t
purify the heart till he purifies his organs from prohibited things
and makes it firm with religous acts. The more honourable is the
object, the more difficult is the attainment of that object. The
longer is the road that leads to it, the greater are the obstacles.
Don’t think that this can be attained with ease and without
efforts. He who is blind to these stages of purity will not
undersand the above mentioned four stages. He will understand
the lowest stage of cleanliness. It is like the outer husk of a crop or
like skull in relation to brain. He understands that the outer
cleanliness is the desired object and makes exaggeration in it and
spends much time and wealth in abstersion (Istinja), in
cleanliness of cloth, body and in the use of water and thinks that
the noble puity comprises these outward and external
cleanliness. The early Muslims concentrated their entire
attention and energies on the puification of their hearts and were
lenlent in their outward cleanliness. Even Hazrat Omar, being
placed in a high position, made abbution with the water from a
jar which belonged to a Christain woman. The companions were
accustomed not to wash their hands after eating from the
remains of fat and food but to wipe them out against the arches of
their feet and regarded the use of soap as innovation. They used
to say prayer kneeling and prostrating directly on the ground in
the mosque and walk barefooted on the roads. They used to use
pebbles after calls of nature.
Abu Hurairah and some immates of Suffa said : We ate meal
and, when the prayer time came, we wiped our fingers against
thepebbles and proceeded to say prayer. Hazrat Omar said : We
did not know the use of soap at the time of the Prophet and the
hollows of our feet were, our towels. It is said that the first four
innovations after the Prophet were the use of sieves, soap, tables
and eating to satiety. The efforts of the companions were towards
the purification of the heart to the extent that some one among
them said : It is better to say prayer with shoes than without shoes
because when the Prophet look off his shoes with uncleanliness
at the advent of Gabriel, the companions also took off their shoes.
He told them: Way have you taken off your shoes? One of them
named Nakhyi said : Perhaps someone in need may pass by and
124 MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS Vol-I
take these shoes. In fact, they walked barefooted, sat on the mud
and sand, prayed directly on the floors of the mosque. They used
to eat bread of coarse wheat which the animals trod with their
feet and sometimes polluted with their urine. They made no
efforts to avoid small impurities.
These things have now changed. The people termed
cleanliness for ironed cloth and say that it is the foundation of
religion. One group spend most of their times in beautifying
their bodies just like a new bride but their minds are full of evil
thoughts, pride, self conceit, ignorance, show and hypocrisy. He
who cleanses with-stones after calls of nature, walks barefooted
in mud, prays in mosque on the floor, walks on the rugs without
leather over shoes or makes ablution with water belonging to an
old woman, is attacked furiosuly and he is termed as impure.
The following are three matters of external purity—(1)
purification from impurities, (2) purification of the body from
excrements and (3) purification from bodily growths. such as
pairing of nails, cutting off hairs, circumcision, removal of the
hairs of pubes and the like.
SECTION 1
PURIFICATION FROM IMPURITES
There are three matters in this, the things to be removed, the
means of removal and the meaning of removal. That which shall
have to be removed is of three kinds inanimate objects, animate
objects and parts of animate objects. As to inanimate objects, all
are pure except wine and intoxicating things. As to animate
objects, all except dogs and pigs and their young ones are pure.
when an animal dies, it becomes impure except five-locusts, fish,
worms in foodstuffs, dead animals which have no flowing blood
like flies, beetles and the like. Asto purity from inanimate objects,
it is of two kinds, the first is what is cut off from an animal and its
law is the same as that of dead bodies. Hair is not impure. Bones,
however, become impure after death. The second is what is
changed after entering into body. They are all impure. What
emits from the body not after change is pure, such as sweat and
tear. Things which have a fixed seat and are subject to change are
impure. suchas saliva, mucus of nose except the seedof of life like
Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 125
semen, eggs. Blood, pus, feces, urine are impure. Nothing is
exempted of these impruites except five things (1) the remains of
odour after abstertion with pebbles are exempted, (2) whatever
cannot be avoided, such as mud in the streets and the dust of
dung inspite of their impurity is exempted, (3) what is attached
to the leather socks of impurites of the streets is exempted after it
has been wiped against earth. (4) the blood of fleas and the like
little or much on shirt is exempted except when it goes beyond
the oridinary limits. (5) and the blood of itches and pimples is
exempted.
THE MEANS OF REMOVAL OF IMPURITIES
The means of removal of impurities are either condensed or
liquid things. The condensed or solid things are pebbles of
be hard, pure, dry and free from illegality. Liquid thing is water
with which impurities are cleansed. Only pure water can remove
impurities. The water, when mixed with impure thing and
changing not its colour is pure, but if its colour taste and adour
are changed, it becomes impure. The Prophet said : When water
is sufficient to fill two pitchers, it carries no impurities, if less, it
carries impurities and does not remain pure. This is applicable in
case of stagnant water. If flowing water mixes with impure
things and does not remain pure. This is applicable in case of
stagnant water. If flowing water mixes with.impure things and
becomes changed, it becomes them impure.
Some incidents together with urgent need and necessity
strengthen the belief that only change in water was, taken into
consideration by the Prophet. The following words of the
Prophet support it : Water was created pure and nothing
makes it impure except that which changes its colour, taste
and smell.
MANNER TO REMOVE IMPURITIES: If the impurity is
not a matter of touch, itis sufficient to run water over all its parts.
If the impurity is physical, it should be removed. If its taste
remains, it indicates the persistence of the physical matter. The
same is true of the persistence of colour. If it sticks, it is exempted
provided it is thoroughly rubbed. If taste persists, the persistence
of its physical matter is perceived.
126 MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS Vol-I
SECTION 2
PURIFICATION OF BODY FROM EXCREMENTS
It comprises abstersion, ablution, bath and purifiaction with
sand. We are now stating the manner of their performance in the
prescribed order. The following are the rules of answering the
calls of nature. If one is pressed by calls of nature, he should go
from the view of men and take shelter behind something. He
should not uncover his private parts before he sits down and
should not face or keep back Ka’ba sun or moon but there is no
harm when he is within a room. He should not sit in a meeting
place of the people, urinate in stagnant water, under a fruit tree,
or ina hard surface and windy place, He should sit on his left leg.
When entering a room, he should advance his left leg first and
then his right leg and should not urinate while standing. Hazrat
Omar said : While I was urinating standing, the Prophet told me:
O Omar, don’t pass urine standing. Hazrat Ibnul Mobarak said :
There is no harm in urinating in abathroom if the water goes out
flowing. The Prophet said : Let nobody among you urinate in a
bathroom and then make ablution as many machinations come
from it. None should take with him anything which contains the
name of God or His Apostle. On entering rodm, he should say : I
seek refuge to God from the accursed devil, the filthy, they
impure, the abominable, the pernicious. On leaving it, he should
say : All prise is due to God who has removed from me what was
harmful to me and left for me what is useful. Before sitting, he
should take pebbles with him. He should not wash his private
part with water in the first place. He should take utmost pains in
cleansing his penis from urine by shalking it to and for three
times. Hazrat Salman said : The Prophet taught us everything
even how to cleanse after calls of nature. He prohibited us to clear
with bone, or dung or face the Ka’ba.
MANNER OF ABSTERSION
He will perform abstersion wtih three stones. If the orifice is
cleansed there with, it is good and if not more stones may be
used. The Prophet said : Let one who uses stones use odd
numbers. He shall take stones in his left hand, place it in the fore
part of his orifice and run it over with horizontal and circular
motions to the rear part. Thus it will continue from the rear part
to the fore part. Taking the third stone, he should run it around
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Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 127
the orifice. He should then move to another place and perfrom
the act of abstersion with water. At the end of abstersion, he
should say : O my God, purify my heart from hypocrisy and
make my private part pure from indecencies. he should then
wipe his hand against earth or wall till odour is removed
therefrom. The use of stones and water are both desirable. It is
related that when God revealed the verse (9 : 109) : "Therein are
men who love purity and God loves the pure,’ the Apostle of God
said to the people of Quba : What is the purity for which God has
praised you ? They said : We are accustomed to use both stones
and water after calls of nature.
MANNER OF ABLUTION
He shal] commence with the use of tooth stick. The Prophet
said : Your mouths are the pathways of the Quran. Cleanse them
therefore with stick. The Prophet said : Prayer after the use of
tooth stick is better than prayer without its use by seventy five
times. He said : Had it not been difficults for my followers, I
would have ordered them to use tooth stick before every prayer.
He said : Why should I not see you with yellow teeth ? The
Prophet was accustomed to use tooth stick several times every
night. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : The Prophet has so repeatedly
commanded us to use tooth stick that we thought that soon a
revelation would come for its use. The Prophet said : Use tooth
stick, as it purifies the mouth and please God. Hazrat Ali said :
Use of tooth stick increases memory and removes phlegm. The
companion of the Prophet used to keep tootch stick in their ears
even at the time of journey.
It is desirable to use the tooth-stick before every prayer and
every ablution, before and after sleep, after eating anything of
unpleasant smell. After the use of tooth-stick face the Ka’ba for
ablution and then say : In the name of God, the Merciful, the most
Compassionate. The Prophet said : There is no ablution for one
who does not take the name of God, that is complete ablution. He
should then wash his hands three times and should say :O God, I
ask Three for luck and blessing and seek refuge to thee against
ill-luck and destruction. He shall rinse his mouth thrice with
water and say afterwards : O God, help me to read Thy Book and
glorify Thy name. Then he shall take up water and cleanse his
nose thrice and say : O God. grant me to enjoy the fragrance of
pardise while Thou art pleased to promise it with me. At the time
128 MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS |, Vol-I
of throwing dust from nose, he should say : I seek refuge to
These from the stench of Hell and from the evil of the world.
He will then wash his face thrice from ear to hear and from flat
portion of head to the fore part of the chin. As he washes his
face, he should say : O God, make my face white and bright
with Thy light on the day when Thou will make the faces of
Thy friends bright. He should then wash his arms upto the
elbows three times. The believers will come on the
Resurrection Day with brightness on their foreheads, writs
and ankles from the effect of ablution. The Prophet said :
Whose is able to cleanse the fore part of his head, let him do so.
He should then wipe his head by soaking his hands in water.
Thrice he should do it and say : O God, cover me with Thy
mercy and shower upon me Thy blessings. He shall then wipe
his ears both outside and inside with fresh water thrice. He
should then wipe his neck with fresh water because the
Prophet said : Wiping the neck from behind will save one from
breach of trust on the Resurrection Day. Then he should wash
his right foot thrice and left foot thrice. When he will finish
ablulion thus, he should raise his head towards the sky and say
: I testify that there is no deity but God. He is one and there is
no patner for Him. I testify also that Muhammad is the servant
and Apostle of God.
There are several undesirable things in ablution—to wash
each limb more than three times. The Prophet said : Whoever
goes beyond three times transgresses. He said : soon there will
appear among my people those who will exaggerate in ablution
and invocation.
EXCELLENCE OF ABLUTION: The Prophet said : Whoever
makes ablution well and prays two rak’ats of prayer in such a
way that nothing of the world occurs in his mind, goes out of his
sins in such a manner that he comes out as it were from the womb
of his mother. The Prophet said : Should I not inform you what
atones sins and raises ranks ?—performing ablution in distress,
to step towards the mosques aid to wait for the next prayer after
a prayer. This the "bond". He repeated it three times. The Prophet
said after washing each limb: God does not accept prayer except
this ablution. He performed ablution after pouring water twice
on each limb and said : God will reward him twice. He performed
ablution of each limb thrice said : This is the abluation of the
Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 129
Prophets before me and of Abraham. The Prophet said : Whose
remembers God at the time of his ablution, God purifies his
whole body and he who does not remember God, is not purified
except those places where the water was applied. The Prophet
said : Whose makes ablution after ablution, ten merits are
recorded for him. The Prophet said : Ablution after ablution is
like a light. The Prophet said : When a Muslim in ablution rinses
his mouth, the sins come out of his mouth. When he blows his
nose, the sins come out of his nose. When he washes his face, the
sins fall down from his face, even from his eye brows. When he
washes his two hands, the sins fall down from his two hands,
even from be neath his finger-nails, when he wipes his head, the
sins comes out of his head, even from his two ears. When he
washes his feet, the sins come out of his feet, even from beneath
his toes. Then he goes to the mosque and prays. Those become
additional. There is in another tradition : One who makes
ablution is like a fasting man. The Prophet said. Whose performs
ablution well and then says looking to the sky : I testify that there
is no deity but God and He has no associate and I testify that
Muhammad is the Apostle of God, eight gates of Pardise are
opened up for him and he will enter therein through whichever
gate he wishes.
