Tafsir Fatiha Session 9

Commentary on Surah Al-Fatiha, Session 9.

I seek refuge with God from the accursed Satan.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Praise and the Praised Station

In our discussion of praise (hamd), from the blessed verse, "All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds" [1], you have noted that praise is a station (maqam). If a person reaches this station, they will be praised (mahmoud) by other human beings. And whoever perfects themselves in this station becomes perfectly praised. This, too, is attained by the perfect human being through the night prayer (salat al-layl) and suchlike. The Glorious God promised His Messenger, saying: "And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station" [2]. So, praise is such a reality that it brings a person to this perfection.

Characteristics and Effects of Praise in the Words of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him)

In elaborating on praise, the first supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiyya serves as a good document for explaining the realities of praise. Some parts of this noble supplication have been read. We reached the point where Imam Sajjad says:

A. Praise as a Means to Compete with Angels and Cohabit with Prophets

"O God, we praise You with a praise by which we compete with Your nearest angels (hamdan nuzahimu bihi mala'ikatika al-muqarrabin) and join Your sent prophets (wa nudammu bihi anbiya'aka al-mursalin) in the Abode of Eternity (fi dar al-muqamah)." A praise by which we compete with the angels. Even though there is no talk of conflict there, yet we reach a point where we contend with them, and they with us. That is, we find a way into the world of angels. And we become joined with the sent ones. Where? In that place of eternity and everlastingness. Paradise is called the Abode of Eternity (dar al-muqamah), and the people of Paradise say, "Praise be to God who has brought us to our tranquil abode." The Barzakh (intermediate realm) is not a tranquil abode. The Barzakh is a passage, like this world, that one traverses to reach their tranquil abode, which is the Great Resurrection (qiyamat al-kubra). In reality, the grave and the Barzakh are not tranquil abodes; they are not fixed dwellings. This human being is a traveler until they reach the Abode of Settlement (dar al-qarar). The Abode of Settlement is the Great Resurrection. Paradise is the Abode of Settlement. The Barzakh is not the Abode of Settlement. The Barzakh is also a passage that a person must cross in between. Here, the Imam (peace be upon him) says that praise can bring a person to a place where angels and the sent ones (peace be upon them), whatever station they have, the praising person also shares that station with them. "In the Abode of Eternity which does not vanish" (fi dar al-muqamah al-lati la tazul) – a dwelling that is imperishable. "And the place of His honor which does not change" (wa mahalli karamatihi al-lati la tahul) – a place where a person is honored, and no change ever enters there.

The Station of Honor (Maqam al-Karamah)

The Glorious God has designated honor (karamah) as an attribute of the angels. He said: Angels are the honorable servants of God. "Rather, they are honored servants who do not precede Him in speech, and they act by His command" [3]. They are honorable servants. Karamah has no exact Persian equivalent. That noble, pure, and undefiled human being who does not submit to the disgrace of sin, and impurity finds no way into their sanctuary – such a human is called Kareem (honorable). Kareem is different from Adel (just). A just person, with difficulty, might avoid sin. That nobility of spirit might not be present in a just person. But karamah is present in angels, as God said: Angels are My honorable servants. "Rather, they are honored servants who do not precede Him in speech, and they act by His command" [3]. He also promises karamah to the martyrs. The martyr of Surah Ya-Sin, this person who attained martyrdom through struggle, "It was said, 'Enter Paradise.' He said, 'Oh, I wish my people knew of what my Lord has forgiven me and made me among the honored.'" [4]. The message that the martyr of Surah Ya-Sin conveys is that when he was martyred, he found his way into the paradisiacal Barzakh. From there, he sends a message: "Oh, I wish my people knew of what my Lord has forgiven me and made me among the honored" [4]. He made me among the honored (al-mukrameen). The mukrameen, according to the language of the Holy Quran, are the angels themselves: "Rather, they are honored servants who do not precede Him in speech, and they act by His command" [3]. The Abode of Honor (Dar al-Karamah) is a dwelling that does not vanish.

