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Lesson: 42 Taqwa Contd.
Admonition and Counsel Proves Effective for the Pious
Though guidance
and advice is the means of walking straight for all, only god-fearing people
benefit from it. The Holy Quran has hinted at this on many occasions:
1. Alif
Lam Mim. This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard against
evil.2. This is
a clear statement for men, and a guidance and an admonition to those who guard
against evil. 3. And We reveal
of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds
only to the perdition of the unjust.
Of course,
the Holy Quran has been revealed for the guidance of entire mankind. Yet the
reason of calling it a guide for the Godfearing and the Believers is that they
submit to the Truth and follow it and hence according to it attain a higher
degree of guidance for them.
But the unbelieving
people are an obstinate group who are neither seeking the truth nor in case
they know about it follow the truth. Rather they value their lust and passion
above everything. Therefore, they not only remain deprived of the guidance of
the Quran but it only multiplies their wretchedness. It is so because the temperament
of their existence is deformed due to the effect of their denial and oppression
and hypocrisy. Hence, whenever and wherever they come across the light of Truth
they get up to fight with it and this encounter with truth only increase their
dirtiness and strengthens the spirit of rebellion and insurgence within them.
For example,
the Holy Quran can be compared with that helps the seeing person s walk on the
straight path. But the blind do not get any benefit from it and remain only
in the deviation of denial and hypocrisy. It means the main condition for getting
guidance is readiness and worthiness.
The verses
of the Holy Quran are like those life-giving drops of rain that enliven a pure
land. But it does not benefit a salty land. Likewise in order to benefit from
Quran it is necessary to first create readiness to accept it and, as a saying
goes, besides the deed of the doer his ability is also required.
To summarise:
For getting the benefit of any gift of life and creation, it is necessary to
have readiness and a favourable background within man.
Islam Has
Removed All Fanciful Prejudices
One of the
most manifest features of Islam is that it has eliminated all imaginary privileges
and distinctions like those of race and ancestry and lineage, wealth, position,
colour of skin and country. The Holy Quran says: O you men! surely We have
created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you
may know each other; surely the most honourable of you with Allah is the one
among you most careful of his duty
It is reported
from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): O people! Beware that verily your Lord is
one, be cautious that your father is one, remember that there is no superiority
or preference of an Arab over a non-Arab and/or of a non-Arab over an Arab,
or of black-skinned over a red-skinned or of a red-skinned over a black-skinned
but on the basis of Taqwa. Truly the most valued among you in the sight of Allah
is the one who is the most fearful of Him. Have I conveyed my message to you?
The people said: Yes, messenger of Allah! Then he said: So those who are present
here should convey it to those who are not here.
The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.), with a view to put this principle into practice, married his cousin
sister daughter of Zubair bin Abdul Muttalib with Miqdaad bin Aswad who was
black skinned, so that pride and prejudice based on race and lineage and beauty
may go away from the Islamic society.
Somebody asked
Isa (a.s.): who is superior? He took up two handfuls of earth and asked: which
one is superior? Then said: you have been created from earth and most precious
honourable among you is the one who is most God-fearing.
In Islam, distinction
is based only on spiritual heights or status like knowledge, Faith and fear
of God. The Holy Quran says: Allah will exalt those of you who believe,
and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees; and Allah is Aware of what
you do.
And also says:
Say: Are those who know and those who do not know alike? Only the men of
understanding are mindful.
About the distinction
based on Taqwa it says: Shall We treat those who believe and do good like
the mischief-makers in the earth? Or shall We make those who guard against evil
like the wicked?
So also the
Holy Quran says: The holders back from among the believers, not having any
injury, and those who strive hard in Allah's way with their property and their
persons are not equal; Allah has made the strivers with their property and their
persons to excel the holders back a high degree, and to each class Allah has
promised good; and Allah shall grant to the strivers above the holders back
a mighty reward.
In summary
it can be said that is Islam, all external distinctions have been cancelled.
Only the specialities in the matter of knowledge, Piety, and jihad are valuable.
Signs of
Piety
Amirul Momineen
(a.s.) said: There are some signs of the pious which make him or her distinct.
1. Truthfulness
in talk. 2. Trustworthiness in every affair. 3. Fulfilment of promise.4. No show of pride. 5. No miserliness. 6. Maintenance of bonds of relationships. 7. Kindness toward the weak. 8. Less mixing with women. 9. Promotion and propagation of good deeds and virtues. 10. Good behaviour and
nice attitude. 11. Awareness of issues making people closer to God. 12. And finally said: How lucky is this lot and what a nice place they are to
get!
Ranks of
Piety
Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) is reported to have said that Taqwa has three degrees: 1 Piety for the
sake of God in the matters desired by Him and it is most special Taqwa, 2 Piety
in the matters which are doubtful and it is Special taqwa and 3 Piety due to
fear of the Hell and its chastisement and it is giving up of or restraining
oneself from the prohibited Haraam and this is Taqwa-e-Aam ordinary taqwa.
The late Naraqi,
in his book, has written: Some scholars have divided Wara in four categories:
1 Piety and abstinence called Udool which means avoiding everything which makes
man disobedient to God, 2 Wara and Taqwa of the pious and it means refraining
even from the doubtful things, 3 the carefulness which prevents man from a thing
which is likely to make one indulge in the prohibited Haraam though that thing,
in itself is neither prohibited nor doubtful and 4 the wara of the Truthfuls
and it is keeping away from everything which is not related to a Divine matter
even if it is lawful or permitted.
We conclude
this discussion with some words of the leader of the pious, Ali (a.s.) and pray
to Allah to make us his true followers:
Ali (a.s.),
in his letter to Usman bin Haneef Ansari, says: Beware! Every follower has a
leader who should be followed and his light must be taken benefit of. Know that
your leader has left this world only in two old clothes and who had taken only
two pieces of breads for food but you do not have the ability to do like that.
Yet assist me through piety, effort, cleanliness and walking on the true path.
By God, I have not hoarded gold and silver from your world and have not heaped
treasures of wealth and money and even for this clothing, I have not provided
an alternate pair. I have not owned even a little measure of land. I have not
eaten from this world more then a little and insignificant food. In my view
this worldly life is of no more value than the bitter seed which grows on the
branch of the oak tree
As said by
the Imam, we are certainly not able to live like him. Yet our like should have
the likeness of his life. If the lust and greed and desire of the worldly beauties
and gold and silver have overtaken our entire existence, we must understand
that we have deviated from the path of that just leader, even though we consider
ourselves to be his followers. We must realise that the aim of those who shed
their blood for this Islamic Revolution was the revival of the Islamic laws
and following of the ways and programmes of the innocent Imams (a.s.). So it
is our duty and responsibility to pursue the aims of those martyrs and it is
possible to attain only when we make it our goal to follow the ways of Imam
Ali (a.s.) and his honourable son Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and put this ideal in
practice. Otherwise it is likely that tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection we
may stand ashamed with our heads down before Almighty Allah and His Apostles
and friends and the immortal martyrs.