MANNER OF BATH
One shall place the vessel with water to his right and then
after taking the name of God wash his hands thrice and remove
any impurity he has from his body. He shall then perform
ablution in the manner already described with the exception of
washing of feet. He shall then pour water on his head thrice, over
the right side thrice, over his left side thrice. He shall then rub his
body infront and back including beard and hairs. He is not
required to make ablution after bath provided he has performed
it before bath.
Bath is compulsory in four cases, in case of emission of
semen, in case of copulation, after masturbation and after
child birth. Other baths are sunnat, such as baths on two I’d
days, Friday, at the time of Ihram, at the time of waiting at
Arafat, at the time of entry into Mecca, on the last three days of
pilgrimage, at the farewell circumbulation, at the time of
conversion to Islam, after recovery from swoom and after
washing a dead body.
130 MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS Vol-I
MANNER OF TAYAMMAM
The manner of purification with sand is as follows. If the use
of water does harm to a person, if water is not found on search, or
if there is danger in reaching the place of water such as fear of
ferocius beast or fear of enemies, or if the water is even
insufficient to quench thrist, or if the water is in possession of
another and the price is high, or if he is ill, or has got wound and
water will do harm, then he should wait till the time of
compulsory prayer comes. He should then proceed to use pure
soil with intention of Tayammam. He should put his right palm
over the sandy soil and lift it to his face, wipe it and intend to
observe prayer. It should be done only once. Then he shall again
place his left plam over the sand and wipe his right hand and
then place his right hand to the elbows over the sand and then
wipe his left hand up to the elbows. By this Tayammam, only one
prayer ata time can be done.
SECTION 3
CLEANSING THE EXTERNAL BODILY GROWTHS
AND DISCHARGES
These are of two kinds, the discharges and the wet excretions
of the body and bodily growths. These excretions are eight in
number.
(1) That which attaches to the hairs of head such as dirt and
lice should be removed by washing, combing and the use of
ointment. The Prophet used to oil his hairs and comb them on
every alternate days and ordered his followers to do the same.
The Prophet said : Oil your hairs on every alternate days. He also
said : Let one honour his hairs. It means : Keep them clean of filth
and arrange them. Once a man came to the Prophet with
dishevelled hairs and fuffled beard and he said : Has he got no oil
wherewith to arrange his hairs ? Then he said : One of you comes
as if he is a devil. (2) Filth which collects in the holes of ears. This
filth should carefully be caleansed. (3) Filth in the nose should be
removed by inhaling and exhaling. (4) The filth which collects
between the teeth and the tip of the tongne should be removed by
tooth stick and the rinsing of mouth. (5) Filth which attaches to
the beard should be removed and the beard should be combed.
There is a well known tradition that the Prophet either at home or
Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 131
in journey never parted with his tooth stick, comb and mirror.
Hazrat Ayesha said that the Prophet said: God loves a man who
' adorns himself whenever he goes out to meet with his brethren.
(6) The filth which collects in finger joints should be removed and
the Prophet ordered his followers to cleanse them specially after
eating. (7) The filth which collects in nails of fingers should be
_Temoved. The Prophet ordered that the manicuring of nails,
plucking the hairs of armpits and shaving the pubes should be
done once every forty days. Once revelation stopped coming to
the Prophet. When Gebrail came to him, he asked him the reason
and Gebrail said : How can revelation come to you when you
have not cleansed the filth from your knuckls and nails and filth
of mouth by toothstick? (8) Filth of the whole body collected
through perspiration and dust of path ways should be removed ,
by bath. There is no harm to enter public bath room for that.
SECOND KIND OF FILTHS -
These are bodily growths and are of eight kinds. (1) Haixs of
head. There is no harm in shaving the hairs of head for one who
desires to be clean and there is no harm in keeping them
provided he oils them and keeps arranged and combed. (2) Hairs
of moustache. The Prophet said : Cut off your moustaches, in
another naration, spare your moustaches. In another naration,
trim your moustaches and spare your beards. In other words, let
your moustaches extend to the upper lip. Shaving of moustaches
was never mentioned in the tradition, while trimming so closely
as to resemble shaving has been narrated by the companions.
There is no harm in leaving the ends of moustaches to hang
down. The Prophet said : Cut off your moustache along a tooth
stick. The Prophet said : Spear the beard and let it grow. The
Prophet said : Do the opposite as the Jews used to spare their
moustaches and trim their beards.
(3) Hairs of armpits should be removed once every forty
days either by plucking or by shaving (4) Hairs of pubes should
be removed once every forty days either by shaving or by the use
of a depilatory. (5) Nails should he manicured because of their
ugly appearances and also because of the dirt which collects
underneath them. The Prophet said :O Abu Hurairah, manicure
your nails as the devil sits therein when they are long. (6—7)
Navel cord and foreskin of genital organ. The naval cord is cut
off at the time of birth of a child. The Prophet said : Circumcision
132 MYSTERIES OF CLEANLINESS Vol-I
is sunnat for a male and meritorious for a female. Excess should
be avoided in the case of a female. The Prophet said to Omme
Atiyyah :O Omme Atiyyah, be moderae in circumcision and cut
off only a small portion of clitoris, for it is better to preserve
feminity and more welcome to masculinity. (8) Length of beard.
There are differences of opinion regarding the length of the
beard. Some say that it is to be kept up to the grip and there is no
harm in cutting beyond the grip. Hazrat Omar and some
Tabeyins used to do it. Hasan Basari and Qatadah said that to
spare it to grow long is better as the Prophet said : Spare your
beards. It has been said that the bigger the beard, the smaller the
intellect.
There are ten undesirable practices regarding beard. These
are dyeing the beard black, bleaching it with sulpher, plucking it,
plucking the grey hairs, trimming it, augmenting its size,
keeping it dishevelled, combing it for show of people, making it
black for show of youth, making it grey to attract honour and
dyeing it red or yellow. Dyeing it with black colour is prohibited
as the Prophet said : The best or your youths is he who follows the
old among you and the worst of your old is he who follows the
youth among you. The Prophet said : Black dye is the sign of the
inmates of Hell. The first man who used black dye was Pharaoh.
The Prophet said : There will appear in latter ages people who
will dye their beards black like the peak of pigeons. They will not
get the fragranc eof Paradise. Dyeing the beard yellow or red is
permitted. The Prophet said : Yellow is the colour with which the
Muslims dye their beards and red is the colour with which the
believers dye their beards. Henna can be used for red dye and
saffron and phillyrea for yellow dye. Bleaching the beard with
sulpher to give the appearance of advanced age to attract
venration and to have their testimony accepted is undesirable. To
shave beard is Makruh or undesirable. So also plucking grey hair
because the Prophet prohitited it as it is a light for a believer.
CHAPTER IV
PRAYER
Prayer is the pillar of religion and safeguard and root of
religious belief the chief of religious actions. The chapter is
divided into seven sections.
SECTION 1
EXCELLENCE OF PRAYER
EXCELLENCE OF AZAN: The Prophet said : Three
persons will remain on the Resurection Day on the mountain
of black musk. They will have no fear of account and they
will have no anxiety till they become free from what is near
men. (1) One who recites the Quran to seek the pleasure of
God and leads the prayer of the people who remain pleased
with him. (2) One who proclaims Azan in a mosque for
pleasure of God and call the people towards the path of
God. (3) One who is given trouble in the world regarding
his livelihood but does not give up the actions of the next
world in searching it. The Prophet said : If a man, jinn or
anything hears the Azan of a Muazzen, he will testify for
him on the Resurrection day. The Prophet said : The hand
of the Merciful remains on the head of a Muazzen till he
finishes his Azan. God says : If a man calls towards God
and does good, who is better than him in preaching ? This
was ‘revealed regarding a Muazzen. The Prophet said :
’ When you hear Azan, say what Muazzen says. Say at the
time of Haia-alas-salat "There is no might; and strength
except through God.” When he says : prayer has begun,
say ‘May God establish the prayer and keep its tongue so
long as the heaven and earth exist. When at the time of
Fajr prayer it is recited ‘prayer is better then sleep’, say
‘you have spoken the truth, you have spoken good and
given admonition,’ Say when the Azan is finished : O
God, Lord of this perfect invitation and ever living
prayer, grant position, means and honour to Muhammad
and raise him up to the of glory which Thou hast promised
him.”
134 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Voil-I
EXCELLENCE OF COMPUSLORY PRAYER
God says: Prayer is compulsory on the believers at the
appointed times. The Prophet said : God has made compulsory
for His servants prayer for five times. If a man observes them and
does not leave anything out of their duties, there is covenant for
him from God that He will admit him in paradise. If a man does
not observe them, there is no covenant from God for him. If He
wishes, He may punish him and if He wishes, He may admit him
in paradise. The Prophet said : Prayer five times is like a flowing
canal of pure water by the side of one’s houes. He takes bath five
times daily in it. Will you see any impurity in his body ? They
said : No. The Prophet said : As water removes impurities, so
prayer for five times removes sins. The Prophet said: Prayer for
five times expiates the sins of a man till he does not commit major
sins. The Prophet said : The distinction between us and the
hypocrites is our presence at morning and night prayers and
their absence at these two prayers. The Prophet said : If a man
meets God after destroying his prayer. God will not look towards
: his virtues. The Prophet said : Prayer is the pillar of religion. He
“who gives it up destroys the pillar. The Prophet was once asked :
Which action is best ? He said : To pray at the appointed times.
The Prophet said : If a man protects his prayer for five times with
full ablution and at appointed times, these will be proof and light
for him on the Resurrection Day. He who destroys his prayer will
rise with Pharaoh and Haman.
The Prophet said: Prayer is a key to paradise. He said : God
has not made anything compulsory dear to Him for this servants
after Tauhid than prayer. Had there been anything better than it,
he would have fixed it for the angels. They took from Him the
organs of prayer. Some make bow, some prostrate, some stand,
some sit. The Prophet said : He who gives up prayer intentionally
becomes an infidel. In other words, he becomes near coming out
of faith as his firm tie becomes loose and his pillar falls down just
as when a man comes near a townit is said that he has reached the
town and entered it. The Prophet said : He who give up prayer
intentionally, becomes free from the convenant of Muhammad.
The Prophet said :O Abu Hurairah, enjoin on the members of
your family to pray as you can’t conceive wherefrom God will
supply you provision.
Vol-I PRAYER 135
EXCELLENCE OF FULFILLING THE DUTIES OF PRAYER:
The Prophet said: Compulsory prayer is like a scale. He who
measures out in full takes full. The Prophet said : If two men of
my followers stand in prayer, it seems that their prostrations are
the same but the spirit of their prayer is like the distance of the
heaven and earth. He hinted at their God-fear. The Prophet said :
God will not look to a man on the Resurection Day who does not
make his backbone erect between his bow and prostration. The
Prophet said : If aman turns his face towards another direction in
prayer, God will turn his face in to that of an ass. The Prophet
said : If a man says prayer at its appointed time, establishes
ablution, makes his bow and prostration perfect and has got God
fear, it will become bright and rise upwards and say : May God
guard you as you have guarded me. If a man does not pray at its
appointed time, does not make ablution well and does not make
perfect his ruku and prostration and God fear, it will become
dark and rise upwards and say : May God destroy you as you
have destroyed me. God will keep it folded as old cloth is kept
folded. The Prophet said : The word thief applies to one who
steals in prayer.