Verses from the Supplication Regarding the Station of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)

"And praise be to Allah who chose for us the best of creation and bestowed upon us pleasant provisions and made us superior with dominion over all creation. So all His creation is submissive to us by His power and becomes obedient to us by His might. " This sublime passage is specific to the Ahl al-Bayt of infallibility and purity (peace be upon them). And if a person recites these passages, their intention is either vicariousness or they have other divine knowledge in mind. Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) says here: We praise God who gave us good provisions, which is also possible for others. "And made us superior with dominion over all creation" (wa ja’ala lana al-fadilah bil-malakati ‘ala jami’ al-khalq). We praise God who gave us dominion and authority (malikah wa sultan) over all creation. This is the cosmic guardianship (wilayat takwini) of the divine saints. "So all His creation is submissive to us by His power" (fa kullu khaliqatihi munqadah lana bi-qudratih) – all beings in the world of creation are submissive to us, the Imams (peace be upon them). Of course, by the power of the Glorious God, not that we inherently or originally possess such dominion. "And becomes obedient to us by His might" (wa sa'iratun ila ta'atina bi-'izzatihi) – all that is in the world of creation is obedient to us, the infallible ones, by the command and order of the Glorious God. "And praise be to Allah who closed the door of need to us except to Him" (wa al-hamdu lillah alladhi aghlaqa anna bab al-hajati illa ilayh). We thank God that whatever need we have, He knows it, He can solve it, and He has allowed us to converse with Him and share our needs. Therefore, He has closed the path of resorting to others. For others neither know what we want, nor can they fulfill our needs, nor are their doors always open to us. So, we thank God that He closed the doors of others to us and only opened His own door to us. "So how can we be able to praise Him?" (fa kayfa nutiqu hamdahu) – how can we praise God? "Or when can we fulfill His gratitude? Never!" (am mata nu'addi shukrahu la mata) – we can never fulfill the gratitude and praise of the Glorious God. This acknowledgment of inability to fulfill gratitude is gratitude itself. "And praise be to Allah who structured within us the tools of expansion and made for us the instruments of contraction" (wa al-hamdu lillah alladhi rakkaba fina alat al-bast wa ja’ala lana adawat al-qabd). There are other passages that are not very relevant to our discussion. Then the issue of repentance is raised, saying that we praise the Glorious God for making the path of return very easy for us.

B. Praising God Like the Nearest Angels and the Most Honorable Servants

Then he says: "And praise be to Allah with all that His nearest angels praise Him with" (wa al-hamdu lillah bi kulli ma hamidahu bihi adna mala'ikatihi ilayh) – we praise God just as His nearest angel praises Him. "And His most honorable creation to Him, and the most pleasing of His praisers to Him" (wa akramu khaliqatihi alayhi wa arda hamidihi ladayh). Every praise with which the most honorable angels praise God, we praise God with that. And every praise with which those who are pleasing and agreeable to God praise Him, those praisers with whom God is pleased, we praise God with that. "A praise that surpasses all other praise as our Lord's favor surpasses all His creation" (hamdan yafdal sa'ir al-hamd ka-fadli rabbina 'ala jami' khalqihi). Just as God is superior to all creation, so too will His praise be superior to all other praises. That is, if the Glorious God is an existent by essence and by origin, and independent, others exist by dependence and by accident and by others. Praise is also like this: originally and essentially it belongs to God, accidentally and dependently it belongs to others, which in reality returns to the praise of God. "Then to Him is praise for every blessing He has bestowed upon us and upon all His servants, past and present" (thumma lahu al-hamdu makan kulli ni'matin lahu 'alayna wa 'ala jami' 'ibadihi al-madin wa al-baqin). For every blessing that the Glorious God has given us, or to those who have passed, or to those who are to come, we praise Him. "According to the number of all things His knowledge encompasses" (adada ma ahata bihi 'ilmuhu min jami' al-ashya'). We praise Him according to the extent of God's knowledge. "And for each one of them, its number, multiplied many times, forever, eternally, until the Day of Resurrection, a praise whose limit has no end" (wa makan kulli wahidatin minha adaduha ad'afan muda'afatan abadan sarmadan ila yawm al-qiyamah hamdan la muntaha li-haddih). A praise that has no end. Because the reality of man is an unending existence, this reality, which is an unending existence, must inevitably pursue unending perfection. If a human being is an imperishable existence and does not admit of "until" or "when," there is no talk of years and months. If a human being is like this, they must speak words, have thoughts that are like this, so that it can be their provision for eternity. A human being who is eternal cannot secure eternity with temporary actions. "Forever, eternally, until the Day of Resurrection, a praise whose limit has no end, and whose number has no reckoning, and whose utmost reach has no limit, and whose duration has no cessation" (abadan sarmadan ila yawm al-qiyamah hamdan la muntaha li-haddih wa la hisaba li-'adadih wa la mablagha li-ghayatih wa la inqita'a li-amadih). This is the expansion of praise towards eternity.

