Two Scholars – Shiah and Sunni

Maulana Abul Qasim Mohammed Ibne Abil Qasim Hashmi enjoyed a old friendship with Maulana Rafi’uddeen - a scholar from the school of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama’at. Such was the strength of their friendship that they often travelled together and shared each other’s wealth and possessions. Their faiths were not hidden from each other and sometimes, in jest, they called each other Rafidhi and Nasibi. However, despite their long friendship, they had never entered into a religious argument with each other.

Incidentally it so happened that once in the mosque of Hamadaan (also known as Masjide’ Ateeq), they got into a discussion which eventually steered towards religion. During the conversation, Maulana Rafi’uddeen who was a scholar of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama’at claimed the superiority of Umar and Abu Bakr over Imam Ali (as). Maulana Abul Qasim refuted this and enumerated the superiority of Imam Ali (as) over both caliphs. To establish his point, he quoted several verses of the Quran and traditions of the prophet (sawa). He brought forth the merits and the miracles of Imam Ali (as) as well.

However despite these proofs, Maulana Rafi’uddeen remained firm upon his belief. He brought forth the incident of the cave when the Holy Prophet (sawa) and Abu Bakr were together as a proof for the superiority of Abu Bakr. Further he said, Abu Bakr enjoyed some merits amongst the Mohajereen and the Ansaar. Firstly, the prophet (sawa) was the son-in-law of Abu Bakr and secondly, he was selected as the  successor to the prophet. Then he quoted two traditions from the Holy Prophet (sawa) as follows –O Abu Bakr! You are as close to me as my garment. Secondly, he ordered the people such –After me you must follow two people, Abu Bakr and Umar.

After listening to this, Maulana Abul Qasim retorted, on what basis are you preferring Abu Bakr over Imam Ali – the one who is the leader of all successors, the bearer of the flag of Hamdo Liva, the one who will divide the people into paradise and hell. You are well aware at Imam Ali (as) is also Siddique Akbar, Farooque’ Aa’zam, brother of the Holy Prophet (sawa) and the husband of his daughter Hazrat Fatemah Zahra (sa). You also know very well that when the Holy Prophet (sawa) migrated from Makkah Mu’azzamah to Medinah Munawwarah, Hazrat Ali (as) slept on his bed. Imam Ali (as) supported and remained close to Holy Prophet (sawa) at every difficult step. The Holy Prophet (sawa) ordered the closure of all the doors to the mosque in Medina except that of Imam Ali (as) and at the time of idol breaking in Makkah, the prophet (sawa) carried Imam Ali (as) upon his shoulders. The marriage of Imam Ali (as) with Hazrat Zahra (sa) was fixed in the heavens. Imam Ali (as) killed Amr Ibne Abdawood and conquered Khandaq and never wavered from the unity of Allah for even a second. As opposed to all of these merits, these three spent a large part of their lives in idol worship. In addition, the Holy Prophet (sawa) gave the similitude of Imam Ali (as) with four prophets. Then the prophet (sawa) said – those who wish to see the knowledge of Adam (as), the forbearance of Nuh (as), the respect of Musa (as) and the worship of Isa (as) should look at the face of Hazrat Ali (as). After all these ‘clear-as-sunshine’ merits and by virtue of the proximity that Imam Ali (as) enjoyed with the Holy Prophet (sawa) and the returning of the sun for Imam Ali, on what grounds is it appropriate to prefer Abu Bakr over Imam Ali (as)?

Maulana Rafi’uddeen was unable to offer any fitting reply to all these proofs. As the discussion progressed, more and more proofs in favour of Imam Ali (as) were presented. He then said, do have some patience. Let us appoint the first person who enters the mosque as a judge amongst us and whatever he says – whether in favour of my faith or yours, we will accept it as the binding truth.

Maulana Abul Qasim was well aware of the faith of the people of Hamadaan. Most of them were from the Ahle Sunnah school of thought. He was therefore wary of accepting this challenge and thought about his next step. However since a lot of discussion had already taken place on this subject, he had no choice but to accept this condition. Not much time had elapsed, when a handsome youth entered the mosque. The glowing face of this youth reflected his nobility and brilliance. He entered the mosque and came towards us.

Maulana Rafi’uddeen immediately stood up from his place and after conveying salutations to him asked – Who is superior, Imam Ali (as) or Abu Bakr?