EXCELLENCE OF PRAYING
IN CONGERGATION
The Prophet said : The rewards of a prayer in congregation is
twenty seven times more than the prayer said alone. The Prophet
did not see once some persons joining prayer in congregation
and said : I wished that I should give order to some one to lead
the prayer and oppose those who have not joined in prayer and
burn their houses. In another narration : I oppose those persons
who do not pray in congregation and order that their houses
should be burnt with fuel. Ifa man among them had known what
rewards there are in night prayer, he would have surely been
present at night prayer. There is in Hadis : He who remains at
night prayer. There is in Hadis : He who remains at night prayer
prayed as it were half the night. He who remains present in the
morning prayer prayed as it were the whole night. The Prophet
said : He who prays a prayer in congregation fills up his neck
with divine service. Hazrat Sayeed-b-Musayyeb said : I reached
the mosque before Azan for 20 years consequitively. The sage
Waseh said : I want three things in the world (1) such a brother
who will keep me straight if I become crooked, (2) such
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livelihood as can be earned without begging and (3) such a
prayer in congregation of which the faults are forgiven to me and
excellence is written for me. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : He who does
not respond to Azan does not hope for good and no good is
expected from him. The Prophet said : If a man prays in
congregation for forty days and does and lose even Takbir, God
writes for him two salvations—(1) one salvation from hypocrisy
and another from Hell.
EXCELLENCE OF PROSTRATION: The Prophet said :
There is nothing except secret prostration which can take one
near God. The Prophet said : There is no such Muslim whom God
does not give a rank in lieu of his one prostration and remove one
sin from him. A man asked the Prophet : Pray that I may be
inciuded within the party of your intercession so that He may
give me mercy of your intercession in paradise. The Prophet said
: One who prostrates will gain the nearness of God, as God says :
Prostrate and seek nearness. God says : There are signs in their
foreheads as an effect of prostration. It is said that this sign is
effected as a result of dust that is attached to forehead at the time
prostration. Some say that it is the light of God-fear as it is
expressed outwardly froma secret place. This is the correct view.
Some say that it is the light that will be seen on their forehead on
the Resurrection Day on account of ablution. The Prophet said :
When a man prostrates, the devil goes away from him weeping
and saying : Also ! he has been ordered to prostrate and he has
prostrated. So there is Paradise for him. I have been ordered to
prostrate but as I have disobeyed it, there is Hell for me. It is
narrated that the Caliph Abdul Aziz used not to make
prostration except on the ground. Hazrat Abu Hurairah said :
Prostration takes a servant near God and he makes invocation at
that time.
EXCELLENCE OF GOD FEAR: God says : Pray to remember
Me. God says : Don’t be one of the heedless. God says : Don’t
come near prayer when you are intoxicated till you donot
understand what you say. Some say that intoxication means a
great anxiety. Some say that it means attachment to the world.
There are many worshippers who do not drink wine but they
.don’t know what they say in prayer. The Prophet said : If a man
prays two rakats without any thought of the world therein, his
past sins are forgiven. The Prophet said : Prayer is the
Vol-I PRAYER 137
embodiment of modesty, humility, entreaties, repentance,
raising of hands and utterance of words "O God, O God" He who
does not do it, is a cheat. There is in earlier scriptures that God
said : I don’t accept the prayer of every one. I accept the prayer of
one who humbles himself before My glory, does not take boast in
doing My service and gives food for My sake to the hungry and
the poor. I have made prayer compulsory, ordered for Haj and
Tawaf for My remembrance. If you have got no fear of God in
your mind, what is the value of your Zikr ? The Prophet said :
When you pray, pray in such a manner that you are bidding
farewell. He said : Fear God, He will teach you. God says : Fear
God and know that you must meet Him. The Prophet said : He
who does not restrain himself from indecency and evil deeds in
prayer keeps away God. Prayer is monazat or invocation. How
can it be with heedlessness ? Hazrat Ayesha said : The Prophet
used to talk with us and we also used to talk with him. When the
time for prayer came, he did not as it were recognise us and we
also did not recognise him, as we remained busy in declaring the
glory of God. The Prophet said : God does not respond prayer of a
man who does not observe it with his mind and body. When the
‘Prophet Abraham stood in prayer, the voice of his mind could
have been heard from a distance of two miles. When the sage
Sayeed Tanukhi prayed, his two eyes used to shed tears which
flowed down, his beard. The Prophet once saw a man in prayers
sporting with his beard and said : If he and his mind had God
fear, his organs also would have God-fear. It is narrated of
Moslem-b-Yasar that whenever he wished to pray, he used to say
to his family members : You hold conversation, I will not hear
you. It is said that when he was praying in the congregational
mosque,one corner of the mosque once suddenly fell down for
which the people gathered there, but he could not know it till he
finished his prayer. When the time of prayer came, the heart of
Hazrat Ali used to tremble and his colour became changed. He
was questioned : O Commander of the faithful, what has
happened to you ? He said : It is time of trust of God which was
entrusted to the heavens, earth and mountains but they became
fearful of it and refused to bear it, but lam bearing it when it has
come to me. When Hazrat Jainal Abedin, son of Hazrat Hussain,
performed ablution, his colour turned place. His family members
asked him. What troubles you at the time of ablution? He said :
Don’t you see before whom I am going to stand ? Hazrat Daud
used to say in his Monazat : O my Lord, who lives in your house
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and from whom you accept prayer ? God revealed to him : The
man who lives in My house and from whom accept prayer is one
who humbles himself before My glory, passes his life in My
remembrance, controls his passion for My sake, entertains a
stranger and shows kindness to the aggrieved. His light will
sparkle like the rays of the sun in the sky. I respond to him if he
calls me. If he invoke Me. I accept it. I give him patience in his
ignorance, remembrance in his carelessness and light in his
pride. His simile among the people is the smile of Ferdous in high
gardens. His river does not become dry and his face does not
become changed.
Once Hatem Asem was asked about prayer and he said :
When the time of prayer comes, I make full ablution, come to the
praying place and wait there till my neighbours come there. Then
I stand for prayer, face the Ka’ba with Bridge under my feet,
Paradise by me right side and Hell by my left side, angel of death
behind me and think that this is my last prayer. Then I stand
between fear and hope, recite Takbir, make Ruk’u with humility,
prostrate with fear and sit on my left waist and spead my sole of
feet and keep my right side on my toes. I don’t know whether my
prayer has been accepted or not.
EXCELLENCE OF MOSQUE AND
PRAYING PLACE
God says: Those who have got faith in God and the next
world inhabit God’s mosques. The Prophet said : If a man
constructs a mosque for God, He constructs for him a place in
Paradise. The Prophet said : If a man loves mosque, God loves
him. He said : When one of you enters a mosque, let him pray two
rak’ats before he sits. He said : There is no prayer for mosque
except in mosque. He said : Angels like one of you until he keeps
seated in his praying place. They say : O God, send blessings on
him. O God, have mercy on him, forgive him till he keeps his
ablution or gets out of mosque. The Prophet said : There will be
some people among my followers who will come to mosque and
sit in groups. They will like to talk of this world and its matters.
Don’t sit with them. God has got no necessity of them. He said :
God said in some of His books : Mosques are my houses in the
world and My neighbours are those people in them who are
habituated to go there. Good news is for one who keeps his house
pure and then meets Me in My house. He said : When you find a
Vol-I PRAYER 139
man visiting mosque always, bear witness that he has got faith.
He said : Random talks in mosque consumes virtues as animals
eat grass. Hazrat Anas said : If a man gives a light in a mosque,
angels and the bearers of the Thone seek forgiveness for him till
the light exists in the mosque. Hazrat Ali said : When a man dies,
praying cloth in the world and his good deeds raised high in the
sky weep for him. Then he said : The heaven and earth did not
weep for them and wait for them. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : The
word weeps for him for forty days.
SECTION 2
OPEN ACTIONS IN PRAYER
After the removal of the impurities of body, place, cloth and
places of shame, make ablution facing the Ka’ba and keep some
open space between the two feet. Keep your head erect or bend a
little and close the eyes. if you cast your look, cast it to your place
of prostration. Then make niyyat, then raise both the hands up to
the ears uttering Allhaho Akbar — God is greatest. There after
recite the formula : Glory to Thee, O God, there is Thy priase and
blessed is Thy name, exalted is Thy Majesty and there is no deity
besides Thee. I seek refuge to God from the accursed devil and I
begin in the name of God, the most Compassionate the most
Merciful. Then recite the opening chapter of the Quran and then
at least three verses of the Quran. Then saying God is greatest,’
bow down and recite three times ‘Glory to my Lord the Great’
and then fall in prostration on the ground and recite three times
‘Glory to my Lord, the Great, Then sit down and then again fall
prostrate and recite the formula as above mentioned and then
stand erect. Thus finish one unit of prayer. Then praying another
unit in this manner, sit and recite: All invocations are for God and
all services and pure things. Peace be on thee O Prophet, and the
mercy of God and His blessing. Peace be on us and on the
righteous servants of God. I bear witness that there is no deity but
God that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. Then if
you do not pray four such units make the following invocation :
O God, make Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad
successful as Thou didst make successful Abraham and his
followers, for surely Thou art the praised, mighty. O God, bless
Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad as Thou did bless
Abraham and the followers of Abraham. Surely Thou at the
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praised, the mighty. They close up the service followed by an
innovation of your choice.
SECTION 3
INTERNAL CONDITIONS
Prayer should be observed with humility of mind. God says :
‘Pray to remember Me.’ Presence of mind is opposed to absence
of mind or heedlessness. If one is heedless throughout his prayer,
how can he say prayer with the purpose of remembering God ?
God says : Don’t be of the heedless. He says : ‘Prayer is modesty
and humility.’ Therein there is injunctions, prohibitions and
blocks. The Prophet said : If a man does not refrain from thought
of absence and evil things, it does not add to it but distance,’
There are two kinds of prayer of a heedless man. The Prophet
said : There are many praying men who do not gain anything in
their prayer except fatigue and effort3. The prayer of a heedless
man has been spoken there. The Prophet said : Nothing is written
for a praying man except what he understands in his prayer. Its
speciality is that there are entreaties and seekings to God in
prayer. Monazat with inattention is not considered as Monazat.
There are God’s remembrance in prayer, Quran reading, bow,
prostration, standing and sitting. God’s remembrance means
prayer and Monazat to Him. Without them, it ends in voice and
tongue.
The object of fasting is to bring under control belly and sexual
passion, or else it ends in depriving this body from food and
drink. Body is tried by the troubles of pilgrimage. Troubles are
given to mind if Zakat is paid out of wealth and thus mind is
tried. There is no don’t that the object of these religious acts is to
remember God. If that object is not attained, there is no use in
prayer, as itis very easy to move the tongue with inattention. The
object of word is to talk and it does not occur except in mind. It
does not exist in mind without humility of spirit and presence of
mind. If you recite in prayer : Show us the right path, and if you
are inattentive at that time, it is only the movement of your
tongue and nothing else. The object of Quran reading and God’s
remembrance is to praise and glorify God and to entreat Him and
invoke Him with humility of spirit, but if his mind remains
absent at that time and does not know that He is present with
whom he is speaking, it must be understood that his tongue
Vol-I PRAYER 141
moves only owing to habit but he is far away from the object of
prayer to enliven God’s remembrance and with that to make firm
the tie of faith.
Sifiyan Saori said : The prayer of one who has got no
God-fear becomes void. Hasan Basari said : The prayer which is
not said with attention hastens towards punishment. The
Prophet said : There are many praying men whose prayers are
written to the extent of one sixth or one tenth. In other words, the
portion of prayer which is said with attention is only written. The
sage Abdul Wahed said : The portion of prayer which is said with
humidity of mind is accepted. This is the consensus of opinion of
the sages. In short, earnestness of mind is the life of prayer.
LIFE OF PRAYER AND ITS
INTERNAL CONDITION
There are many works signifying the life of prayer, humility
of mind, understanding what is said, honour, hope and shame.
(1) The meaning of humility or presence of mind is that the action
and word must be the same in mind and there should be no other
thought therein. When there is no other thing in mind which is
concentrated only to one thing, there is earnestness or presence
of mind. (2) When mind is not present in prayer, it does not
remain idle and is concentrated to the thoughts of the worldly
affairs with which it is immediately concerned. So there must be
firm belief that prayer is a stepping stone to the next world which
is everlasting. Presence of mind is gained only when it is realised
and the world is considered as a merely temporary abode and
insignificant.