C. Praise as a Factor in Human Attainment of Obedience, Forgiveness, Pleasure, and God's Mercy, and So On

"A praise that is a means to His obedience and His forgiveness, and a cause for His pleasure, and a path to His forgiveness, and a way to His Paradise, and a protector from His wrath" (hamdan yakunu wuslatun ila ta'atih wa 'afwih wa sababan ila ridwanih wa dhari'atan ila maghfiratih wa tariqan ila jannatih wa khafiran min niqmatih). Khafeer means a guarantor who saves a person from His wrath. "And a security from His anger, and a helper in His obedience, and a barrier from His disobedience, and an aid in fulfilling His right and His duties" (wa amnan min ghadabih wa zahiran 'ala ta'atih wa hajizan 'an ma'siyatih wa 'awna 'ala ta'diyati haqqihi wa waza'ifih).

D. Praise as a Factor for Ascension to the Peak of the Saints' Felicity and Joining the Ranks of Martyrs in the Path of God

After all these passages, at the end of this sentence, he says: "A praise by which we may be felicitous among the felicitous of Your saints" (hamdan nas'adu bihi fi al-su'ada' min awliya'ih). A praise by which, through this praise, we may be among His other felicitous saints who are His saints and are blessed, we may reach that felicity that His saints possess through praise. "And by which we may become among the ranks of martyrs by the swords of His enemies" [5] (wa nasiru bihi fi nazm al-shuhada' bi-suyufi a'da'ih). We praise God in such a way that He grants us the grace to be among the ranks of martyrs and in the order and class of martyrs by this praise. We find that grace so that we do not die a normal death, but rather martyrdom is granted to us, so that we may be placed among the ranks of martyrs.

The Application of "Martyr" in Narrations to Many Groups

Martyrs (shuhada') are applied to many groups in narrations and hadiths. Many may be martyrs, but martyrs in the sense that they share in many of the rewards of a martyr. However, a martyr of the battlefield (shaheed-e meydan-e ma'rakeh) has a different account. The Imam's supplication is that we be placed in the order and rank of martyrs by the swords of enemies. Because if someone has the grace to be aware of their duty and knowledgeable of divine laws, to the extent of their ability, and does not fall short, and is a lover of the Ahl al-Bayt of infallibility and purity, then "whoever dies in their bed dies a martyr" [6]. This is one statement. The woman who sought to become a mother during pregnancy, if she died during the days of postpartum bleeding, she died a martyr [7]. "Whoever is killed defending their property is a martyr" [8]. If someone attacked their house and they defended themselves and were killed, they are also a martyr. In many cases in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), the title of martyr has been applied to these individuals, meaning they have a reward, but not the same immense reward as a warrior on the battlefield. Many are called martyrs in fiqh and narrations, meaning God grants them a portion of the ranks and graces of martyrs. But the Imam (peace be upon him) says to the Glorious God: Place us in the rank of that martyr who was killed by the sword of enemies on the battlefield. "A praise by which we may become among the ranks of martyrs by the swords of His enemies. Indeed, He is a Protecting Guardian, Praiseworthy" (hamdan nasiru bihi fi nazm al-shuhada' bi-suyufi a'da'ihi innahu waliyyun hameed). May God grant us that grace to be among the ranks of martyrs. Which martyrs? The absolute martyrs, whom even ordinary people sometimes have that reward, or other cases where they are called martyrs? No, martyrs by the swords of enemies, with the swords of God's enemies. So, if someone dies in normal circumstances and is given the reward of a martyr, that is not what is meant; that has a small reward. Or if someone fought for ethnic or racial issues, or for land and water, this does not have that great virtue. If someone fought "so that the word of God may be the highest, and the word of the oppressors the lowest" [9], as is the case in our battlefields and trenches now. If someone fought for the preservation of religion, and was killed by the sword of God's enemies, that is a high-ranking martyr whom Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) says: A praise that places us in the rank of these martyrs. "A praise by which we may become among the ranks of martyrs by the swords of His enemies" [5]. Therefore, many may be called jurisprudential martyrs and suchlike, they may have rewards, and be among the people of Paradise, but that station which is for these kinds of martyrs is not for other martyrs. Hence, he says: "And by which we may become among the ranks of martyrs by the swords of His enemies" [5].

