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Why Respect the
"Signs" of Allah
"And He shows
you His signs: Which then of Allah's signs will you deny?" (Quran,
40:81)
Allah, the Almighty and All-Knowing has
referred to the "Signs" of Allah several times in the Holy Quran. The
"signs" have been places, events, personalities, catastrophes and many other
things, but one thing which can be observed that according to the Holy Quran,
the "Signs" (or Ayats) are meant to remind people of Allah, His
Bounties, His Mercy, His Wrath, and his other attributes. Therefore,
places, symbols, historical events or personalities, which serve as reminders
and symbols for humanity, and strengthen the bonds of love and submission to
Allah, are to be respected, revered and remembered, not only as a
rite or ritual but also in their true spirit.
While the Quran refers to several things,
the Signs are generally reminders and symbols for humanity. Therefore, in
addition to those "Signs" mentioned in the Holy Quran, events and personalities
like Hazrat Ibrahim's sacrifice, Imam Hussain's lesson from Karbala, Prophet
Muhammad's character and places like Masjid-e-Nabavi and the Holy Ka'bah, all of
which serve to strengthen man's ties and attachment to the Almighty, are to be
respected and loved. Since we unfortunately live in a period when we
cannot be contemporaries of these great personalities and evetns, we seek their
relics, their traces and that is why things, places and relics attributed and
associated with them become so important. It is not wrong to strengthen
our love and belief through symbols and relics which remind us of these people,
and subsequently, of the Divine Path of these Blessed people,
Sirat-e-Mustaqeem. This is one reason why Muslims rever (or
remember) the water of Zamzam, the stone Hajar-e-Aswad, the City of the Prophet,
the Cave of Hira, the dust of Karbala, the "Devil's" pillar which is stoned
during Hajj, the Maqam-e-Ibrahim (mentioned in the Holy Quran as a place of
worship to be respected too).... These form our symbolic and material bonds to
the pure remembrance of these divine personalities...
Respect for signs or
idol-worship? Shirk?
Some people in their ignorance think that Tawhid
means love and respect only for Allah, and thus they attribute respecting and
loving these symbols as "shirk" (associating someone with Allah) and they
condemn all these things. Their point: Entertaining the love of
anyone other than Allah is shirk.
However they cannot understand the point
that when we respect the Maqam-e-Ibrahim, we are not worshipping a stone or a
place, rather cherishing and re-living the memory of Hazrat Ibrahim, whom we
love. And we love Hazrat Ibrahim for his love for Allah and because Allah
loves him... Therefore, when we trace this line of "love", we find that it
originates from and ends at the Almighty Creator, the Most
Merciful!!!!
If we read the following Quranic verses,
(both occurring continuously), we observe that in the first verse, Allah has
described "shirk" (associating someone with Allah) as a "fall from high on" and
indeed, one who associate others with Allah, is like one who has fallen from a
high pedestal to the greatest depths...
"Being upright
for Allah, not associating aught with Him and whoever associates (others) with
Allah, it is as
though he had fallen from on
high, then the birds snatch him away or the wind carries him off to a
far-distant place." [Quran, 22:31]
However we see that in the very next
verse, Allah has allowed respect for the "signs" of Allah, and in fact, declared
it as the outcome and natural result of piety and purity of hearts and
feelings. Therefore, these two verses indicate that respecting and loving
the signs of Allah cannot be "equated" with shirk, and indeed, it is a sign of
piety...
"That (shall be
so); and whoever respects the signs of Allah, this surely is (the outcome) of
the piety of hearts." [Quran, 22:32]
Respect for the
"Signs" of Allah recommended...
"O you who
believe! do not violate the (sanctity of the) signs appointed by Allah nor the
sacred month, nor (interfere with) the offerings, nor the sacrificial animals
with garlands, nor those going to the sacred house seeking the grace and
pleasure of their Lord" [Quran,
5:2.9]
So the Quran tells us to respect the
sanctity of people going to the sacred house for seeking the grace of
Allah. Even animals and some sacred months have sanctity which should not
be violated...
Finally, as an answer to the allegations
of "shirk" by those people who reject these signs and symbols and instead of
respecting and loving them, seek to destroy or erase them,
...But none
reject Our Signs except only a perfidious ungrateful (wretch)!" [Quran,
31:32]
The Tragedy of
al-Baqi
Jannat-al-Baqi is the famous burial place
of great personalities without whom the history of Islam is incomplete, in fact,
some of them wrote the history of Islam with their deeds and achievements.