(2) To understand the meaning of words uttered and to
engage intellect to understand their meanings. The medicine of
removing various thoughts that come in mind in prayers is to cut
the root or to remove the reasons which cause different thoughts.
He who loves a thing remembers that thing. For this reason, he
who loves things other than God is not free from diverse
thoughts in prayer.
(3) Honour of God is a condition of mind. It rises out of
acquaintance of two things. The first thing is the knowledge of
the glory of God. This is the root of faith, because the mind of one
who does not firmly believe in His glory, is not given
encouragement to honour Him. The second thing is to think
142 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
oneself helpless and insignificant. From the knowledge of these
two things, helplessness, modesty and fear of God arise and as a
result honour for God arises in mind.
(4) Fear of God is a condition of mind which rises out of
knowledge of God’s power and His rewards and punishments.
You must have knowledge that if God would have destroyed all
past and present, nothing of His sovereignty would have
reduced. It is to be seen along with that whatever dangers and
difficulties God gave to His Prophet and friends, these are
different from those on kinds, rulers and emperors. The more the
knowledge about God, the more would be the fear of God.
(5) Hope in God rises out of firm faith in the following
matters—knowledge of God’s mercy and gifts, knowledge of His
creation and remembrance of Paradise through prayer.
(6) Shame arises out of knowledge of neglect in divine
service and inability to fight for God. Human mind becomes
humble in proportion of certainty of faith.
For this reason Hazrat Ayesha said : The Prophet talked with
us and we also talked with him but when the time of prayer came,
he could not recognise us and we did not recognise him. It is
narrated that God said to Moses : O Moses, when you want to
remember Me, remember Me in such a way that your limbs
remble and that you hold Me dear at the time of remembrance
and rest satisfied. When you remember Me, keep your tongue
behind your mind. When you stand before Me, stand before Me
with fearful mind like the meanest slave and speak with Me with
the tongue of a truthful man. God revealed to him : Tell your
disobedient followers to remember Me. I took oath upon Myself
that I shall remember one who remembers Me. When Abraham
stood for prayer, voice of his heart was heard from a distance of
two miles. An individual will be forgiven in the next world
according to the qualities of his mind and not of his body. Nobody
will get salvation except one who comes witha sound mind.
PROFITABLE MEDICINE FOR
MAKING MIND HUMBLE
Know, O dear reader, that a believer will declare God’s glory
and fear Him, hope in Him and be ashamed to Him for his sins.
After his faith, a believer will not be free from these conditions.
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Vol-I PRAYER 143
Although the strength of his mind will be according to the
strength of his faith, yet there is no other cause except the
following ones for the absence of his mind, random thoughts,
heedness, absence of mind in Mozazat and absent-minded ness
in prayer. This heedlessness in prayer arises out of engagement
of mind in various thought. The medicine of keeping the mind
present is to remove all thoughts and primarily to remove the
root of these thoughts. There are two bases of this root and the
external root.
EXTERNAL ROOT: Thought catches what the ear hears or
the eye sees and mind turns towards that thought. This causes to
produce other thoughts. So the root of thought is eye and then the
root of one thought is another thought. He whose niyyat is fine
and aim high cannot be diverted by what occurs in his organs or
limbs, but he who is weak falls a prey to it. Its medicine is to cut
off these roots and to shut up the eyes, to pray in a dark room, not
to keep anything in front which may attract attention and not to
pray in a decorated place or a decorated and painted praying
cloth. For this reason the sages used to do divine service in dark,
narrow and unaspious rooms.
INTERNAL ROOT is very difficult. The thoughts of worldly
matters are not confined to one subject. It goes from one thought
to another. If they shut up their eyes, it does not do them any
benefit. The way to remove them is to take one’s mind to
understand what is recited in prayer and to stick to it after giving
up all other thoughts. The Prophet once told Osman-b-Ali
Shaiba: I forgot to tell you to cover the screens of variegated
colours in the room, because there should remain nothing in the
house which can divert attention from prayer. If the rise of
thoughts is not stopped by this method, then there is another
easy method to prevent it. That is to cut off the root cause of the
disease. It has been narrated that Abu Zaham presented a
valuable dress of variegated colours to the Holy Prophet. He put
on it and said prayer. Afterwards he took it off and said : Take it
to Abu Zaham as it has diverted my attention from prayer. The
Prophet had a ring of gold in his hand before it was unlawful. He
threw it away when he was on the pulpit and said : My sight has
fallen on it. It is said that Hazrat Abu Tallaha once prayed in his
own garden which pleased him so much that he forgot how many
rak’ats he prayed. He mentioned it to the Prophet and said : O
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Prophet of God, I wish to gift this garden. The Prophet said : Give
it to whom you like. Once a man was praying in his garden in
which dates were hanging. It pleased him so much that he forgot
how many rak’ats he prayed. He mentioned it to Hazrat Osman
who said : Spend it in the way of God. Hazrat Osman purchased it
for fifty thousand coins. Thus they used to cut off the root of their
thoughts and expiated the loss in prayers. This is the medicine for
cutting the root of the disease of mind. To bring sexual passion
under temporary control is not so benefiting. Its root must be cut as
it baffles the whole prayer. The following illustration is given. Ina
certain tree numerous sparrows used to make tremendous noise as
they had their nests in it. A traveler began to drive them away being
disgusted with their noise. They fled away for the time being but
came again to make greater noise. It he wants to get himself relieved
of the noise permanently, he should cut the tree. The sparrows will
make noise till the tree lasts. Similarly attachment to a thing may
temporarily be removed from mind, but it will come again and
disturb the mind. Attachment to the world is the root of all
thoughts, the primary cause of all losses. If one wants a peaceful
mind in prayer, he should cut off all attachments of the world. If one
is engaged in worldly matters, he should not expect to get taste in
invocations.
MEANING OF DIFFERENT ITEMS OF PRAYER ‘AZAN’:
When you hear the call to prayer, think of the general call on the
Resurrection day and look to your external and internal matters
when replying and make haste. Those who respond in haste to
this call, will get reply’with mercy on that fearful day. So keep
your mind on Azan.
MEANING OF CLEANLINESS: When you make your
praying cloth pure and clean and your body clean of impurities,
don’t be indifferent to make your mind pure. Make it pure of
impure ideas and thoughts as far as possible, Repent for what
you have failed to do and determine not to do it in future. So
make your heart pure as itis the object of sight of your Lord.
Meaning of covering private parts. The meaning of covering
private parts is to cover your private parts from the sight of men.
God looks to your heart. So cover the faults of your heart and
know that it is not secret from the sight of God. Your repentance,
shame and fear will expiate it. Stand before God just like a
Vol-I PRAYER 145
fugitive slave who returned to his master being repentant with
humility of spirit and bent down head.
MEANING OF FACING THE KA’BA: The meaning of
turning your face towards the Ka’ba is to turn your mind towards
God after taking it off from all directions and all evil thoughts.
Move the external organs to move your secret mind and keep
them under control of mind. Keep the face of your mind towards
God along with the face of your body. The Prophet said : When a
man stands in prayer and directs his hope, face and mind
towards God, he comes out of his prayer as on the day his mother
gave birth to him.
MEANING OF STANDING IN PRAYER: Its external
_meaning is to stand before God with body and mind. You shall
“ bend down your head which is higher than your other limbs. The
meaning of this bending down of your head is to bend down your,
mind free from all self-conceit and pride. Know that you are
standing before the mighty and greatest Emperor. You fear king
but you don’t fear God although He is fit to be feared most. For
this reason Hazrat Abu Bakr asked the Prophet : How should we
be shameful to God ? He said : You should be shameful to God
just as you become shameful to see the most God-fearing man
among you.
MEANING OF NIYYAT: Promise firmly that you will
respond to God’s orders through prayer, make it perfect and
make niyyat sincerely for Him and keep an eye with whom you
are speaking secretly, how you talk and for what matter. At this
time your head should perspire, your limbs should tremble and
the colour of your face should become changed.
MEANING OF TAKBIR: When your tongue utter Takbir, let
not your mind speak falsehood. Your mind should correspond
with your tongue in declaring Him to be the greatest. If you have
got in mind something which is greater than God, God will attest
that you area liar.
MEANING OF OPENING DOS: ‘I turn my face towards the
Creator of heavens and earth.’ To turn face towards the Ka’ba
means to turn it towards God. God exists every where and so to
turn towards the Ka’ba means to turn towards the only object of
your life, towards the Almighty after giving up all things. When
you recite ‘I am not of the polytheists,’ your mind harbours then
146 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
secret shirk as God says : If any body wishes to meet with his
Lord, let him do good deeds and do not set up any partner in His
divine service.’ This was revealed with respect to a person who
wants divine service and also the praise of men. So take care of
this shirk. When you utter—‘My life and my death are for God’,
know then that this condition is of the slave who safeguard the
existence of his master in lieu of his existence. When you utter—‘T
seek refuge to God,’ you should give up your low desires and
temptations. You should then take firm resolution to take refuge
to the fort of God giving up the fort of the devil. The Prophet said
: God said ‘There no deity but God’ is My fort. He who enters My
fort is safe from My punishment. God protects one who has got
no deity but God. He who takes his low desires as his deity lives
in the fort of the devil and notin the fort of God.
MEANING OF QURAN READING: Regarding this matter,
men are of three classes—(1) he who moves his tongue but his
mind is heedless, (2) he who moves his tongue and his mind
follows his tongue, this is the rank of the fortunate, (3) he whose
tongue is directed first towards understanding the meaning and
then his minds take his tongue as its servant. Tongue will give
expression of mind.
MEANING OF OTHER ITEMS: When you utter—'‘I begin in
the name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful’, seek
first the favour of God. When you say ‘Thou are the Lord of
Judgment day,’ understand then that there is no sovereignty
except His sovereignty and fear His judgment. Express your
helplessness by saying "Thee do we worship’ and understand
that religious acts do not become easy except with His assistance.
It is said that when Zarrah-b-Auf finished reciting ‘when the
trumpet will be blown, he fell down senseless and died. When
Ibrahim Nahhyi heard this verse, ‘when the sky will be rent
asunder’ he began to tremble seriously. So read the Quran slowly
and attentively so that it becomes easy to understand. The
Prophet said : God remains with the praying man till he does not
look to and fro. As it is your duty to protect your head and eyes,
so itis compulsory on you to restrain your mind in prayer from
thoughts other than God. When you look towards any other
thing, remember then that God sees your condition. If you are
absent minded at the time of monazat, it is very bad. Keep the
fear of God within your mind. Hazrat Abu Bakr used to stand in
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prayer just like a statue. Some used to remain in Ruku like a
motionless stone, so mush so that birds sat on his head. The
Prophet said : Pray as if it is your farewell prayer, having in mind
fear and shame owing to defects in prayers and fear that your
prayer may not be accepted and that it may be thrown on your
face with your express and secret sins. There is in Hadis that
when a man stands in prayer, God lifts up the screen between
Him and His servant and faces him. The angels climb upon his
two shouldes and pray in horizon along with him and says
‘Ameen’ along with his invocation. They spread virtues over the
scalp of his head from above the horizon. A proclaimer
proclaims: If this invoker had known to whom he is invoking, he
would not have looked to and fro. The doors of heaven are
opened up for a praying man and God takes pride before His
angels for the praying man. So the doors of heaven are opened up
for him and the face of God comes before his face. In other words,
his Kashf is opened. There is written in the Torah : O son of Adam
don’t be baffled to stand up before Me in prayer in weeping state,
because then I come near your mind and you also see My light
unseen. He said: The softness, weeping and victory which a
praying man feels in his mind, bespeak of the advent of God in
his mind. When His neammess is not the nearness of space, there is
no meaning of it except the nearness of mercy, guidance and
removal of evils.
God says : Those believers got salvation who fear God in
their prayers. Then He praised them with their speciality of
prayer. It is connected with God fear. Then he described the
qualities of those who got salvation through prayer, as God says :
Those who guard their prayers, Then He says : They will inherit
the garden of Ferdous. They will abide therein. If tongue is
moved with inattention, can this reward be achieved ? The
praying one will inherit the gardens, they will directly see divine
light and they will enjoy the happiness of nearness.
STORIES OF THE PRAYERS OF.