The Beginning and End of the Supplication with Praise

Then the Imam refers to "Indeed, He is a Protecting Guardian, Praiseworthy" [10]. Since we are under divine guardianship, our Guardian, who is our Master, rectifies our affairs, and since He is the Absolute Praiseworthy, the Absolute Praised, all works belong to Him. We wish for Him to bring us to the station of praise, as this supplication began with praise and ended with "Praiseworthy." The beginning of this supplication was: "Praise be to Allah, the First without a beginning" [11]. The end of this supplication is: "And indeed, He is a Protecting Guardian, Praiseworthy" [10]. This is a return to a part, meaning the end of the discourse is connected to its beginning, and He is the Absolute Praiseworthy. Since He is the Absolute Praiseworthy, every blessing will inevitably belong to Him.

The Honor of Aiding God's Religion

That Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) insists that a person be placed in the ranks of martyrs is because religion must ultimately be aided, and the Glorious God has entrusted His religion to human beings to aid it. And He said that it is not that I would abandon My religion if you do not do it; others will. Strive so that religion is revived by your hands. "And if you had been in your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their resting places" [12]. He said: If you do not aid God's religion and stay in your homes, it is not that the Glorious God will abandon His religion. He will eagerly send a group of people to the battlefronts, both making them ardent for war and jihad, and from this side, granting their guardians and parents such patience and steadfastness that others are astonished and amazed. With one glance, He makes the hearts of the youth eager for the front, and when the bodies of the martyrs are brought, with one glance, He makes the hearts of fathers and mothers patient and steadfast, which you witness in these funerals. Observe these funerals carefully for a while and see how the guardians behave. He also told us that it is not that if Islam is in danger, and you abandon the religion, we too will abandon the religion. "And if you had been in your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their resting places" [12]. There are noble men who, after all, the battlefront is their place, and the martyrs' graves are their place.

In that famous supplication of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), which addresses the border guards (sangardaran), the warriors (razmandegan), the mobilized forces (e'zamian), and the groups involved with the front, he has an extensive supplication. For those who are themselves on the front, there are specific passages. For those who provide support behind the lines, there are also specific passages. For those who are the link between the front and the rear, there are also specific instructions. For those who are eager for the front but lack physical or financial capability, who have no means, but their hearts beat for the front, he also prays for them. When you analyze that famous supplication of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), which he presents regarding the warriors, you will see that he prays for these three or four groups: the one who fights, the one who provides support behind the lines, the one who is the link between the front and the rear, and the one whose heart desires to go to the front and help Islam and Muslims during a foreign invasion but is unable to. He also prays for them. Please observe this supplication of Imam Sajjad for the people of the frontiers (ahl al-thughur), so that we can briefly allude to its introduction as much as our discussion allows.

Question: ...

Answer: No, it has already been indicated that one should believe in their heart that these blessings belong to God. As it is stated in Surah An-Nahl: "And whatever blessing you have, it is from Allah" [13]. When one believes in their heart that all blessings are from the Glorious God, they also practically value this heartfelt belief and do not humble themselves before anyone other than God, and they spend these blessings appropriately. When they say "Praise be to Allah" with their tongue, the tongue has attended to its verbal duty of worship. The heart and the limbs and organs also each have their own specific duties.

Question: ...

Answer: That is, I understand this sentence, believe it, and say it. Understanding and belief are that abstract, unlimited matter that angels also possess.

Question: ...

