LOVE
AND ATTACHMENT WITH IMAM-E-ZAMANA:

Every living
being is overwhelmed with emotions of love and attachment. These are emotions
that man is very familiar with, and everyone has experienced these strong
emotions at some stage in his life. However, those who reflect on these
emotions are few. Even fewer are those who comprehend the reality and foundation
of the emotions.

We all understand that love can increase and decrease as well. An intense
feeling of love and attachment can melt the most hardened of hearts. It
can make a person weep and it can also make a person smile. Love can be
witnessed in the battlefield, over there it can be heard from the resonance
of swords and spears striking each other. It can also be witnessed in more
peaceful and secure times. Indeed love can have a powerful influence on
an individual. An incident in this regard from the highly acclaimed compilation
- Najmus Saqib (by Muhaddiss-e-Noori) is worth mentioning over here.

Once a group
of people belonging to a nomadic Qazaak tribe had lost its way in the desert.
They were totally exhausted from trying to find a way out of the desert.
Suddenly they saw some smoke emanating from a hillock at a distance. Out
of curiosity they went towards the hillock and saw a caravan on the other
side. The leader of the caravan was very benevolent and generous and seeing
their worn out condition invited them for a meal. When the Qazaaki group
had their fill they left. But seeing the wealth of the caravan, they were
tempted and they turned back in order to plunder the caravan. The leader
of the caravan was quick to discern their intentions and he drew his sword
from its sheath.

He drew a
line on the ground and announced in an awesome tone, 'If anyone tries to
cross this line, I will behead him.' His voice was so terrifying, that the
group of Qazaakis fell down from their mounts. May the lives of our parents
be sacrificed upon the benevolent and generous leader of the caravan. 0
the avenger of Imam Husain's (a.s.) blood! Love can be an overwhelmingly
powerful emotion. Love has in it the ability to drown the person with its
intensity and force.

However, love has several levels and grades. It has ways and it has gateways;
each gateway has its own peculiarities and a different approach should be
adopted for every gateway. Likewise, the gateway of Imam's (a.t.f.s.) love
has its own peculiarities and requires a completely different approach.
We must try to discern the path towards Imam's (a.t.f.s.) love and attachment.
We must try to gauge the different levels of his love and the difficulties
involved in the path of his love. We must try to assess the requirements
and prerequisites of the love and whether we find those criteria in ourselves.
Only after understanding all the prerequisites and conditions involved in
Imam's (a.t.f.s.) love, we might claim - We love Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.).
But if negligence overpowers us, then it can expel us from the domain of
Imam's (a.t.f.s.) love and attachment.

That is why it is crucial that we understand this love and its criteria.
The love of Imam (a.t.f.s.) resides in the heart. For this love to grow
and be nurtured, the heart must be clean and pure from all corruption. We
have to see how Allah, the Benevolent and the Merciful, has guided us towards
his love. Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is the last successor and vicegerent of
the Chief of the Apostles (a.s.) and the Seal of the Prophets (a.s.).

He is Allah's
Proof upon His creatures. Therefore we should also assess the relationship
between love and the raising of Prophets (a.s.). We should see how Imam
(a.t.f.s.) reminds men of Allah's signs, how he purifies the souls, how
he illumines man's existence with the radiance of love. We should see how
our teachers and guides have prepared us for purification with love and
how they have awakened us for this love. Only then will we understand that
we can never adequately return Imam's (a.t.f.s.) love for us and fall woefully
short in this regard. However, history does throw up instances of several
personalities who were from an immaculate and cultured background, who possessed
amazing prowesses and had. remarkable accomplishments to their credit and
were supported by an unseen force in their efforts. These personalities
tread the path of love and affection for Imam (a.t.f.s.). It is not easy
to tread on the path which they strode, however it is not impossible either.

That's why
we say - we can never'adequately' return Imam's (a.t.f.s.) love. However,
even the inadequate love and attachment that we have for Imam (a.t.f.s,)
is very powerful and carries tremendous impact To reach that position requires
a Herculean effort. Let us take a look at what the scholars have had to
say in this regard. Scholars assert that love is an emotion that can only
be experienced. It is inherent in man's nature. It is an emotion that cannot
be defined by mere phrases. Love is too profound for that. However for the
sake of litterateurs and writers we can state the definition of love in
dictionary is described as, 'Love is an emotion that introduces gentleness
and harmony in man's nature. That emotion which inculcates harshness and
severity in man's nature is called hatred. Love flows from recognition and
comprehension. Therefore as recognition increases, love also increases.