GOD-FEARING MEN
Know, O dear readers, that God-fear is the result of real faith
and belief. He who has keen given it, fears God in and out of
prayer, when he remains alone and even at the time of calls of
nature, because he who fears God knows it well that He knows
the condition of mind and his sins and faults. Fear grows in the
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mind of one who knows this and it is not limited only in prayer. It
is narrated that a sage did not raise up his head for forty years
being ashamed and fearful of God. The saint Rabi-b-Khasem
used to close up his eyes so tightly that the people would think
that he was blind. He used to go to the house of Ibn Masud for
twenty years. Whenever his female slave saw him, she used to
say to her master. Your blind friend has come. At this Hazrat Ibn
Masud used to laugh. Whenever he used to knock at the door, the
female slave would come to him and see him with closed eyes.
Hazrat Ibn Masud told him : Give good news to those who are
humble By God. Had the Prophet seen you he would have surely
been pleased with you. One day he went with Ibn Masud to the
shop of a blacksmith. When he saw him blowing and fire coming
out, he at once fell down senseless. Ibn Masud sat near his head
up to the prayer time but still he did not regain his senses. Then
he bore him to his house and he did not recover sense till his
prayer for five times passed away. Ibn Masud sat by his head and
said : By God this is real God-fear.
The saint Rubi said : I did not observe such prayer in which I
had other thing in mind except what I uttered and what was said
to me. Hazrat Amer-b-A bdullah feared God in prayer very much.
When he prayed, his daughter beat drum and the women of the
house hold conversation but he did not hear them. One day he
was told : Does your mind think any matter in prayer ? He said,
Yes, it thinks about its stay before God and going from this world
into another world, He was told : Do you see what we generally
see about the affairs of the world ? He said : I consider it better
that my teeth should go from one side to another than what you
see. This is not attention in prayer.
Moslem-b-Yasar was one of them, it is said that while he
was one day praying within a mosque, one of its corners fell
down but he did not come to know of it. The limb of a certain
pious man was damaged and it required operation but it was
not at all possible. Some said : When he prays, he will not be
able to feel its pangs, Accordingly the limb was operated
while he was engaged in prayer. Some said : Prayer belongs
to the next world. When you enter prayer, go out of the
world. Hazrat Abu Darda said : It is the rule of religion that
when a man goes to prayer, he should perform all his
necessary things, so that his mind becomes free from
Vol-I PRAYER 149
thoughts. The Prophet said : The prayer of a manis not written
exceptits one third, half, one-fourth, one fifth, one sixth or one
tenth. Hesaid:Whatissaidinprayer withunderstandingisonly
written for him, Hazrat Omar once said from his pulpit : The
head oftwosidesofamanbecomesgrey,yethedoesnotobserve
prayer for pleasure of God. He was asked : How does itoccur?
He said: HisGod-fear, modesty and his self-surrender for God
donot become perfect. Abid Ahiya was onceasked : Whatis the
meaning of heedlessness in prayer ? He said : One commits
mistakes in his prayer and does not know how many rak’ats he
has prayed. The sage Hasan Basari said inits explanation : He
forgets the time of prayer. Jesus Christ said : God says : My
servant gets salvation by observing compulsory duties, but he
gains My nearness by doing optional duties. The Prophetsaid:
God says : My servant will not get salvation till he fulfills the
compulsoryluties.
SECTION 4
IMAMATE
There are six duties of Imam before prayer. (1) He shall not be
an Imam of people unless they give consent to it. If they differ, an
Imam would be elected by a majority. If the minority are
religious and good, their opinion should be followed. There is in
Hadis : The prayer of three persons will not go up beyond their
heads (1) a fugitive slave, (2) a woman whose husband is
displeased with her, and (3) an Imam with whom his people are
dis-satisfied. The Imam is a guarantee for his followers, (2) When
a man is given option between Azan and Imamate, he should
prefer Imamate as the office of an Imam ii better than that of a
Muazzem. Some say that Azan is better as there are many merits
of Azan. The Prophet said : An Imam isa surety for his followers
and Muazzen is an object of trust. He said : The Imam is an object
of trust. When he bends down, the followers bend down and
when he prostrates, they prostrate. He said : When he fulfills the
prayer, it is for him and for them also. If there is defect in it, it
goes against him and against them also. For this reason, the
Prophet said : O God, show the straight path to the Imams and
forgive the Muazzens.
The Prophet said: Paradise becomes sure for one without
account who is Imam for seven years. He who proclaims Azan for
150 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
forty years ‘will enter into Paradise without account. The
Prophet, Hazrats Abu Bakr and Omar used to fix salary for an
Imam. The Prophet said. One day of a just ruler is better than
divine service for seventy years. The Prophet said : Your Imams
are your intercessors. He said : Your Imam are representatives of
God on your behalf. If you wish to purify your prayer, place in
front the best man among you. Some earlier sages said : There is
no better man after the Prophet than the learned except the
praying Imams, as they stand between God and His servants,
some with Prophethood, some with learning and some with
prayer, the pillar of religion. By this proof, the companions
elected Abu Bakr as their Imam. They then said : We have
considered that prayer is a pillar of religion on whom the Prophet
was pleased for this pillar. They did not select Bilal as the Prophet
selected him for Azan. Itis reported that a man asked the Prophet:
Give me clue to such an action which will lead me to Paradise. He
said : Be Muazzen. He said :I can’t do it. he said : Then be Imam. He
said :I can’t do it He said : Then pray behind an Imam.
(3) The Imam shall observe the times of prayers and shall
pray for pleasure of God in their earliest times. The Prophet
said : The Imam who prays at the last time of a prayer, does not
miss it, but what he misses in its earliest time is better than the
world and its treasures. It is not good to delay prayer in
expectation of a greater number of men. One day, there was
some delay for the morning prayer on the part of the Prophet
when he was ina journey. The companions did not wait for the
Prophet when he made delay in making ablution. The Prophet
then said : You have done better. Do it always.
(4) Actas an Imam for the sake of God and fulfill with good
manners the trust of God in the other conditions of prayer and
act as an Imam with sincere intention and don’t take for it
remuneration. The Prophet said Osman-b-Affan : Appoint
such a Muazzen who will not take remuneration for his Azan.
Azan guides to the path of prayer and it is better not to receive
its remuneration. Hazrat Sufiyan said : Pray behind a religious
or irreligious man except behind habitual drunkard, or cursed
man, or one disobedient to parents, or an invocator or a
fugitive slave.
(5) Don’t utter Takbir till row is arranged straight and look to
right and left. The Prophet said : A Muazzen should wait
Vol-I PRAYER 151
between Azan and Aqamat for so long as an eater eats or a man
passes calls of nature. So he prohibited to retain urine and stool.
He ordered to finish dinners for peace of mind before Isha
prayer.
(6) An Iman shall raise his voice in the time of Takbir
Tahrima and other Takbirs as well but a follower will utter itina
low voice. The Imam has got three duties at the time of Quran
reading in prayer. (1) He should recite the opening Doa and:
Aauzobillah in silent voice and recite loudly the Fateha and Suras
in congregational prayer of Fajr, Isha and Magrib. One should do
it even at the time when he prays alone. When he recites Ameen
with voice, the followers will recite it loudly.
SECTION 5
MERITS OF JUMMA PRAYER
Know, O dear readers, that Jumma day is a holy day. God
honoured Islam therewith and gave glory to. the Muslims. God
says : When there is Azan for prayer on the Jumma day, run
towards remembrance of God and give up buy and sale. The
Prophet said : God has made compulsory on you on this day of
mine and in this place of mine. The Prophet said : If a man loses
three Jumas without any excuse, God puts a seal in his mind. In
another narration : He throws Islam on his back. The Prophet
said : Gebriel came to me witha clean mirror in his hand and said
: This is Jumma. God has made it obligatory on you, so that it may
be a festival for you and after you for you followers. I said : What
good there is for us in it ? He said : You have got an suspicious
time in it. If a man seeks anything to God at this time, God has
promised that He will give it to him. If he is deprived of that,
many additional things are given to him in that connection. If any
man wants to save himself from any evil on that day, God saves
him from a greater calamity or a like calamity which has been
decreed on him. Jumma day is the best day to us and we shall call
it on the Resurrection day as the day of grace. I asked him : What
object is there in calling it as the day of grace ? He said : Your God
has made a valley in paradise made of white musk. When the
Jumma day comes, God descends on His Throne in Hlyyin and
sheds His lusture and they look on towards His august face. The
Prophet said : The sun rose for the first time on the best Jumma
day and Hazrat Adam was created on that day. He entered
152 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
Paradise first on that day and he was thrown in to this world on
that day and his pensance was accepted on that day. He died on
this day and Resurrection will take place on this day. This day isa
day of blessing to God. The heavens and angels have been given
names on this day. There is a Hadis that God will release six lacs
of men from Hell on this day. The Prophet said : When the Jumma
day is safe, all the days remain safe. He said : If a man dies on the
Jumma day or night, the rewards of one martyrdom are written
for himand the punishment of grave is forgiven.
CONDITIONS OF JUMMA PRAYER
Ten rules should be observed on the Jumma day. (1) It is
better to prepare for the Jumma day from Thursday. After Asr of
Thursday, turn attention to invocation, seeking forgiveness and
Tasbih as the merits of this time are equal to those of the
auspicious unknown time of Friday, (2) Make your clothes clean
on this day, use scent and keep your mind free from anxieties so
that you may rise up with a free mind on Friday morning. Try to
fast on this day as there is a great merit in it. Pass Thursday night
by reading the Quran and praying. The Prophet said : God shows
mercy on the man who rises in the morning and awakes others,
takes bath and causes the baths of others (3) Take bath in the
morning of Friday. The Prophet said : It is obligatory on every
mature man to take bath on Friday. He said : Let one who attends
Jumma take bath. he said : Let one male or female who attends
Jumma prayer take bath.
(4) If is commendable to take recourse to beauty on this day
to take fine dress, to be pure and to use scent. Regarding purity,
cleanse your teeth, cut your hairs; slip-your mustache and do
everything necessary for purity. Hazrat Ibn Masud said: If a man
manicures nails on the Jumma day, God takes out disease
therefrom and gives him cure therein. Regarding dress, wear
white dress as it is dear to God. To use turban is commendable.
The Prophet said: God and His angels bless those who wear
turban on the Jumma day.
(5) It is commendable to go to the congregational mosque in
the morning. The Prophet said: He who goes to Jumma in the
early part gets rewards of the sacrifice of a camel and he who goes
at the second time gets the rewards of the sacrifice of a cow and
he who goes at the third time gets the reward of the sacrifice of a
Vol-I PRAYER 153
goat and he who goes at the fourth time gets the reward of the
sacrifice of a cock. He who goes at the fifth stage gets the reward
of the charity of an egg. When the Imam gets up for khutba,
record is folded up and pen is lifted up. The angels gather
together wear the pulpit and hear the Zikr of God. The Prophet
said: There are three things. If the people had known what good
there is therein, they would have come to search it like a
camel-Azan, first row and going to the Congregational mosque at
dawn. In the first century, the pathway became full of men from
early hours up to dawn. The prophet used to come out with light
and the mosque became filled up with men like the day of I'd. It
became obsolete afterwards. It is said that the innovation of
giving up the practice of going to the mosque at dawn first
entered into Islam. It is a matter of regret that the Jews and the
Christians go to their synayogues and churches at dawn on
Saturday and Sunday respectively and the worldly people go to
markets for buy and sale at dawn but those who seek ihe next
world cannot go to mosque at dawn.
(6) Ranks of entering a mosque: Nobody should go to the
front row of the mosque crossing the necks of men. The Prophet
said: On the resurrect on day such a person will be made a bridge
and the people would tread over him. Once when the Prophet
was reciting khutba, he noticed that a man was advancing
towards the front row after crossing over the necks of man. After
finishing prayer, the Prophet called him and said: O such a
person, what prevented you to pray Jumma with me today. He
said: O Prophet of God, I prayed with you. The Prophet said:
Have I not found you to cross over the necks of men? He hinted
by this that his action has become void. In another narration, the
Prophet said to him: What prevented you to pray with me? He
said: O Prophet of God, have you not seen me? The Prophet said:
I have seen you coming late and giving trouble to the people
present. In other words you have delayed to come at dawn and
have given trouble to those present.