The youth, without any hesitation recited these couplets –

Whenever I compare Imam Ali (as) with those two,

I feel I have lowered the position and status of my Imam (as)

Do you not know that the sword will admonish you,

If you say that the blade of the sword is sharper than the stick

(indicating that two items which are compared should be comparable itself in the first place)

When this youth completed the recitation of these couple, both Maulana Abul Qasim and Maulana Rafi’uddeen were awe struck by the beauty and composition of his language. They wanted to speak with him and know more about him, but suddenly he disappeared from sight. When this occurred, there was no end to their amazement. They fervently searched for him, but were unable to find any trace of him.

On witnessing this scene, Maulana Rafi’uddeen left the religion of Ahle Sunnah and accepted the faith of the Shiah Ithna Ashari.

There is a deep wisdom in the couplets of Imam Mahdi (as) and he has given a great message to the world that, in reality, Imam Ali (as) cannot be compared to the two. And whosoever compares Imam Ali (as) to Abu Bakr or while debating compares Imam Ali with any person and says that Imam Ali (as) is superior to so and so, then in reality, he has lowered the status and position of the Imam (as) which is not permitted.

The perfection of words and wisdom of the words of the Imam are beyond comparison in the sense that in the conversation while the Imam established the superiority of Imam Ali (as), he did not compare him with any person. This should give us an estimate of the superiority of the virtues of the Ahle Bayt (as).

Ref: Najmus Saaqib, page 579

Some of the lessons which can be derived from this incident are,

Our youngsters and lovers of Ahle’ Bayt (as) can know that the love of Ahle’ Bayt (as) can never come in the way of our friendship with those who may be inimical towards Ahle’ Bayt (as). They can never be any doubt that our love for Ahle’ Bayt (as) comes above everything else.

We should never be the ones to initiate such types of debates and dialogues. However when we are confronted with such a debate, then one should offer a complete and satisfactory response. Therefore it is necessary that the lovers of Ahle’ Bayt (as) be aware of the objections raised by their enemies and have full knowledge of the appropriate answer to such objections.

Participating in such debates requires knowledge and seeking help (tawassul) from the Imam (as) in equal measure. It is only the help from Ahle’ Bayt (as) which can conclusively silence the opposition.

Defending the right of the Imams (as) through such debates is a great work and those who defend the Imams in such a way, for example, Hisham Ibne Hakam, whom the Imam made to sit next to him even though he was young in age, are blessed by a special help. As per a respected scholar, defending the right of the Imam (as) is similar to those soldiers who defend the boundaries of the country. The officers who manage such troops maintain a clear knowledge about their positions and try to ensure that the best possible help reaches them. In the same way, Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as) observes his Shiahs and helps them even though he is in occultation.

One should avoid debates in Medina and especially in Jannatul Baqi. This is because the purpose of the people stationed there is to waste the time

An Opportunity to Meet the Imam (as)

An Opportunity to Meet the Imam (as)

Sayyed Taqi Qateefi reports –

On one eve of Friday, I decided to spend the night at Masjide’ Kufa. In those days, the road to the mosque was fraught with danger. It was for this reason that perhaps this road was not very frequented by travellers. Only those who travelled in groups or those who had the ability to defend themselves from thieves and dacoits could travel on that road. I went even though I was accompanied only by a student.

When we entered the mosque, there was only one pious and devout person there. We began performing the aa’maal of the mosque till such time that the sun set. Due to the prevailing fearful conditions at that time, we closed the doors of the mosque and stacked up bricks and stones against it. We were now relieved and very confident that no person would be able to open the door of the mosque. We returned to our places and continued the aa’maal of the mosque. When we completed the acts of worship of the mosque, both the student and I sat at Dakkatul Qaza facing the Qiblah (This is the place in Masjide’ Kufa where Hazrat Ameerul Mo’meneen (as) used to pass judgements). At that time, the pious worshipper was in the courtyard of the mosque, weeping profusely while he was reciting Duae’ Kumayl. The moon had risen till then and had cast its soft light in the mosque.

A thought just came to my mind and I looked towards the sky when I sensed a captivating fragrance in the air. The entire surroundings were perfumed by it. This fragrance was far better than musk or any other fragrance I had experienced before. Then I saw a light, so brilliant that it engulfed the light of the moon. I was observing this light when the sound of the supplication of the pious believer became silent. As I turned towards the direction of the believer, I saw a magnificent personality who was coming from the direction of the door of the mosque. He was dressed in the attire of the people of the Hejaz (Arabs). He had a prayer mat on his shoulder. With great splendour and majesty, he began walking towards the door near the shrine of Hazrat Muslim Ibne Aqeel.

At that time, a strange feeling came over me. Our eyes were dazzled by the brilliance of his countenance and we had lost all our thoughts. When he came close to us, he conveyed his salaams to us. My partner was so dumbstruck that he did not have the strength to even reply to the salaam. I too was mesmerised, but anyhow, I managed to reply to the saluations.