Answer: Because we understand the limited, and we also understand the unlimited. If we do not understand the unlimited, then we do not understand God. We understand the limited, and we also understand the unlimited; we do not comprehend it fully. Then, what is true for the unlimited, we also understand it. We say, "O God, You have essential attributes that are unlimited, and You have active attributes that are limited." Let this praise not be limited to the world, or the Barzakh, or the Day of Resurrection, or concerning angels, or concerning one world below another. It is not like that. Your grace, which is unlimited, has no cessation, for Paradise and the people of Paradise will be eternal. Therefore, we will also praise You eternally for Your eternity. The abstract reality of man is imperishable; that is, once it becomes an abstract being, it no longer admits of temporality. Because human life – that is, the connection of the soul with the body – has a time limit.

Question: ...

Answer: These are supplications (du'a); supplication is enactment (insha), even if it is stated in the form of a declarative sentence. It is a declarative sentence that "was imbued with the spirit of enactment."

In this supplication for the people of the frontiers (ahl al-thughur), where the Imam prays for the border guards, he first says that the characteristic of supplication is that it is effective when it is preceded or followed by greetings upon the Ahl al-Bayt of infallibility and purity (Ahl al-Bayt 'Ismat wa Tahara), upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad [14]. This is also in Nahj al-Balagha, that if you want your supplication to be answered, first send greetings upon the Ahl al-Bayt of infallibility and purity [15]. Our teacher, the late Allamah Tabataba'i (may God be pleased with him), used to say: The secret behind this is that when a person asks the Glorious God for blessings and salutations upon the Ahl al-Bayt, it means mercy. When mercy descends upon them, it overflows to other creatures. And if mercy is to reach others, it must first reach them before it reaches others. Therefore, it is appropriate for a person to send greetings (i.e., salutations) first for the acceptance of their supplication, not greetings in the sense of peace (salam).

Islamic Borders in the Fortress of Divine Glory

After that blessed sentence, he said: "And fortify the frontiers of the Muslims with Your might" (wa hassin thughur al-muslimin bi-'izzatika). Protect the borders of Muslims with Your might, keep them in the fortress and stronghold of Your glory. "And strengthen their protectors with Your power" (wa ayyid humatahum bi-quwwatika). Support and strengthen the protectors of Islamic borders with Your power. "And shower their bounties" [16] (wa asbagh 'ataya'ahum).

The Front and Familiarity with Divine Knowledge and Laws

He reaches this sentence: He says: Those who go to the front are not knowledgeable about these matters; they do not know many things. O God, grant them success to learn the rulings.

The late Kashif al-Ghita (may God be pleased with him) in his noble book, Kashf al-Ghita, gave an instruction on how scholars and students should present themselves on the battlefields during war and attack [17]. Refer to the noble book Kashf al-Ghita that the Islamic government is obligated, when these warriors go to the battlefield, to appoint for them an Imam of congregational prayer (Imam Jama'at), a preacher (khatib), a question-answerer (mas'ala-gu), and a sermonizer (wa'iz). So that they may become familiar with these divine knowledge and laws in those deserts. "And make them know what they are ignorant of, and teach them what they do not know" (wa 'arrafhum ma yajhalun wa 'allimhum ma la ya'lamun). O God, these who have come now are border guards, and they do not have the opportunity to read books, study, or participate. Provide a means for them to become knowledgeable and learned. Grant them success to learn things they do not know. "And teach them what they do not know and make them see what they do not see" [18] (wa 'allimhum ma la ya'lamun wa bassirhum ma la yubsirun).