(7) Don’t go to the mosque by the front of a praying man,
keep wall or pillar or stick in front when praying so that the
people may not pass by your front. The Prophet said: His waiting
for 40 years is better than his going by the front of men. The
Prophet said: It is better for any man to be powdered to earth to
154 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
be blown off by air like refuges than to cross the front of a praying
man.
(8) Try to take seat in the first row. There is in Hadis: If a man
takes bath and tells another to take bath, if a man rises early and
makes another awake early and goes near the Imam and hears,
the sins which he has committed between two Jumma and
additional three days become expiration for him.
(9) Prayer should be stopped at the time when the Imam gets
upon the pulpit. The prophet said: If a man says to another at the
time when the Imam delivers address ’Be silent’, he holds useless
talk. The Jumma of one who holds useless talk is not performed.
(10) Follow the Imam in Jumma. When the Jumma is finished,
recite before talk the chapters ‘Alham do Lillah’ seven times,
‘Ikhlas’ seven times., ‘Falaq’ seven times and Nas seven times. A
certain sage said: He who does this remains safe up to the next
Jumma from the devil.
GOOD DEEDS ON JUMMA DAY
(1) Be present at the assembly of learning at dawn or after
prayer. There is ahadis that to remain present in an assembly of
learning is better than optional prayer of one thousand rak’ats.
(2) To medidate well for the auspicious moment. There is in
an well known Hadis: There is a time on Jumma day in which a
Muslim is granted what he seeks. There is in another Hadis: He
who prays does not lose it. There is difference of opinion about
this auspicious moment. Some say it is at the time of sun-rise.
Some say it is after noon, some say, it is at the time of Azan. Some
say it is when the Imam gets upon his pulpit and begins his
address. Some say it is at the last time of Asr prayer. Some say it
spreads for the day like the Blessed night. So one who seeks it
should remain in meditation throughout the day. Some say it is
intermingled with every time of Jumma day. This is the correct
view. This is supported by the following Hadis: There is a day
among your days when your Lord gives out breath. Be prepared
for that day. This is Jumma day among the days.
(3) It is commendable to recite Darud this day on the Prophet.
The Prophet said: If a man sends Darud to me eighty times on
Jumma day, God forgives his minor faults for eighty years, He
was asked: O Prophet of God, what is Darud upon you? He said:
Vol-I PRAYER 155
Say: O God, bless Muhammad, Thy servant, Thy Prophet and
Thy Apostle, the illiterate Prophet.
(4) Recite the Quran more in this day specially chapter Qahaf.
The Prophet said: If a man recites the chapter Qahaf on the
Jumma day or night, he is given such light which is visible from
Mecca and his sins are forgiven up to the next Jumma and the
merits of three days in addition are given to him and seventy
thousand angels bless him till dawn. He is saved from diseases,
pains of stomach, pleurisy, tuberculosis and the trials of Dajjal.
(5) It is commendable to recite Darud at the time of entering
mosque and not to sit till one prays four rakats reciting therein
Ikhlas fifty times in each rakat. The Prophet said: He who prays
such, will not die till he is shown his place in paradise.
(6) It is commendable to give charities on Juman day. The
merits are increased manifold.
(7) Keep yourself engaged in divine service for the whole
Jumma day after giving up worldly duties.
SECTION 6
PRAYERS OTHER THAN OBLIGATORY PRAYERS
There are three kinds of other prayers - Sunnat, Mustahab
(commendable) and Naf! (optional). Sunnat prayer is such
prayer which the Prophet observed for all times, such as the
prayers after obligatory prayers. Mustahab prayer is such prayer
of which the excellence has been described by Hadis and which
the Prophet did not observe always. Nafl prayer is such prayer
which does not fall within the first two categories. What a man
prays willingly for pleasure of God other than the above prayers
is optional.
SUNNAT PRAYER: There are eight Sunnat prayers among
which five are said along with five times of prayer and three in
addition - forenoon prayer, Tahajjud prayer and prayer between
Magrib and Isha.
(1) Two rakat sunnat before Fajr prayer. The Prophet said:
Two rak’ats of Sunnat prayer before Fajr is better than the world
and what is in it.
156 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(2) Six rak’ats of Sunnat prayers of Zuhr-four rak’ats before it
and two after it. The Prophet said: He who prays four rak’ats
after declining of the sun and makes Ruku and prostration well
and recites the Quran well, seventy thousand angels pray for him
and seek forgiveness for him up to night. The Prophet said: If a
man prays 12 rak’ats daily besides the obligatory prayers, a
building will be built for him in Paradise - twa rak’ats before
Fajar, 4 rakats before Zuhr and two rak’ats before Asr and two
rakats after Magrib.
(3) Four rak’ats before Asr. The Prophet said: O God, have
mercy on the man who prays four rak’ats before Asr.
(4) Two rak’ats after magrib.
(5) Four rak’ats after Isha. Hazrat Ayesha reported that the
Prophet used to go to bed after praying 4 rak’ats after Isha.
Many learned men said after collecting all traditions that
there are seventeen rak’ats of Sunnat prayers - two rak’ats before
Fajr, four rak’ats before Zuhr and two rak’ats after it, four rak’ats
before Asr, two rak’ats after Magrib and three rak’ats after Isha.
(6) Bitr prayer: Hazrat Anas said: The Prophet used to pray
three rak’ats of Bitr after Isha reciting therein ‘Sabbehesme
Rubbihil Ala’ in the first rak’at, Kaferun in the second raka’t and
Ikhlas in the third rakat.
(7) Forenoon prayer: It is up to eight rak’ats. Hazrat Ayesha
said that the Prophet used to pray four rak’ats in the forenoon
and sometimes increased it.
(8) Prayer between Magrib and Isha. The Prophet said:
There are six rakat prayers between Magrib and Isha of which the
merits are great. The Prophet said that this prayer is included
with the prayer of Awabin.
OPTIONAL PRAYERS IN WEEKLY DAYS
SUNDAY: The Prophet said: If a man prays four rak’ats on
Sunday and recitesa in each rak’ats the opening chapter and
Amaner Rasul, innumerable merits are written for him like the
number of Christian males and females. The Prophet said:
Proclaim the unity of God by many prayers on Sunday as God is
one and there is no partner for him.
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Vol-I PRAYER 157
MONDAY: The Prophet said: If a man prays two rak’ats in
the early part of Monday reciting Fateha once in each rak’at,
Ayatul Kursi once, Ikhlas once, Nas once, Falaq once and then
after salam Istigfar twelve times and Darud twelve times, God
forgives all his sins. The Prophet said: If a man prays 12 rak’ats on
Monday and recites in each rak’at Sura Fateha and Ayatul Kursi
and when he finishes prayer recites Ikhlas 12 times and Istigfar
12 times, he will be said on the Resurrection day: O son of so and
so, rise up and take rewards from God. The first reward that
willbe rewarded to him is one thousand dresses, one throne on
his head and he will be said: Enter Paradise. One lac angels will
greet him and each angel will have one present and they will
accompany him and they will carry him to one thousand palaces
of light.
TUESDAY: The Prophet said: If a man prays ten rak’ats in
the early part of Tuesday with Fateha and Ayatul Qursi and
Ikhlas three times in each rak’at, his faults will not be written for
seventy days. If he dies on the last day, he dies a martyr and his
sins for seventy years will be forgiven.
WEDNESDAY: The Prophet said: If a man prays 12 rak’ats
after rising on Wednesday and recites in each rak’at Fateha and
Ayatul Qursi once and Ikhlas three times, Nas and Falaq each
three times,'a proclaimer will proclaim near the Throne, O
servant of God, your actions have been accepted and your future
sins forgiven. Punishment of the Resurrection day will be lifted
up from you and you will be given the actions of a Prophet on
that day.
THURSDAY: The Prophet said: If a man recites between Juhr
and Asr two rak’ats with fateha and Ayatul Qursi in the first
rak’at one hundred times, Fateha and Ikhlas in the second rak’at
one hundred times and Darud one hundred times, God will
reward him with fasting of Rajab, Shaban and Ramzan,the
rewards of one Haj and innumertable virtues will be written for
him.
FRIDAY: The Prophet said: There is a prayer on the Jumma
day. When the sun rises up to one bow’s distance or more and if a
believing man makes full ablution and prays two rak’ats with
faithand hoping for reward, God writes for him two hundred
virtues and effaces from him two hundred sins. If a man prays
158 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
four rak’ats, God will open for him in Paradise 800 doors and
forgive all his sins. If a man prays 12 rakats, 1200 merits will be
written for him and 1200 sins will be effaced from him and there
will be for him 1200 doors in Paradise. The Prophet said: If a man
on Jumma day enters the mosque and prays four rak’ats after
Jumma prayer with Fateha 50 times and Ikhlas 50 times in each
rak’at, he will not die till he sees his place in paradise or it is
shown'to him.
SATURDAY: The Prophet said: If a man prays four rak’ats
on Saturday with Fateha once and Ikhlas three times and then
Ayatul Qursi in each rakat, God will write for him for every word
one Haj and one Umrah and one year’s fasting and prayer for
each word and he will reside with the Prophets and martyrs
under the Throne of God.
OPTIONAL PRAYERS IN WEEKLY NIGHTS
SUNDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: If a man prays 20
rak’ats in the night of Sunday with Fatiha and Ikhlas 50 times,
Nas and Falaq once in each rak’at and recites Istigfar one
hundred times and recites Istigfar for himself and his parents and
Darud one hundred times and takes refer to God by realizing
himself from his own strength and then says: I bear witness that
there is no deity but God and I bear witness that Adam is the
chosen one of God and His natural creation, that Abraham is His
friend, Moses is Kalimulla, Jesus is the Spirit of God and
Muhammad is the friend of God, he will get merits as
innumerable as the persons who made calumny against God
before and who did not make calumny and on the Resurrection
day he will be raised along with the believers and it will be the
duty of God to admit him in Paradise along with the Prophets.
MONDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: If a man prays 4 rakat
in the night of Monday with Fatiha and Ikhlas ten times in the
first rakat, Fatiha and Ikhlas twenty times in the second rak’at,
Fatiha and Ikhlas thirty times in the third rak’at and Fatiha and
Ikhlas forty times in the fourth rak’at and then returns salam and
afterwards recites Ikhlas 75 times and seeks Istigfar for himself
and his parents 75 times and then prays for his needs to God, He
accepts his invocation.
TUESDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: He who prays two
rak’ats therein with chapters Fatiha and Ikhlas 15 times, Nas 15
Vol-I PRAYER 159
times, Falaq 15 times, Ayatul Qursi 11 times, Istigfar 15 times,
will get ample rewards. The Prophet said: He who prays in
Tuesday night two rak’ats with Fateha in each rak’at followed by
chapter Ikhlas seven times, God will release him from Hell and it
will be for him on the Resurrection day guide and proof.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: He who prays two
rak’ats in Wednesday night with Fatiha and Falaq ten times in the
first rak’at and Fatiha and Nas ten times in the second rak’at and
then after finishing it reads Istigfar ten times and then Darud ten
times, seventy thous-and angels come down for him from every
heaven and write for him rewards upto the Resurrection Day.
THURSDAY NIGHT. The Prophet said : He who prays two
rak’ats between Magrib and Isha with Fatiha and Ayatul Qursi
five times, Falaq five times, Nas five times and after prayer
Istigfar 15 times and bestows them for his parents, obeys his
duties towards his parents although he was disobedient to them
before. God gives him what He gives to the siddiqs and martyrs.
FRIDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: He who prays 12 rak’ats
between Magrib and Isha with Fatiha and Ikhlas 11 times, prays
as it were for 12 years for the nights and fasted for the days. The
Prophet said: Send many Daruds in Jumma day and night.
SATURDAY NIGHT: The Prophet said: He who prays 12
rak’ats between Magrib and Isha, a mansion is built for him in
Paradise, he gets rewards of charity to each male and female, gets
release from the Jews and it becomes the duty of God to forgive
him.
OPTIONAL ANNUAL PRAYERS
Such, prayers are four - (1) Prayers of two I’ds or festivals, (2)
Tarawih prayers, (3) Prayer in Rajab, and (4) Prayer inShaban.