The Prophet's companion Usman bin Mazoon was the first companion to be buried
there on instructions by the Prophet (SA). The Prophet's son,
Ibrahim, who died in infancy (and was very dear to the Prophet) was also buried
there. Then the Prophet's beloved grandson Hazrat Imam Hasan (AS), was
also laid to rest in al-Baqi. Al-Baqi has the graves of three more stars
of the Prophet's family, his grandsons, Hazrat Ali ibn Imam Husain, Hazrat
Muhammad Baqir ibn Ali ibn Imam Hussain, and Hazrat Jafar Sadiq ibn Muhammad
Baqir ibn Ali ibn Imam Hussain.
The descendants of Prophet Muhammad
through Imam Hussain and the noble members of his Ahle Bait. These are the
Aal-e-Muhammad (descendants of Muhamamd) on whom you shower Salwat and
Durood daily in your prayers... The Prophet's aunt, the mother of Imam
Ali, Hazrat Fatima binte Asad also rests here. The grave of the Prophet
Muhammad's uncle, Hazrat Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib also lies here...
This is what Jannat al-Baqi looked like
till sometime back:
Jannat-al-Baqi before it was
demolished
However, on 8th Shawwal, Wednesday, in
the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925), mausoleums in Jannatul al-Baqi (Madina) were
demolished by King Ibn Saud. In the same year (1925), he also
demolished the tombs of holy personages at Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the
Holy Prophet (s)'s mother, wife, grandfather and other ancestors are
buried.
Jannat-al-Baqi after destruction by
the Saudi monarch.
While the monarchs have bulldozed and
razed these symbols and reminders of the Sirat-e-Mustaqeem to ground, they
continue to enjoy a life which is known to all. Isn't it a matter of shame
for the entire Muslim nation that while they build fancy mausoleums and shrines
for their political leaders, sufi saints and their parents and family members,
but they try to erase the signs and remains of the beloved family of Prophet
Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his progeny)???
Destruction of sacred sites in Hijaz by
the Saudi government continues even today. According to some scholars what is
happening in Hijaz is actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam,
under the guise of Tawheed. The idea is to eradicate the Islamic legacy and
heritage and to systematically remove all its vestiges so that in the days to
come, Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious
history.
Where are all those champions
and "defenders" of the Sahaaba???
Why are they silent when not only the name, but
the very graves and traces of the noble Sahaba are being erased???
Where is the Muslim nation which offers
durood and blessings on the family of Muhammad, five times a day in
their prayers???
A partial list of the
demolished graves and shrines
Al-Mualla graveyard in Makkah which
includes the grave of Sayyida Khadija bint Khuwailid (a), wife of the Prophet
(s), the grave of Amina bint Wahab, mother of the Prophet (s), the grave of
Abu Talib, the beloved uncle of the Prophet (SA), and the grave of Abdul
Muttalib, grandfather of the Prophet (s)
The grave of Hawa (Eve) in Jeddah
The grave of Hazrat Abdullah, the father
of the Prophet (s) in Madina
The house of sorrows (Bayt al-Ahzan) of
Sayyida Fatima Zehra (a) in Madina, where she used to weep and mourn after the
Prophet (SA).
The Salman al-Farsi (RA)mosque in
Madina
The Raj'at ash-Shams mosque in
Madina
The house of the Prophet (s) in Madina,
where he lived after migrating from Makkah
The house of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) in
Madina
The complex (mahhalla) of Banu
Hashim in Madina
The house of Imam Ali (a) where Imam
Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a) were born
The house of Hazrat Hamza (RA), (the
prince of martyrs) and the graves of the martyrs of Uhud (a)
Why this
demolition???
It is a sorry shame that while nations and
countries around the world spend millions to preserve their cultural heritage
and efforts are being made to preserve the ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harrappa
civilizations, the so-called Muslims do not attach even any "archaelogical"
significance to these remains and traces of the Islamic civilization, and
quite incomprehensibly, are endeavouring to ruin them!!
Some Questions and
their Answers
Q. The excuse is that pilgrims to Mecca
and Medina and the lovers of Ahle Bait visit these sites for "Ziarat" and
respect them and perform acts expressing their love and respect for those names
and personalities, to whom these sites are attributed.
The answer to this may be looked for in
the Holy Quran, where Allah declares the hills of Safa and Marwa as His
Signs:
"Surely the Safa
and the Marwa are among the signs appointed by Allah; so whoever makes a
pilgrimage
to the House or pays a visit
(to it), there is no blame on him if he goes round them both; and whoever does
good
spontaneously, then surely Allah is Grateful, Knowing." [Quran,
2:158]
Allah and those blessed with divine
knowledge only know why these two landmarks have been declared as the Signs of
Allah??? One popular Islamic significance of these places is the memory of Bibi
Hajira, (wife of Prophet Ibrahim) and performing Sai. Another
reason may be that these landmarks are the birthplace of Islam, and the light of
Islam shone and spread out from here.. Yet another reason may be that by
alluding to Safa and Marwa, the Quran indicates and hints, that respecting and
revering historical and religious landmarks and symbols, is not
prohibited, and indeed, is highly recommended if they incite love and devotion
to Allah, by reminding us of those "blessed" by Allah, on the
Sirat-e-Mustaqeem.