There are a series of supplications about this: O God, when the time for attack comes, remove the thought of the world, wives, children, land, and water from their hearts, so that only Your remembrance remains in their hearts. That is "And make my tongue fluent with Your remembrance, and my heart enamored with Your love" [19] (wa ij'al lisani bi-dhikrika lahijan qalbi bi-hubbika mutayyamah). Some supplications are like this. Some are curses against foreigners, asking for them to be afflicted with terror and fear, and so on, whether in economic or military matters. Then we reach this sentence: "O Allah, send forth against the polytheists in every region of the Muslims those who confront them" (Allahumma aghzu bi kulli nahiyatin min al-muslimin 'ala man bi-iza'ihim min al-mushrikin). O God, grant the grace that every group in every region fights the polytheists in that region. The easterners with the easterners, the westerners with the westerners, so that, in short, there is no greed for the polytheists to covet these Islamic countries. "O Allah, send forth against the polytheists in every region of the Muslims those who confront them, and reinforce them with angels from You, one after another, until they push them back to the end of the earth, killing them on Your land or capturing them, or until they acknowledge that You are Allah, there is no god but You alone, without partner" (Allahumma aghzu bi kulli nahiyatin min al-muslimin 'ala man bi-iza'ihim min al-mushrikin wa amdidhum bi-mala'ikatin min 'indika murdifeen hatta yakshifuhum ila munqata' al-turab qatlan fi ardika wa ashran aw yuqirru bi-annaka anta Allah alladhi la ilaha illa anta wahdaka la sharika laka). Grant these warriors success either to utterly destroy the polytheists, to kill them or capture them, or for them to become Muslims and acknowledge Your Oneness. Then he mentions the well-known polytheists as the leaders of polytheism. He mentions their followers and subordinates in this context: "O Allah, and include in that Your enemies in all parts of the lands, from India and Rome" (Allahumma wa 'ammim bi dhalika a'da'aka fi aqtar al-bilad min al-hind wa al-rum), and he names other regions. A series of supplications is that O God, make the polytheists fight each other so that they have no concern for Islamic regions. "O Allah, busy the polytheists with the polytheists" (Allahumma ishghil al-mushrikin bi-al-mushrikin) so that they have no concern for Islamic lands. This is also a passage of supplication that almost covers more than one page.

Supplication for the Warriors

Then, another passage is this: "O Allah, and any warrior from Your community who has gone to war against them" (Allahumma wa ayyuma ghazin ghazaham min ahli millatika). O Lord, any fighter who goes to battle against the polytheists, "or a mujahid who strives against them from the followers of Your Sunnah, so that Your religion may be the highest, and Your party the strongest, and Your share the most complete, then grant him ease and facilitate his affair" (aw mujahidun jahadahum min atba'i sunnatika li-yakuna dinuka al-a'la wa hizbuka al-aqwa wa hazzuka al-awfa fa-laqqa al-yusr wa hayyi' lahu al-amr). Sometimes a person fights for tribal or racial issues; if someone is killed in such a war, they are not a martyr in the path of God. Sometimes they fight for the preservation of religion, they fight by God's command. If someone fights for the preservation of religion, and is from your community and strives for your pleasure, so that your religion may be the highest and your party (Hizbullah) the strongest, and the divine share the most complete, then grant them ease and well-being and facilitate their affair. Many passages pray in this regard.

Prayer for Support Forces

Then it reaches those who are the link between the front and the rear. The one who carries letters, the one who delivers messages from the rear to the front, or messages from the front to the rear, the one who moves letters and supplies. He also prays for them. "O Allah, and any Muslim who remains behind a warrior or a guard in his home" (Allahumma wa ayyuma muslimin khalafa ghaziyan aw murabitan fi darih). Someone has gone to the front, and another is looking after his house. Someone has gone to guard the borders, and another is looking after his property, safeguarding his property, house, life, and family. "Or undertakes the care of his family in his absence, or aids him with a portion of his wealth, or supplies him with equipment, or incites him to jihad, or follows him in his direction with a prayer, or preserves his honor from behind him; then grant him a reward equal to his reward, weight for weight, and like for like" (aw ta'ahhada khala'ifihi fi ghaybatihi aw a'anahu bi-ta'ifatin min malihi aw amaddahu bi-'atadin aw shazzahu 'ala jihad aw atba'ahu fi wajhihi da'watan aw ra'a lahu min wara'ihi hurmatan fa-ajir lahu mithla ajrihi waznan bi-waznin wa mithlan bi-mithl). Those who properly maintain the rear, who properly provide for the needs of the warriors, who properly protect their families and lives within the city, he said: O God, grant them also a reward like the reward of the warriors. This is also an extensive passage.