(2) PRAYER OF TWO IDS: They are Sunnat Muaqqadah
and there are several duties in them. Take bath in the morning of
I'd day, take dresses and use scents. Go by one way and return by
another. The Prophet used to observe it. He used to order the
servants, slaves and women to come out for prayers on these
days. It is better to pray I’d prayers in open fields except Mecca
and Baitul Muqaddas. The time runs from sun-rise to sun decline
at noon. The time for animal sacrifice on Idul Azha runs from
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after the prayer to the end of the 13th day of Zilhaj. I'd charity is
to be given before prayer.
The form of prayer runs as follows. The Imam will pray two
rak’ats with six Takbirs in addition, three in the first rak’at and
three in the second. The Imam will then deliver sermon and then
make Monazat,
(2) TARAWITH PRAYER: It consists of twenty rak‘ats. It
maybe said also in congregation. The Holy Prophet sometimes
prayed it alone and sometimes in congregation. He said; I fear
this prayer may be imposed on you as a compulsory duty. It was
Hazrat Omar who directed the Muslims to observe it in
congregation. The Prophet said: As it is more meritorious to
observe compulsory prayer in mosque than in houses, so it is
more meritorious to observe optional prayers in houses than in
mosques. The Prophet said: The merits of one rak’at prayer in
this mosque of mine is one thousand times greater than
observing it in other mosques and the merits of one rak’at of
prayer in the mosque of the Ka’ba is better than one thousand
times than observing it in my mosque. The prayer of one who
prays in a corner of his house and knows nobody than God is
better than all these prayers.” It is better however to pray
Tarawih in congregation as Hazrat Omar did it.
(3) PRAYER IN RAJAB: The Prophet said: One who fasts five
days in Rajab, prays twelve rak’ats between Magrib and Isha
with a unit of two rak’ats (which certain formalities as
prescribed), his invocation is accepted.
(4) PRAYER IN SHABAN: It is observed in the night of the
15th Shaban. There are one hundred rak’ats of prayer with a unit
of two rak’ats. The earlier sages used to observe this prayer.
FOURTH KIND OF OPTIONAL PRAYERS
These prayers are connected with causes and they are nine in
number (1) Prayer of solar and (2) lunar eclipses, (3) prayer for
rain, (4) funeral prayer (5) prayer for entering into mosque, (6)
prayer of ablution, (7) two rakats between Azan and Aqamat,. (8)
two rak’ats at the time of coming out of house for journey and
two rak’ats at the time of entry into house after journey and (9)
prayer for seeking good called Istakhara prayer.
— ais
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Vol-I PRAYER 161
PRAYER FOR SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSE: The Prophet
said: Solar and lunar eclipses are two signs out of the signs of
God. They do not occur for birth or death of anybody. When you
see it, turn towards the remembrance of God and prayer. He said _
it when his son Ibrahim died and people ascribed it to the above °
cause.
PRAYER FOR RAIN: The Prophet used to observe this
prayer coming out in the open field when there was drought and
want of rain for a continued long time. This should be preceded
by fast for three days and then on the fourth day prayer be said in
the open field in congregation for rain with the greatest humility
of spirit and earnestness of mind and then invocation should be
made in the following manner: O God, Thou hast commanded us
to invoke Thee and Thou hast promised us to accept it. We have
indeed invoked Thee as Thou hast commanded us. So accept our
invocation as Thou hast promised us. O God, shower blessing on
us with Thy forgiveness and accept our invocation by sending us
rain and giving us ample provision.
FUNERAL PRAYER: This prayer is Farze Kefaya or binding
on community as a whole. It is optional only for one who is
exempted owing to the presence of some members of the
community, in the prayer. The Prophet said: It forty Muslims who
do not set up partnership with God attend the funeral prayer of a
Muslim, God accepts their intercession for him. Follow the bier
after prayer up to the grave and recite the following after
entering in the grave-yard. Peace be on you, O the inmates of
these house of the believers and Muslims. May God show mercy
on those who have gone before and who have come latter. We
shall reach you if God wills. Then standing by the side of the
grave of the person just buried, recite the following: O God, Thy
servant has returned to Thee. Be kind to him and show him
mercy. O God, remove the earth from his two sides and open the
doors of heaven for his soul and accept it with good acceptance.
O God, if he is a virtuous man, increase his virtues manifold and
if he is a sinner, forgive him.
PRAYER AFTER ENTRY INTO MOSQUE: It is two rakats
or more and prayer after ablution is also two rak’ats. The Prophet
said: I saw Bilal in Paradise and asked him: For what action have
you entered Paradise before me? He said: I know nothing except
the fact that] prayed two rak’ats after every ablution.
162 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
At the time of coming out of the house and entering it after
journey, pray two rak’ats. The Prophet said: Pray two rak’ats |
when you go out of your house so that you may be saved from the
harms of going out. The Prophet said: When any special work is
not begun with the name of God, it goes without blessing;
ISTAKHARAH PRAYER: This prayer is said before an
action is undertaken to know whether it will be good or bad. It is
of two rak’ats with Chapter Kaferun in the first rak’at ;and
chapter Ikhlas in the second and at the end with the following .
invocation: O God, I wish to know its good or bad with the help —
of Thy knowledge and I pray for strength from Thee and I pray
for Thy abundant mercy, as Thou knowest and I don’t know and
Thou knowest the unseen. O God, if Thou knowest that this affair
will be for my worldly or next worldly good and for the result of
my affairs sooner or latter, give strength to me, give me blessing
therein and then make it easy for me. If Thou knowest that this
affair of mine will be bad for me for my world, next world and the
result of my affairs sooner or latter, turn me from it and it from
me. Thou art powerful over all things. The Prophet said: If any
man among you proposes to do a thing, let him pray two rak’ats,
name the project and invoke with the above invocation.
(8) PRAYER FOR NECESSITY: If a matter becomes
necessary for his religion or for his world, let him pray twelve
rak’ats for fulfillment of his necessity with Ayatul Qursi and
Ikhlas in each rak’at and at the end of the prayer of two rak’ats, let
him invoke as prescribed.
(9) PRAYER FOR TASBIH: It is also called Doa, Masurah.
The Prophet said to Hazrat Abbas: Shall I not make gift to you?
Shall I not show kindness on you? Shall I not love you with sucha
thing which, if you do, will be a cause for God to forgive your
past and future sins, old and new sins, open and secret evils?
Pray fourrak’ats (as prescribed).
er GR a ae
CHAPTER V
ZAKAT
God placed Zakat next to prayer and it is the second pillar of
Islam out of five pillars. God says: Keep up prayer and pay Zakat.
The Prophet said: Islam is founded on five pillars - (1) There is no
deity but God and Muhammad is His servant and messenger,
and to bear witness to this formula, (2) to keep up prayers, (3) to
pay Zakat, (4) to fast and (5) to make pilgrimage. The punishment
of those who do not pay Zakat has been mentioned in this verse:
‘Give good news of grievous punishment to those who hoard up
gold and silver and do not spend in the way of God.’ To spend
means here to pay the compulsory duty of Zakat. Ahnaf-b-Qais
said: We were with a party of the Quraish. Hazrat Abu Zarr,
while passing by that way said: Give good news to those who
hoard up wealth that such firm impressions will be put on their
backs which will come out after piercing their sides, that such
firm impressions will be put on their forehead that it will come
out of their forehead.
Abu Zarr said: I came to the Prophet who was then seated in
the shade of the Ka’ba. He said to me: By the Lord of the Ka’ba,
they are undone. I asked: Who are they? He said: Those who
increase their wealth and not those who spend in this way, in
their fronts, in their backs, in their right sides, in their left sides,
but their numbers are few. Those who have got camels, cattle,
sheeps and goats and who do not pay their Zakat will meet with
these animals in huge forms on the Resurrection Day. They will
attack them with their horns and will tread upon them by their
hoofs. If one party go away, another party will come. This will
continue till the people are brought for judgment. This
punishment has been described by Sahihs Bakhari and Muslim.
So the details of Zakat should be learnt.
SECTION 1
DIFFERENT KINDS OF ZAKAT
There are six subject matters of Zakat - (1) Zakat of animals,
(2) Zakat of crops, (3) Zakat of gold and silver, (4) Zakat of the
commodities of Business. (5) Zakat of mines and (6) Zakat of Idul
Fitr.
164 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Voi-l
(1)ZAKAT OF ANIMALS: It is compulsory ona free Muslim
whether major or minor, sane or insane. There are five conditions
- of Zakat which is obligatory in case of animals. (a) They are to be
, grazed in the grazing fields. (b) They should not be domestic
animals. (c) They must be in possession of full one year. (d) One
must have full ownership on them. (e) One must be the owner of
Nisab or fixed number of these animals.
(A) Among animals, Zakat is to be paid for camels, cattle,
sheep and groats but not for other animals like horses, asses,
mules, deers and young ones of goats. (B) There isyno Zakat of
domestic animals which do not graze purely in fields. (C)
Animals must be in possession of full one year. The Prophet said:
Zakat is not due on any property unless in possession of full one
year. If any animal is sold within one year, there is no Zakat for it.
(D) One must have full ownership and full power of sale of the
animal. There is no Zakat of animals given in pawn or mortgage,
those which are lost or snatched by force. It the debts of a man is
such that all his properties are not sufficient to clear them, there
is no Zakat due on him as he is not a solvent man. A solvent man
is one who has got surplus wealth after necessary expenses (E)
One must possess required number of animals. The minimum
number of camels is five, of cattle thirty, of goats and sheep forty.
Camels-Zakat of one she goat or he-goat of full two years for
every five camels above four. In case of 25 camels, one she camel
or one he- camel of full one year. In case of 36 camels, one she
camel of 2 years, of 46 camels one she-camel of three years and so
on. Cattle. In case of 30 cattle, one calf of one year, of 40 cattle one
calf of two years, of 60 cattle two calves of one year. Sheep and
goats. In case of 40 sheep or goats, one she goat of one year, of
120, two she goats and so on.
(2) ZAKAT OF CROPS: If anybody has got twenty maunds
of rice, wheat, maize, pulse, dates or such food stuffs by which a
man can maintain his livelihood, Zakat of one tenth of the crop is
compulsory on him. No Zakat is due for less than 20 maunds.
There is no Zakat on fruits and cotton. If fields are watered by
artificial means by taking water from canals, tanks, drains, then
one twentieth is due on crops.
(3) ZAKAT OF GOLD AND SILVER: Zakat of Silver is one
fortieth of pure silver if not less than 52 1/2 tolas and gold and
less than 7 1/2 tolas. This is the nisab fixed for which Zakat is
regen Fre Ses =e
Vol-I ZAKAT 165
due. This proportion will continue in case of the value of gold
and silver or of things made of them if they are in possession for
full one year. For ornaments of gold and silver which are for use,
there is no Zakat according to Imam Abu Hanifa. Zakat is due on
money on loan after the loan is paid.
(4) ZAKAT ON MERCHANDISE: Zakat on merchandise is
like that of gold and silver. One year should have elapsed from
the date of their purchase and if it reaches nisab. This applies also
in case of exchange of goods. Zakat is also payable on profits of
commodities along with the commodities at the end of a year.
(5) ZAKAT ON MINES AND BURIED TREASURERS: If
gold and silver of the non Muslims are found buried, Zakat is
soon due at the rate of one fifth. There is no condition of
possession of one year or of nisab. This is just like booty gained in
war. There is no Zakat of the things taken from mines except gold
and silver. Their Zakat is of one fortieth after clearance and after
it reaches Nisab and complction of possession of one year.
(6) ZAKAT OF ID’UL FITR: This charity is compulsory on
every Muslim who has got food in excess of one day and one
night of I’d at be rate of 2 1/2 seers of principal food stuffs or one
sa’a per head. This is payable on behalf of all the members of the
family and near relatives and parents who are maintained by
him. The Prophet said: Give the charity of Fitr of all the persons
you maintain.
SECTION 2
PAYMENT OF ZAKAT AND ITS CONDITIONS
Zakat is to be paid having a look to the following five things.
