لطفا منتظر باشید ...
SERMON 174
Warning to neglectful people, and
about the vastness of his own knowledge
O' people who are (negligent of Allah but) not
neglected (by Allah), and those who miss (doing good acts) but are to be caught. How is it
that I see you becoming removed from Allah and becoming interested in others? You are like
the camel whom the grazer drives to a disease-stricken pasture and a disastrous watering
place. They are like beasts who are fed in order to be slaughtered, but they do not know
what is intended for them. When they are treated well they think that day to be their
whole life, and eating their full to be their aim.
By Allah, if I wish, I can tell every one of you
from where he has come, where he has to go and all his affairs, but I fear lest you
abandon the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny -
in my favour. I shall certainly convey these things to the selected ones who will remain
safe from that fear. By Allah, Who deputed the Prophet with Right and distinguished him
over creation. I do not speak save the truth. He (the Prophet) informed me of all this and
also about the death of every one who dies, the salvation of every one who is granted
salvation, and the consequences of this matter (the caliphate). He left nothing (that
could) pass into my head without putting it in my ear and telling me about it.
O' people ! By Allah, I do not impel you to any
obedience unless I practise it before you and do not restrain you from any disobedience
unless I desist from it before you.
(1).
Those who drink from the springs of revelation and divine inspiration see things hidden
behind the curtains of the unknown and the events which will occur in the future in the
same way as objects can be seen with the eyes, and this does not conflict with the saying
of Allah that:
Say: "None (either) in the
heavens or in the earth knoweth the unseen save Allah..." (Qur'an, 27:65)
because this verse contains the
negation of personal knowledge of the unknown, but not the negation of knowledge which is
required by the prophets and holy persons through divine inspiration, by virtue of which
they make prophesies about the future and unveil many events and happenings. Several
verses of the Qur'an support this view such as:
When the Prophet confided unto one
of his wives a matter, but when she divulged it (unto others) and Allah apprised him
thereof, he made known a part of it and avoided a part; so when he informed her of it,
said she: "Who informed thee of this?" He said: "Informed me, the
All-knowing, the All-aware." (Qur'an, 66:3)
These are of the tidings of the
unseen which We reveal unto thee (O' Our Prophet Muhammad )...(Qur'an, 11:49)
Therefore, it is incorrect to argue
in support of the view that if it is said that the prophets and holy persons possess
knowledge of the unknown it would imply duality in the divine attributes. It would have
implied duality if it were said that someone other than Allah has personal knowledge of
the unknown. When it is not so and the knowledge possessed by the Prophets and Imams is
that given by Allah it has no connection with duality. If duality should mean what is
alleged, what would be the position of Isa's (Jesus's) assertion related in the Qur'an
namely:
. . . Out of clay will I make for
you like the figure of a bird, and I will breathe into it, and it shall become a flying
bird by Allah's permission; and I shall heal the blind and the leper and will rise the
dead to life by Allah 's permission; and I will declare to you what ye eat and what ye
store up in your houses. . . (Qur'an, 3 :49)
If it is believed that Isa (Jesus)
could create and bestow life with Allah's permission does it mean that he was Allah's
partner in the attributes of creation and revival? If this is not so then how can it be
held that if Allah gives someone the knowledge of the unknown it implies that he has been
taken to be His partner in His attributes, and how can one extol one's belief in the
oneness of Allah by holding that the knowledge of the unknown implies duality.
No one can deny the fact that some
people either see in dreams certain things which have yet to occur in the future, or that
things can be read through interpretation of the dream, while during a dream neither do
the senses function nor do the powers of understanding and comprehension co-operate.
Therefore, if some events become known to some people in wakefulness why should there be
amazement over it and what are the grounds for rejecting it, when it stands to reason that
things possible in dreams are also possible in wakefulness. Thus, Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani
has written that it is possible to achieve all this, because in a dream the spirit becomes
free from looking after the body and is removed from bodily connections; as a result of
this it perceives such hidden realities which could not be seen because of the obstruction
of the body. In the same way those perfect beings who pay no heed to bodily matters, and
turn with all the attention of spirit and heart towards the centre of knowledge can see
those realities and secrets which the ordinary eyes are unable to discern. Therefore,
keeping in view the spiritual greatness of Ahlu'l-bayt (members of the Prophet's family)
it should not appear strange that they were aware of events which were going to occur in
future. Ibn Khaldun has written:
"When thaumaturgic feats are
performed by others what do you think about those who were distinguished in knowledge and
honesty and were a mirror of the Prophet's traits, while the consideration Allah had for
their noble root (namely the Prophet) is a proof of the high performances of his chaste
off-shoots (Ahlu'l-bayt). Consequently many events about knowledge of the unknown are
related about Ahlu'l-bayt which are not related about others.." (al-Muqaddamah, p.