Prayer for Those Who Desire Jihad but Lack the Capacity

The next passage is for those who are neither suitable for the front nor have the power to provide support for the rear. Their hearts pound, but they lack the ability. He also prays for them. "O Allah, and any Muslim for whom the affair of Islam is a concern, and who is saddened by the gathering of the polytheists against it" (Allahumma wa ayyuma muslimin ahammuhu amr al-islam wa ahzanahu tahazzub ahl al-shirk 'alayh). That the polytheists have formed parties and united. "Disbelief is a single creed" [20] against Islam and Muslims, their parties have united. This person is saddened by the unity of the polytheists (against Islam). "So he intended to go to war" (fa nawa ghazwan) – he thought of going to the front to fight. "Or he intended to perform jihad" (aw hamma bi-jihad) – he resolved to perform jihad and struggle. "But weakness kept him back, or poverty slowed him down, or an accident delayed him, or an obstacle appeared against his will" (fa-qa'ada bihi da'fun aw abta'at bihi faqah aw akhkharahu 'anhu hadithun aw 'arada lahu duna iradatihi mani'). He fell ill, his financial situation was not good, internal incidents occurred, other problems blocked his way. "Then write his name among the worshippers and make his reward obligatory like that of the mujahidin, and place him among the ranks of the martyrs and the righteous" [21] (fa-ktub ismahu fi al-'abidin wa awjib lahu thawaba al-mujahidin wa ij'alhu fi nazm al-shuhada' wa al-salihin). To that group who wish to take on one of these tasks of the front, but lack the ability, O God, grant them also a full reward. These passages show that if someone can aid God's religion in any circumstance and falls short, they are deprived of these good deeds. And if they can aid God's religion in these circumstances, they have not only done a good deed but also performed a necessary duty.

The Meaning of the Narration Stating: "Whoever Rises from Us, the Ahl al-Bayt, Before the Advent of Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him), Will Be Harmed."

What remains is that in the introduction to this Sahifa Sajjadiyya, it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that whoever rises before the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him), for example, "None of us, the Ahl al-Bayt, will rise before the advent of our Qaim to repel injustice or revive truth, except that tribulation will engulf him, and his rising will be an increase in our distress and that of our Shi'ites" [22]. Whoever rises before the advent of the Imam will be harmed; it is a tribulation for us, a distress for us and our Shi'ites. This is obviously when there is no popular support or aid. And then, if someone, like Yahya ibn Zayd, even though they were great figures, they were martyrs, they received God's forgiveness, and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and other Imams sought forgiveness for them. If someone does not have suitable conditions and means, they will be like Yahya the Martyr and Zayd the Martyr, and suchlike. But when means are available, there is no talk of patience and suchlike. The late Kulayni (may God be pleased with him) narrated that Sudayr al-Sayrafi came to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and said: "You have so much help and supporters, yet you are staying at home." He asked: "How many people support us, for example?" He replied: "One hundred thousand." He asked: "One hundred thousand?" He replied: "Two hundred thousand." He asked: "Two hundred thousand?" He replied: "Half the people." He asked: "Are all these our supporters?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Are you ready for us to take a short trip outside the city?" He replied: "No problem." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), according to the narration of the late Kulayni, ordered a donkey and a mule to be prepared. They saddled them and made them ready. Then Sudayr says: I was surprised. First, I went to the donkey to ride it. The Imam said: "Be altruistic; let me ride the donkey." I said that the mule is better and more noble than the donkey, and riding a donkey is demeaning. The Imam said: "I am weak and cannot ride that mount; I will ride this small mount." We mounted and rode a short distance out of the city. When the time for noon prayer arrived, the Imam said that we should pray. However, we reached a salty land, and praying in a salty land is disliked; it is not appropriate. So, we passed a few steps further from there and reached a place that was no longer salty. The Imam said: "Come down so we can pray." As we began to pray, I saw a village child grazing village goats there. The Imam said: "If I had supporters even as many as these goats (jidda' - the plural of jady, meaning a two-year-old goat)," he said, "by God," apparently with an oath, whether with or without an oath, "if I had supporters as many as these goats, I would never stay at home and would rise." When their prayer finished, I counted them one by one and saw that there were 17 goats [23]. The same Imam Sadiq who says that whoever rises before the advent of Imam al-Mahdi from our family will not achieve anything, this is because it is contingent upon the situation where people do not help. Otherwise, this general principle stated in Nahj al-Balagha is not subject to specification. The general principle stated in the Khutbah al-Shaqshaqiyyah is that: "Had it not been for the presence of the attendees and the establishment of the proof by the existence of a helper, and the covenant God took from the scholars that they should not agree to the gluttony of the oppressor or the hunger of the oppressed, I would have cast it away" [24]. If it were not for this divine decree that when people are present and there is a helper, God's proof is complete, no scholar has the right to remain at home and allow a group of oppressors to be completely overfed while a group of innocent people suffer poverty and destitution, millions upon millions. "Had it not been for the presence of the attendees and the establishment of the proof by the existence of a helper" - this is popular support. "And the covenant God took from the scholars that they should not agree to the gluttony of the oppressor or the hunger of the oppressed, I would have cast it away" [24]. I too would have thrown the reins of this leadership upon the back of the camel of caliphate and left it. When people are present, God has taken a covenant that we should not allow some people to overeat while others die of poverty and destitution.