The above definition outlines the meaning of love and hatred. Both these
emotions are closely linked to man's conscience and heart. It is a widely
accepted fact that Allah has introduced love to the human heart. Here we
are discussing two emotions - love and hatred. To sustain love it is important
that man refrains from certain actions and performs others. So every despicable
act must be condemned and one must not think of performing such actions,
since it will have a destructive effect on man's ability to love. On the
other hand, every praiseworthy act must be lauded and man must try his best
to rush towards that action, as this will give a fillip to love in his heart.

The illustrious scholar and prolific writer Allamah Murtuza Mutahhari has
dealt with this topic in detail in his renowned book, "Polarization around
the character of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.)". However, to discuss details
of the book over here is beyond the scope of this short treatise. In brief,
it is imperative for us to act on the obligations and necessary conditions
of love, to identify the pre-requisites of love and to discharge them in
the best possible manner. Indeed these are the necessary qualifications
of love and we must abide by them if we want love to blossom in our hearts.
At the same time, we must not ignore the other prerequisite of love - avoiding
all such actions that support and give a fillip to hatred.

These actions not only further hatred in a person, but also inhibit the
emotion of love.Mankind, Allah's most noble creation has derived its Arabic
term. Allah, Who has created man, has outlined adequate means for his survival
and progress. Let us glance at the Holy Quran anwhat it has indicated in
this regard. Allah, the Almighty, has announced in the Quran "Surely
the (true) religion with Allah is In order to proclaim His path and religion,
Allah, the Almighty, raised a number of prophets (a.s.), who guided man
towards the divine command. Finally, Allah raised His greatest
Apostle, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and announced in the Quran
"He it is Who raised among the illiterates an Apostle from among themselves,
who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them
the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error."
(Surah Jumah : 2)

In Islam, it is important to purify the self by reciting the Quranic verses.
If the self is not purified, then wisdom and Quranic teachings will be of
no benefit. Indeed only if the self is purified, will the brilliance of
wisdom and the Quran will permeate in the self and illumine the dark recesses
of the heart. With this, man's faith and certainty in Allah increases manifold.
With the increase in certainty and faith in Allah, man testifies to Allah's
Word and his nature is overwhelmed with love for Allah. Allah declares,
Those who believe are stronger in love for Allah
(Surah Baqarah : 165)

This is the reason why Imam Husain (a.s.) most willingly sacrificed his
life in the way of his Lord out of sheer love and devotion. His face bore
a striking radiance with the love of his Lord. Since our discussion is veering
from Islam to faith (eemaan) and from faith to love, it is imperative to
see how often Allah has discussed love in the Holy Quran. Love - and attachment
are two words very closely linked to each other. Both these terms have been
used in the Quran extensively. We see the word love appearing in the Quran
115 times, while attachment is repeated 28 times. And these words are always
used in relation to and as an interpretation of faith and love. Another
version of the love has not been used in the Quran at all. However, we see
this word appearing in the traditions of the infallibles (a.s.). For instance,
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) declares 'The best
of men is the one who loves worship.' (Usul-e-Kafi, vol. 2, Chapter
of Worship, trad. 3) The word Ishq means 'excessive love'. Litterateurs
believe that this word is more often used to convey illicit and forbidden
love. However, the prophetic tradition we have narrated earlier negates
this view, as the word has been used to convey love for excessive worship,
which is a commendable action'. We have also used this word to convey similar
implications, never alluding to the illegitimate form of love. Love for
Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.) is the cause of our existence, the most important
objective of our lives and the aim of our creation.