(1) Intend to pay Zakat at the time when it falls due and fix
properties and things for payment of Zakat. The guardian of a
minor or an insane man shall pay Zakat on his behalf. The ruler or
his officers can collect Zakat (2) At the completion of one year.
Zakat falls due and it should be paid without delay. Fitr charity is
payable on the day of I’d before I’d prayer. If a man makes delay
in payment of Zakat, he disobeys God. If he loses his property
after it is due, the responsibility does not cease. Zakat of two
years can be paid in advance. (3) One should not pay Zakat on
valuation of properties. Zakat should be paid with the thing for
which Zakat is due. For instance, silver should not be paid for
166 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
gold and gold for silver. The above is the opinion of Imam
Shafeyi and not of Imam Abu Hanifa according to whom it is
lawful. (4) It is better to pay Zakat to the people where the Zakat
payer resides permanently as the poor and the destitute of that
place look to him for help. (5) Zakat is to be paid to eight classes
of persons as described in the Quran and will be discussed in
section 3.
SOME SUBTLE RULES OF ZAKAT
There are some subtle points for a payer of Zakat and for one
who travels in the path of the next world.
(1) THE MEANING AND OBJECT OF ZAKAT: Zakat is the
purification of properties. There are three reasons for its being a
pillar of Islam. (a) The first reason is to appreciate the two words
of Kalema Shahadat, to take Tauhid firmly and to witness the
unity of God. Promise reaches perfection when a unitarian has
got no object of love except One, as love does not admit a partner.
There is little benefit in uttering Kalima Shahahdat by tongue
only and the trial is in giving up of other objects of love except
God. To the people, wealth and properties are objects of love as
they are the instruments of earthly pleasures and getting love
from others. Those who claim the love of God are tried and their
objects of love are snatched away from them. For this reason God
says: God purchased from the believers their lives and properties
in exchange of paradise for them. This was said with regard to
Jihad. Sacrifice of properties is easier than sacrifice of life which
has been also mentioned here to gain the love of God. From this
angle of view, men can be divided in to three classes.
(1) The first class of men recognise Tauhid as true, fulfill their
promise and spend their properties in the way of God. They do
not hoard wealth. They do not deny that Zakat is not compulsory
on them. Rather they say: For us, it is compulsory to spend all our
properties. For this reason, Hazrat Abu Bakr brought all his
properties to the Prophet when he called for charities in the way
of God. Hazrat Omar brought half of his property. The Prophet
said to Hazrat Omar: What have you left for your family? He
said: Half of my wealth. He asked Hazrat Abu Bakr: What have
you left for your family? He said: God and His Prophet. The
Prophet said: The difference between you is in your replied.
Vol-I ZAKAT 167
(2) The second class of men are lower in rank. They spend
their wealth at the time of necessity. The object is hoarding is not
. to enjoy pleasure but to spend in proportion to necessity and to
spend their excess wealth in good deeds. They don’t reduce the
amount of Zakat. Many Tabeyins like Nakhyi, Shubi, Ata and
others held that there are additional duties on wealth besides
Zakat. The sage Shubi was asked: Is there any additional duty on
wealth besides Zakat? He said: Yes, did you not hear the verse of
God: Being prompted by divine love they spend wealth for their
near relatives, orphans, the poor and the travellers. This is
supported by the following verse: They spend out of what I have
provided them with. God says: Spend out of what I have
provided you. This means that whenever you will find a man in
want, it is the duty of the rich to remove his want. This is an
additional charity besides Zakat. The correct opinion according
to theology is that whenever expense is necessary, to spend is
Farze Kefayah as it is not legal to cause harm to the Muslims.
(3) The third class are those persons who rest contended by
payment of only Zakat. They do not pay more or less. This is the
lowest rank and the general people adopt this course as they are
naturally miser, attached to riches and their love for the next
world is weak. God Says: ‘If they beg of you and press for it, you
become miser.’ There is a wide gulf of difference between those
who sacrifice their lives and properties for God and those who
are defamed for miserliness.
(2) The second cause is to be pure from miserliness as it is one
of the cause of destruction. The Prophet said: There are three
destructive guilts-to obey miserliness, to follow low desires and
self-conceit. God says: Those who are saved from miserliness
have got salvation. In this way, Zakat is the cause of purification
of properties.
(3) The third cause is to express gratefulness for the gifts of
God as God’s gifts on His servants are unbounded. The
gratefulness for the gifts of body by doing divine services and the
gratefulness for the gifts of wealth by expense of wealth are
expressed. How unfortunate is he who sees no means of
livelihood of a poor man and till does not give him charity inspite
of his begging and who rather expresses gratefulness that God
saved him from wants.
168 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
(2) Second subtle point: It is to look to the times and the rules
of payment of Zakat. The religious men pay Zakat before it
becomes compulsory. They transcend the limit of time. There is
chance of falling into sin if Zakat is paid late and not in time.
Willingness to do good deed comes from angels and it should be
considered a cause of fortune. The heart of a believer is within the
two fingers of the Merciful and there is no delay in its change.
The devil enjoins on doing evil deeds and shows fear of poverty.
Zakat should be paid in the month of Muharram, the first month
of Hijra and one of the pure months or it should be paid in the
month Ramzan as the Prophet paid most of his charities in this
month and there is the excellence of the Blessed night in this
month and in the month of pilgrimage. The last ten days of
Ramzan month and the first ten days of the month of Zilhaj are
days of excellences.
(3) Third subtle point: It is to pay Zakat in secret. It
removes show and greed for fame. The Prophet said: The best
charity is in secret charity of a poor man to a man in want. A
certain learned man said: There are three matters in the secret
wealth of good works, one of them is secret charity. The Prophet
said: If a man acts secretly, God writes it secretly as secrecy is not
maintained if it is disclosed. There a well-known Hadis about
show in open charity. The Prophet said: God will give shade to
seven persons on the day when there will be no shade except the
shade of God, one who gives charity in such a manner that his
left hand does not know what his right hand has given in
charity. There is in another Hadis: Secret charity appeases the
wrath of God. God says: And if you give charity sincerely, it is
also better for you. In secret charity, one can be safe from the
danger of show. The Prophet said: If a man wants fame by
incurring the pleasure of men, or rebukes after charity, or
discloses his charity and thereby seeks name and fame and or
gives charity among the people for show, God will not accept his
charity. A secret charity is free from the above faults. Many
learned men said that the giver should not even know the
person who takes charity. Some of them handed it over to the
blind.
(4) Fourth subtle point: It is good to give charity openly ina
place where the people are encouraged to give charity by seeing
it. God says: Spend what I have given you secretly and openly.
_—— SS
Vol-I ZAKAT 169
Care should be taken in open charity about show, rebuke after
charity and not to break the secrets of a poor man as most of the
beggars do not wish that anybody should see them as beggars.
(5) Fifth subtle point: It is not to destroy charity by rebuke
and giving trouble after charity. God says: Don’t make your
charity void by ‘Mann’ that is giving trouble. There are
differences of opinion for the meaning of Mann. Some say that its
meaning is to remind charity to the receiver and that ‘Aza’ means
to disclose it. Sufiyan was asked: What is Mann? He replied: To
remind it repeatedly and to discuss about it. Some say that its
meaning is to take boast for giving him charity and ‘Aza’ means
to drive him away and to rebuke him by words. The Prophet said:
God does not accept the charity of one who does ‘Mann’. Gazzali
explains it thus. Mann has got roof and branches and it is
expressed in tongue and limbs. The roof of ‘Mann’ is to think
oneself as the benefactor of one who receives charity. Rather the
receiver should consider that he has shown kindness to the giver
by accepting his charity, because he purifies the giver and gives
him release from Hell fire. The charity of the giver is to request
the receiver. The Prophet said: Charity falls on the hand of God
before it falls in the hand of a beggar. Now it appears that the
giver places his charity first to God and then the beggar receives
it from God. ‘Mann’ comes in when the giver understands that he
has done some benefit to the receiver of charity. So the meaning
of ‘Mann’ is to discuss about charity, to disclose it and to hope to
get from the receiver gratefulness, prayer, service, honour and to
wish that he should be followed in his actions. These are the
secret meanings of ‘Mann’.
‘Aza’ means to rebuke, to use harsh word and to humiliate
the receiver of charity. Its secret meaning is unwillingness to
withdraw hand from wealth, to think to give charity as
troublesome. Secondly, it means that the giver thinks himself
superior to the receiver and thinks him inferior for his wants.
Unwillingness to give charity is sign of foolishness, because who
is more foolish than one who is reluctant to spend one dirham in
lieu of one thousand dirhams in the next world? It appears from
this that the object of charity and expense is to get the pleasure of
God and to get merits in the next world. The pious men among
the rich will go to Paradise five hundred years after the pious
poor men. For this reason, the Prophet said: By the Lord of the
170 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
Ka’ba, they are undone. Abu Zarr asked: Who are undone? He
said: ‘Those who have got much wealth.’ Then how can the poor
be held in contempt?
God keeps the rich only for the poor, because the poor earn
their livelihood by their industry, increase their provisions and
preserve them with difficulties. The rich give charity according
to the requirements of the poor and guard the excess wealth. So
think that the rich are servants for the livelihood of the poor.
These are the conditions of charity and Zakat. This is like God
fear in prayer. The following Hadis establishes it. The Prophet
said: There is no prayer for a man except what he understands
therefrom. He said: God does not accept the charity of one who
gives trouble to the receiver. God says: Don’t make your charity
void by mentioning it and by giving trouble.
(6) Sixth subtle point: Think charity as little, because if it is
considered great, it grows self-praise which destroys an action.
God says: ‘When your great number pleased you, it came of no
use to you.’ Some say that when one considers a religious action
little, it becomes great to God, and whena sin is considered great,
it becomes little to God. Some say that any good deed does not
become perfect without three things to think it little, to do it soon
and to keep it secret. If a man spends money in the construction
of a mosque, it is possible for him to think it great, but there is no
‘Mann’ or ‘Aza’ in it. It may be called self-pleasure or self-praise.
Its medicine is a mixture of knowledge and action. Knowledge
comes in the fact that he will not get the highest rank as he has not
gifted his entire wealth in charity and so he should be ashamed,
for this wealth belongs to God and He gives it to whomsoever He
pleaSes along with Taufiq to spend it in charity. Regarding
action, charity should be given after being ashamed as you were
miser is not giving the entire property given to you by God.
(7) Seventh subtle point: Give in charity that is best, purand
the most lawful thing as God is pure and does not accept but pure
wealth. The Prophet said: ‘Good news to the man who earns
wealth without committing sin and spends therefrom.’ If he does
not spend out of his best properties, it is impertinent on his part
as he reserved the best thing for his family members and loved
the worst thing for God. If he gives bad things to his guest for
eating, he becomes surely displeased with him. A wise man
should not place others above himself. He will leave no property
TT
Vol-I ZAKAT 171
except what he gives in charity. What he eats finishes and what
he enjoys of his property becomes a past thing. God says: ‘O
those who believe, spend of the good things you earn and what I
grow for you out of the earth and don’tintend therefrom, impure
things.’ Don’t take it without dislike and shame. So don’t love to
give to God impure and bad things. There is in Hadis: One
dirham gains over one lac dirhams. Its cause is that a man gives
one dirham in charity with pleasure of mind after taking it out
from mostly his lawful earnings and another man gives charity of
one lac dirhams from his unlawful earnings. God says: They keep
for God what they do not like. Their tongue spread this falsehood
and that this is good for them. There is no doubt that there is Hell
fire for them.
(8) Eighth subtle point: Search for Zakat such man that if
he is paid Zakat, it becomes pure. The eight classes of men
have been mentioned in the Quran for Zakat. It should be paid
to those of them who have got these six qualities. (1) God fear:
Seek such God-fearing men who have renunciated the world
and adopted the business of the next world. The Prophet said:
‘Don’t eat the food of anybody except that of the God-fearing
men and do not feed anybody except the God learning men.
The reason is that such men help religion. The Prophet said:
Give your food to the God- fearing people and show kindness
to the believers. In other words, entertain one with your food
whom you love for the sake of God. Some learned men did not
give food except to the poor people of ‘Suffa’. They were
asked: It would have been better if your charity would have
been given to al
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