The same Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) who says that whoever rises before the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) will be harmed; the same Imam says that if he had as many supporters as those goats, he would have risen.

Therefore, that refers to the situation where someone has no supporters, in which case their effort is wasted. And enjoining good and forbidding evil also has a limit. But now, the scholars have no argument whatsoever. The proof is the battlefront itself. That is, our dear ones, these border guards, are such that there is no talk of death at all. Usually, in these seminars and speeches, when one goes to lecture or speak, the letters that come are related to things like, for example, "contact us because something is scarce or expensive or rare," and so on. But when one goes there, the letters that come from there speak of: "What should we do to see Imam al-Mahdi?" "What should we do to remove this little affection we have for our wives and children?" Those are the letters.

Therefore, if people have come to the scene through divine grace in this manner, no one is excused. And then, people are not aiding religion; it is God who has brought people to the scene. If in one part of the Quran God says: "Sufficient for you is Allah and whoever followed you of the believers" [25], meaning God and the people are sufficient, in another part of the Quran He says: It is not that God is on one side and people on the other. It is I who guided the people to follow you: "It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers" [26]. It is God who supported you with the believers, not the people. God brought the believers, the people, to the field. If God brought them to the field, then it is not appropriate for one to fall short.

"And praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds."

[1] Surah Al-Fatiha, verse 1.

[2] Surah Al-Isra, verse 79.

[3] Surah Al-Anbiya, verses 26-27.

[4] Surah Ya-Sin, verses 26-27.

[5] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Supplication One.

[6] Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 144; "Every believer is a martyr, and even if he dies in his bed, he is a martyr..."

[7] Mustadrak al-Wasa'il, Vol. 2, p. 41; "He (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever dies during her menstruation dies a martyr.'"

[8] Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 95.

[9] Mustadrak al-Wasa'il, Vol. 12, pp. 190-191.

[10] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Supplication One.

[11] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Supplication One.

[12] Surah Al 'Imran, verse 154.

[13] Surah An-Nahl, verse 53.

[14] Usul al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 491.

[15] Nahj al-Balagha, Hikmah 361; He (peace be upon him) said: "When you have a need from God, begin by asking for prayers upon His Messenger (peace be upon him), then ask for your need. For God is too generous to be asked for two needs and grant one and withhold the other."

[16] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Supplication 27.

[17] Kashf al-Ghita, Vol. 4, p. 335; "And to establish the rituals of Islam, and to appoint muezzins and imams of congregational prayer in the army of Islam, and to set up a preacher knowledgeable in Persian and Turkish, who explains to them the deficiencies of this lowly world and encourages them to seek victory with eternal happiness and..."

[18] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Supplication 27.

[19] Misbah al-Mutahajjid, p. 850.

[20] Al-Sawarm al-Muhriqa, p. 55.

[21] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Supplication 27.

[22] Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Introduction, p. 20.

[23] Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 242.

[24] Nahj al-Balagha, Khutbah 3.

[25] Surah Al-Anfal, verse 64.

[26] Surah Al-Anfal, verse 62.