We love our Imam (a.t.f.s.) and are intensely attached to him. Indeed this
is what the religion of Islam instructs us. When the early Muslims wanted
to thank the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) for his efforts in the way of Islam,
they approached him (s.a.w.a.) and said, '0 Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.a.),
indeed you have taken us out from the darkness of ignorance and we had the
taufeeq of accepting Islam at your hands and thereby we were illumined with
the light of faith. We were disgraced but you honoured us. We were deviated
but you guided us. With your grace and favours, Allah gave peace to our
distressed hearts. How can we repay you for your efforts in the propagation
of the prophetic message?' Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.),
'Say: 1 do not ask of you any reward for it but
love for my near relatives' (Surah Shura: 23)

Then those who understood the underlying message behind this Quranic verse
acted upon it. There were others who ignored this command. But the true
lovers did not let anything come in between their love and attachment for
the Ahle Bait (a.s.). One such group of lovers were in Karbala. They were
so intense in their attachment, that Imam Husain (a.s.) proclaimed,
'I have got companions that neither my grandfather (s.a.w.a.), nor my father
(a.s.) nor my brother (a.s.) could get.' These were the companions who repaid
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) for his efforts towards Islam, by attaching
themselves to his progeny. They acted on this Quranic verse 'those who believe
are stronger in love for Allah' (Surah Raqarah : 165)

In fact, they gave ample proof of this by shedding their blood in the way
of Islam. And Allah addressed their leader (Imam Husain (a.s.)) as Allah,
the Almighty, declares in the Quran that a favour can be repaid only with
another favour. The grace and favour of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) in his propagation
of Islam is something that can never be truly repaid by us. Love is the
only thing that makes understand the importance of this favour and helps
us adorn our character. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to beseech Allah
'0 Allah! Don't let a transgressor confer a favour upon me, thereby introducing
his love in my heart.' This tradition highlights an important fact that
conferring a favour leads to love, even if that favour is from a disbeliever.
Indeed humanity and Islam owe their existence to Imam Husain (a.s.). If
the incident of Karbala had not occurred, Islam's appearance would have
changed completely and it would have been unrecognisable from the Prophet's
(s.a.w.a.) Islam.

If Karbala had not been there true faith would have been considered as what
Yazid was observing, Allah forbid! Many of the prohibited acts would have
been made permissible and many of the permissible acts would have been made
prohibited. Indeed love for Imam Husain (a.s.) is the reward of the prophethood
of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

This is because Imam (a.s.) rescued Islam, Allah's chosen religion, which
was propagated by his grandfathel, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). 0 lovers
of Imam Husain (a.s.)! The criterion for love is to follow the beloved in
letter and in spirit and to give preference to his wishes and desires over
our own. We should pay attention to what Imam Husain (a.s.) has said concerning
his ninth son, Allah's last proof, and we should try to act upon it. We
should mould our behaviour and disposition according to it and we should
be careful that we are not accounted among the ungrateful ones. Abdul Rahman
b. Sulait narrates that Imam Husain (a.s.) said,
'There will be twelve guides from amongst us. The first one is Ameerul Mo'mineen
(a.s.) - Ali b. Abi Talib (a.s.), while the last one is my ninth son the
Qaim (a.t.f.s.). Through him Allah will enliven the dead earth and will
make the rightful religion subdue all other religions even if this displeases
the apostates. There is an occultation for him, which will be the cause
of one group of Muslims rejecting him and returning to disbelief after belief,
while another group will continue to believe in him and will remain steadfast
in their faith. Those who will remain steadfast will become the target of
taunts and it will be said to them, if reappearance is indeed a promise
then when will the promise be fulfilled. Those who are patient and steadfast
on the intense difficulties ofoccultation will attain the status of a warrior
who has done jehad alongside the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) against the infidels.
(Kamalucldin, vol. 1, chapter 30)

The above
tradition related by Imam Husain (a.s.) highlights a few very pertinent
points.

A) Allah's final proof will be the ninth son of Imam Husain (a.s.).

B) He will rise one day after his occultation.

C) His occultation will be prolonged.

D) Allah shall subdue all other religions with the religion of truth.

E) He shall enliven the earth after its deterioration.

F) The nation shall be divided in two sections.One shall steadfastly believe
in him while the other shall reject him.

G) The steadfast ones shall be subjected tointense difficulties and calamities.

H) The steadfast group shall enjoy the sameposition as that of the early
Muslims who did jehad alongside the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) against the
apostates.

This tradition underlines the importance of love for Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.).
The bond of love must be firm and resolute. It should not be that we accept
Imam (a.t.f.s.) by our tongues and fall short in our actions. It should
not be that we become despair about the rise of the nation. Even if we aren't
struck by pessimism and doubt, it should not be that we believe in Imam
(a.t.f.s.) as if it is folklore of a person who will rise one day and will
establish truth and justice and will usher in an era of goodness where no
evil will exist and in this entire affair we don't have to do anything except
sit and watch.