23).
In this way there is no cause for
wonder over Amir al-mu'minin's claim since he was brought up by the Prophet and was a
pupil of Allah's school. Of course, those whose knowledge does not extend beyond the
limits of physical objectivity and whose means of learning are confined to the bodily
senses refuse to believe in the knowledge about the paths of divine cognisance and
reality. If this kind of claim were unique and were heard only from over Amir al-mu'minin
then minds could have wavered and temperaments could have hesitated in accepting it, but
if the Qur'an records even such a claim of Isa (Jesus) that - "I can tell you what
you eat or drink or store in your houses," then why should there be hesitation over
Amir al-mu'minin's claim, when it is agreed that Amir al-mu'minin had succeeded to all the
attainments and distinctions of the Prophet and it cannot be contended that the Prophet
did not know what Isa (Jesus) knew. Thus, if the successor of the Prophet advances such a
claim, why should it be rejected, particularly as this vastness of knowledge of Amir
al-mu'minin is the best evidence and proof for the Prophet's knowledge and perfection and
a living miracle of his truthfulness.
In this connection, it is amazing
that even having knowledge of events Amir al-mu'minin did not, through any of his words or
deeds, indicate that he knew them. Thus, commenting of the extraordinary importance of
this claim, as-Sayyid Ibn Tawus writes:
"An amazing aspect of this
claim is that despite the fact that Amir al-mu'minin was aware of conditions and events,
yet he observed such conduct by way of his words and deeds that one who saw him could not
believe that he knew the secrets and unknown acts of others, because the wise agree that
if a person knows what event is likely to take place or what step his comrade is going to
take, or if the hidden secrets of people are known to him, then the effects of such
knowledge would appear through his movements and the expressions of his face. But the man
who, in spite of knowing everything, behaves in a way as though he is unaware and knows
nothing, then his personality is a miracle and a combination of contradictions."
At this stage, the question arises
as to why Amir al-mu'minin did not act upon the dictates of his secret knowledge. The
reply to this is that the commands of the shariah are based on apparent conditions.
Otherwise secret knowledge is a kind of miracle and power which Allah grants to His
prophets and Imams. Although the prophets and Imams possess this power always, they cannot
make use of it at any time unless and until by the permission of Allah and on the proper
occasion. For example, the verse quoted above about Isa (Jesus) which tells that he had
the power to give life, to heal the blind and declare what one ate and stored in his
house, etc., he (Jesus) did not used to practise this power on every thing or every corpse
or everyone who met him. He used to practise this power only by the permission of Allah
and on the proper occasion.
If prophets and other divines acted
on the basis of their secret knowledge it would have meant serious dislocation and
disturbance in the affairs of the people. For example, if a prophet or divine, on the
basis of his secret knowledge, punishes a condemnable man by killing him, there would be
great commotion and agitation among those who see it on the ground that he killed an
innocent man. That is why Allah has not permitted the basing of conclusions on secret
knowledge save in a few special cases, and has enjoined the following of observable
factors. Thus, despite his being aware of the hypocrisy of some of the hypocrites, the
Prophet extended to them the treatment that should be extended to a Muslim.
Now, there can be no scope for the
objection that if Amir al-mu'minin knew secret matters then why did he not act according
to them because it has been shown that he was not obliged to act according to the
requirements of his secret knowledge. Of course, where conditions so required he did
disclose some matters for the purposes of preaching, admonishing, giving good tidings (of
reward) or warning (against punishment), so that future events could be fore-closed. For
example, Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p.b.u.h.) informed Yahya ibn Zayd that if he went out he
would be killed. Ibn Khaldun writes in this connection:
"It has been authentically
related from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq that he used to apprise some of his relations of the
events to befall them. For example, he warned his cousin Yahya ibn Zayd of being killed
but he disobeyed him and went out and was killed in Juzajan." (al-Muqaddamah, p.
233).
Nevertheless, where there was
apprehension that minds would get worried it was not at all disclosed. That is why in this
sermon Amir al-mu'minin avoided more details, in view of the fear that people would begin
to regard him higher than the Prophet. Despite all this people did go astray about Isa
(Jesus), and in the same way about Amir al-mu'minin also they began to say all sorts of
things and were misled into resorting to exaggeration.
.Forward to Sermon 175.Back to Sermon 173.