Notice the tone and words of the above
Quranic verse, which seem to allow and permit an act, which might cause some
ignorant people to "Blame" and condemn it, and it has been declared that whoever
does good spontaneously, with good intentions and purity of heart, then his
reward is with Allah, the All-Knowing.
Q. Another excuse which is often
brought up to justify this hideous act is that pilgrims to these sites performed
"inappropriate" actions and even went to the extent of performing prostration,
Sajdah to these graves, which is shirk and a sin, and therefore,
it must be prevented.
A very simple answer to this question is
that IF the Sajdah is wrong, then it should be prevented and the people
should be stopped, instead of bulldozing the cemtries! If today out of love and
veneration, Muslims start performing Sajdah at Prophet Muhammad's rauza,
will they go out and bulldoze the entire Masjid-e-Nabavi to ground, in order to
prevent Muslims from shirk???
To explain the "IF" in the above
paragraph, I will mention two incidents from the Quran. It may be said
that Sajdah is a symbolic act, of love and veneration. And every act has
an outer form and an inner form to it. The Sajdah which we perform for
Allah, the Al-Mighty and Sustainer, is the Sajdah of submission, devotion and an
acknowledgement of His Mastership, His Power and His Authority. This
Sajdah is reserved only for Allah, and performing it for anyone else, is a shirk
and a sin.
However we find in Quran that Allah
ordered the angels (and Iblis) to prostrate to Hazrat Adam?? All complied
except Iblis, who was condemned and punished for not obeying. Surely this
Sajdah was not the one which is reserved for Allah, rather one of love and
respect to the Khalifa of Allah.
Again in Quran we find that Hazrat Yaqub
and the brothers of Hazrat Yusuf prostrated before him. First we see that
Hazrat Yusuf mentioned his dream to his father,
"When Yusuf said
unto his father: O my father! Lo! I saw in a dream eleven planets and the sun
and the moon,
I saw them prostrating
themselves unto me." [Quran, 12:4.2]
and then the realization and fulfilment of
this vision:
"And he raised
his parents upon the throne and they fell down in prostration before him, and he
said: O my
father! This is the
significance of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true; and He
was indeed kind to me..." [Yusuf 12:100]
We can see that even Hazrat Yaqub, a
Prophet himself performed this prostration alongwith his sons, to Hazrat
Yusuf. Therefore, since one cannot dare attribute their actions to
"shirk", we can safely conclude that the Sajdah, the prostration, can
also be performed out of love, and as a token of respect and veneration, and is
different in intentions and spirit from the Sajdah reserved for Allah, the
Al-Mighty.
Therefore, without understanding the
intentions, emotions and feelings of the lovers and pilgrims, one has got
absolutely no right to violate the sanctity of the religious
landmarks...
A point which I would like my friends to
notice, (as they must have observed in the above list of demolished signs) that
there is particular emphasis on demolishing the graves, cemetries, mosques and
houses of the close family of Prophet Muhammad (SA). It is strange that
the sites attributed to his grandsons, his beloved daughter, his uncle, his
parents and grandfather and his noble companions, are being destroyed and
demolished instead of being preserved??? Aren't these the very "near
relatives", loving whom is our "attempted" reward for the services of the
Prophet Muhammad???
"Say (O
Muhammad!): I do not ask of you any reward (or fee) for it (my service to you)
but love for my near relatives" [Quran,
42:23]
Is this how the so-called Muslims attempt
to reward their Prophet???
Will
any muslim bulldoze his son's grave out of love and respect??? Why this harsh
treatment to the family of Prophet Muhammad then???
Why this bias and
hatred against the family of Prophet Muhammad(P)
The answer is quite simple. One who
hates the family of Prophet Muhammad cannot be a Muslim, since his durood, his
salams and his prayers are all void without loving Prophet Muhammad and his
blessed family.
Therefore, in the first place, these ruins
of al-Baqi identify and expose the hypocrates and the black-sheep amongst
the Muslim ranks, snatching away the masks from their faces and revealing their
true intentions and feelings of hatred for Islam and its heritage... and
very appropriately so, since exposing tyranny and evil is a tradition of the
family of Prophet Muhammad, which reached its apogee in the supreme sacrifice of
the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the plains of Karbala. It is
only to be expected of the sites attributed to them to carry on their noble
task...