This is the time when we should sit back and reflect on ourselves. We should
for a moment consider the loyal companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
who accompanied him (s.a.w.a.) in the battles and willingly gave up their
lives to attain martyrdom. Indeed their character, certainty, determination,
faith, love for Allah and love for His Apostle were so firm and unshakeable
that we get some idea of what is expected from us. Then we realise that
we have not fulfilled the obligations of love. We have not honoured the
pre-requisites of attachment. And if it is not so then why is the occultation
of Imam (a.t.f.s.) being prolonged to such an extent? Imam's (a.t.f.s.)
reappearance depends upon the steadfast ones of the Islamic nation who are
being disgraced but are patient and steadfast on difficulties and everyday
recite the verse 'I bear witness in letter and
in spirit thatcertainly you are Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.).' (Ziyarate
Salaamullahil Kaamil, Mafaateehul Jcnaan)

To perform religious obligations today is a himalayan task. To strive and
struggle with the self against the calamities and disputes in this age and
to nurture love and affection (for Imam (a.t.f.s.)) is indeed difficult.
We are passing through the era about which Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had said
(when the earth shall be filled with injustice and oppression). Satan is
working overtime to deviate the people. Man is involved in all kinds of
diseases, related to the body and the soul. There are new calamities emerging
every day. The prophesies of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) about the last
era are unfolding in front of our eyes.

There are a thousand means of deviation and destruction but hardly any source
of survival. Man's intellect is stumped and the whole society is engulfed
in this epidemic and is unable to decide on a particular course of action,
no matter how simple it is. Let us have a glance of the past and the-present.
We are living in an age far worso.than the age of the Ummayyads and the
Abbasides. Despite the torment and persecution of those eras, the people
had the good fortune of witnessing the Imams (a.s.) in their midst. They
could approach the Imams (a.s.) and reap the benefits of their radiant teachings.
The glorious traditions of the infallibles (a.s.) and their guidance illumined
the darkest recesses of their existence. The love of the Imams (a.s.) in
the hearts of the Shias overcame every other distraction, be it wealth,
status or the love of this world.

The Shias ignored everything else in favour of the Imams (a.s.) and their
teachings. There was a poor and destitute companion of Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
One day in the presence of Imam (a.s.), he made mention of his poverty and
compared it to the wealth of the attendants of the Abbasides. Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) on hearing of this comparison removed a bag of gold coins and gave
it to the companion and said, 'You can take this, however, I would like
you to return the love and attachment that you have for me in your heart.'
The companion immediately realised the fallacy in his comparison (between
himself and the Abbaside attendants) and continued to lead the rest of his
life in poverty and thanked Allah for the love of the Ahle Bait (a.s.).
Similarly the companions of Imam Husain (a.s.) must have been deeply stirred
and roused by this statement of their master, '0 Allah! Indeed what has
one gained by losing You? And what has one lost after gaining You?' (Dua-e-Arafah)
Today the comparison between the lovers (of the Ahle Bait (a.s.)) and the
rich will show even more disparity and the lovers will be outnumbered by
the rich by a large margin. However, the chain of Aal-e-Muhammad (a.s.)
is continuing till date. It is not over as yet. Not only are the Shias saying
this, but even the renowned and illustrious scholars of the Ahle Sunnah
have admitted this in their compilations.

They have recorded thousands of traditions to support their belief. Today
Allah's Proof on the earth exists and is a means of security from disasters.
Those who hold on to his support understand this only too well. Those who
don't understand it can try taking the name of Imam (a.t.f.s.) and they
will also see the results. Indeed the lovers of Imam (a.t.f.s.) have found
a strange soothing effect in his name that helps them overcome the most
trying of calamities. The path towards the love of Imam (a.t.f.s.) is strewn
with thorns. It is an examination for those who claim to tread the path
of his love. It is a path with many temptations and distractions. It is
slippery and beguiling. It has dangerous twists and turns. However, Imam
(a.t.f.s.) has not deserted his lovers. His help and guidance always helps
them negotiate the perils of this path. A small ray of his light is sufficient
to ease the murkiness and gloom of this path. The strong bond of love can
help the lovers overcome every hurdle on the path. The (readers of this
path must understand the prerequisites and conditions of love so as to reach
Imam (a.t.f.s.). We have only briefly outlined a few of those pre-requisites.