The people who today take out their hatred
and bitternes over these cemtries and shrines, are the same, who brutally
martyred the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SA), barely 50 years after
his death...
These people, the party of Yazeed have
time and again tried to wipe out the traces of Aal-e-Muhammad (SA), because they
know that this house will keep exposing them, and continue raising voice against
their tyranny, till Inshallah, the promised victory is attained... Therefore,
these people have always tried to erase the signs of Ghadeer, Khyber and
Karbala, and every time, their hatred itself exposes them..!!!
Hazrat Yusuf's example
and the roots of animosity against
Aal-e-Muhammad.
Also, this hatred and bias is due to
jealousy and the handiwork of Shaitaan.. I will give the analogical example of
Hazrat Yusuf (AS) once again. Interestingly, Allah has mentioned Hazrat
Yusuf (AS) and his brothers also as the "Signs" of Allah, probably because their
incident, their feelings and their history has a lot of resemblance to later
events and carry several lessons.
"Verily in
Joseph and his brethren are signs (of Allah's Sovereignty) for the seekers
(after Truth)." [Quran, 12:7]
Allah "preferred" him and blessed him with
his "grace", and gave him special knowledge...
"Thus thy Lord
will prefer thee and will teach thee the interpretation of events, and will
perfect His grace upon
thee and upon the family of
Jacob as He perfected it upon thy forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. Lo! thy Lord
is Knower, Wise." [Quran, 12:6]
Therefore, it is history that when Allah
blesses and "prefers" some of his beloved people over others, and endows them
with knowledge and wisdom, the people around them become jealous and try to
inflict harm on them, and try to desist other people from loving them, (like the
brothers of Yusuf attempted to do) and to remove their traces...
Then the Quran relates in Hazrat Yusuf's
words the cause of this jealousy and hatred, and identifies the "leader" of the
party...
"My Lord was
indeed kind to me when He brought me forth from the prison and brought you from
the desert after the Shaitan had sown dissensions between me and my brothers,
surely my Lord is benignant to whom He pleases; surely He is the Knowing, the
Wise. " [Quran, 12:100]
By comparing this analogy, this rule may
be established that wherever you see animosity and hatred against those
"preferred" by Allah and blessed with "divine knowledge", you will know the
"leadership" behind those opposing the "divine" party, is "Satanic" in nature
and origin....
The ruins of Al-Baqi
call out to you...
The link from al-Baqi to Karbala is
obvious: Hatred against the family of Prophet Muhammad (SA)...
This very attempt to erase and hide those
cemetries and symbols and to wipe them out of people's hearts and memories is
reason for us to justify that what is it, what is the message, and who are those
people, whose traces are being erased so anxiously and viciously in the 21st
century?? What harm can a few shrines do to these powerful
monarchs??? Why in particular, are these so-called Muslims so anxious to
wipe away the traces of Aal-e-Muhammad, the Ahle Bait of the Prophet??? Why in
particular are the graves of 4 grandsons of the Prophet (the Shiite Imams) have
been demolished and not being rebuilt???
An even greater cause for concern is the
fact that this party virtually rules the "Islamic kingdom" and heads the
Ummah??? Shouldn't we find out their credibility and reject their leadership if
it is un-Islamic??? These Khadimeen-e-Haramain wa-Sharafain, these greedy
monarchs, are weilding their financial resources also to distort and confuse the
real spirit of Islam...
Those of you who have been lucky enough to
visit Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage, will confirm that there is a control and
restriction on the books and literature which can be brought in, especially
religious books. Why are they so anxious to block out this literature and
these books??? Shouldn't this opposition and these anxious efforts be
enough reason for you all to investigate and find out??? Shouldn't this
perplexing hatred against the blessed family of Prophet Muhammad appeal to your
intellectual and religious curiosity and motivate to find out more about
them??? Shouldn't you be interested that why tragical incidents like Karbala
and al-Baqi have occurred again and again in history??? Why has there always
been an opposition group, anxious to martyr the grandson of the Prophet, anxious
to demolish their cemetries, anxious to wipe away their traces???
Once you go through these books, many of
the misconceptions and confusions about the sectarian differences will be
understood, and people will realize why these misconceptions and hateful slogans
are directed towards these sects...
Muharram has started and the message of
Karbala echoes out, despite being suppressed and crushed in the past...
I invite you all to put aside hesitations,
confusions, doubts and misconceptions and utilise the religious atmosphere
around you and the easily available resources around you to learn and find out
for yourself the truth... Maybe you will realize that sectarian
differences are nothing, merely some vested interests at work to erase the
traces and message of Prophet Muhammad and his blessed family...