1. Seeking
favours only from the beloved: One of the most important prerequisites
of sincere love is that one does not go to anyone else to seek his demands.
He only approaches the beloved in this regard.

2. To maintain
contact We must maintain close contact with our beloved ones - our relatives,
our friends, our immediate family members, our brethren-in-faith. A companion
of Imam Sadiq (a.s.) asked him, 'One believer is
drowning and another is being deviated by some people. Who should we rescue?'
Imam (a.s.) replied, 'Go to the rescue of the one who is being deviated.'
Then Imam (a.s.) elaborated, 'Keep close contact with the one whose faith
is exposed to danger, always maintain close relations with him. Rescue his
hereafter.' This is the need of the hour today - to keep in contact with
the believers in distant areas and to introduce the Imam of their time (a.t.f.s.)
to them. This is our most important duty today. It is not a difficult task,
provided we work with dedication and an unshakeable spirit of sacrifice.

3. Patience
and forbearance Love is the greatest test of patience and forbearance.
Even death does not act as a hurdle for the person. Love is such a powerful
force that it takes a person towards his beloved, step by step, ignoring
all obstacles in the path.

4. Maintaining
relations Maintaining relations with the relatives is an important duty
and benefits the society as a whole. It is a crucial responsibility in this
period and a fundamental proof of love for Imam (a.t.f.s.).

5. Acquiring
knowledge Love for Imam (a.t.f.s.) and ignorance about him are two opposite
events. It is not possible for both these events to occur simultaneously
in a person. Imam (a.t.f.s.) is the pillar of knowledge and invites others
towards knowledge of Allah and His religion. If we call ourselves his Shias,
it is critical for us to acquire this knowledge. If we fail in this duty
then we run the risk of being termed (they don't perceive, they don't comprehend).
And the element of love will subside. Moreover our actions lose their significance
as to act without recognition (marefat) is futile. Even our love for Imam
(a.t.f.s.) will amount to nothing. Therefore we should struggle and endeavour
constantly in our uest for knowledge. The thirst for this knowledge can
be quenched only at the doorstep of the Ahle Bait (a.s.) otherwise love
will be injured and the pain will be unbearable.

6. Activity
Laziness, negligence and lethargy are detrimental to love. To reach towards
the object of our love we must be active and energetic. We must fulfill
our religious obligations. We must be cautious of Satanic whisperings and
be vigilant of his devious charms. A believer must fast in the days and
maintain vigil in the nights (. Indeed this is the ascension (Meraj) of
a believer.

7. Struggle
(Jehad) One who loves Imam (a.t.f.s.) must be prepared to struggle and
labour with his self, his pen and his wealth in the way of Imam (a.t.f.s.).

8. Constant
remembrance (Zikr) Traditions highlight that remembrance.is the key
that increases love and affection. We should remember and discuss about
Imam (a.t.f.s.) excessively that even if our tongues tire, our hearts should
not be satiated and our thirst should not be quenched.

9. Gifts
To present the beloved with gifts is a proof of love and attachment.
The gift must be presented keeping in mind the stature, position and preferences
of the person. For instance, we should perform recommended namaz, fasts,
recite Quran, etc. for Imam (a.t.f.s.) with utmost sincerity and devotion.

10. Charity
and supplications We should constantly pray for the protection and security
of Imam (a.t.f.s.) and invoke divine help for his affairs. We must give
charity on his behalf to ensure his safety. To supplicate for his earliest
reappearance must be a part of our daily schedule. We must complain to Allah
about his prolonged absence and must re-affirm our pledge with him.

11.
Awaiting the reappearance (Intezar) Imam (a.t.f.s.) shall spread
justice and equity across the length and breadth of this world - We must
await this era eagerly and always endeavor to be included among the true
and sincere awaiting ones. We must never despair of Imam's (a.t.f.s.) reappearance,
as despair and despondence are satanic traits. There are other obligations
and duties to be discharged to fulfill the demands of love and affection,
but we have sufficed with the few mentioned above. Finally we plead with
Allah and beseech Him to bestow us with true recognition of Imam (a.t.f.s.).
This recognition alone will inspire sincere love and attachment for Imam
(a.t.f.s.) in our hearts. We pray to Allah to make steadfast our faith,
which is the root of love as the Quranic verse proclaims

'Those who believe are intense in their love for
Allah.