When this majestic personality entered the courtyard of the shrine of Hazrat Muslim, our senses returned as if miraculously. We looked at each other asking, who was this person? How did he enter the mosque while we had closed the door of the mosque in such a manner that it was impossible for any person to enter. We were still stumped with these questions when we decided to go to the pious believer who was earlier reciting Duae’ Kumayl. However we saw that he his condition was such that he was weeping like one overwhelmed by difficulties. We asked him, what is the matter? Why are you weeping so much?

He replied, I have been coming here for the last 40 Thursday nights with the intention of meeting Imam Mahdi (as). However, I am distressed that till now I have not been blessed with the opportunity of meeting the Imam (as). I was just reciting Duae’ Kumayl tonight, when a person came up to me and said, what are you reciting? I was overawed by his presence that I could not reply to his question and he went away as you just witnessed.

We rushed to the door of the mosque and saw that it was shut in the same secure way as we had left it and was blocked by stones and bricks. At that time, it struck us that the person we met in the mosque was none other than Imame’ Zamana (as). We regretted that we were unable to recognise him.

Ref: Barakaate’ Hazrat Wali-e-Asr, page 150

There are many lessons which can be derived from this incident. Some of these lessons are narrated below.

In this incident, the importance of performing the aa’maal of Masjide’ Kufa on Shabe’ Jumuah is highlighted.

The recitation of Duae’ Kumayl, especially on Thursday night is a source of special attention of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as). This can also be a cause for being granted an opportunity to meet with the Imam (as).

Often it is observed in incidents like these that the person realises only after the departure of the Imam (as) that perhaps the person whom I met was none other than the Imam of the Time (as).

This incident highlights that after performing the Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (as), Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as) also comes for the Ziyarat of his envoy, Hazrat Muslim Ibne Aqeel. We too should try to recite the Ziyarat of Hazrat Muslim on Shabe’ Jumuah.

Haji Mohammed Ali Fashandi

The good fortune of Haji Mohammed Ali Fashandi

This incident is reported on pages 149-154 of the book Shiftgaane' Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as). Haji Mohammed Ali Fashandi was a resident of Iran. He narrates his meeting with Imame' Zamana (as) as follows -

In my youth I had decided that I would raise my level of piety to that extent that when I would travel for Hajj to Makkah, I would get an opportunity to meet Imame' Zamana (as). Therefore with this intention, I travelled for Hajj every year to Makkah. In one particular year, when I went for Hajj, I was having the responsibility of a few Hajis. On the eve of 8th Zilhajj, I decided to gather all my belongings and items and go to the ground of Arafat so that I would be able to prepare and book a good place for my companions when they would arrive the next day.

At the ground of Arafat, I was able to book a tent and keep all my belongings there. I was aware that at that time, there was no one in Arafat other than myself. There was a guard at the entrance of the tent and he came to me and said, "Why have you come here today? Do you not know that you are alone here? Your belongings could be stolen by thieves who operate in this area. In any case since you have come here, it is better that you remain awake the entire night and guard your belongings." I said, "No problem. I will remain awake till morning and guard my possessions."

I remained awake in the night and made myself busy in prayers and duas. It was towards midnight that my attention was drawn towards a respected Sayyed who was wearing a green turban. He came towards my tent and called out to me by my name. He said, "Haji Mohammed Ali, salaam alaykum!"

I got up from my place and after replying to his salaam we entered the tent. After some time, we were joined by some of his young companions who stood outside the tent in readiness to serve him (as). I was overcome with fear, but after a few seconds of talking with him, my heart was filled with his love and I began to trust him. His companions continued to stand outside while their Sayyed was inside the tent.

He turned to me and said, "Haji Mohammed Ali, you are very fortunate, you are very fortunate!" I asked, "Why is that?"

He replied, "You have remained awake in the night in the ground of Arafat. My respected father Hazrat Imam Hussain (as) also remained awake when he spent his night at Arafat." I asked, "What should one do in this night?" He replied, "Recite two units of prayer such that in every unit, after Surah Hamd, recite Surah Tawheed 11 times."

We got up from our place and I prayed the namaz as per the instructions along with the respected Sayyed. After completing the namaz, he recited a dua, which I had never heard before. I was really very fortunate. Tears were flowing from my eyes and I was trying to memorise every word of this dua. The respected Sayyed saw this and said, "This dua is for the Infallible Imams (as). Even if you memorise this dua, you will not be able to retain it in your memory."

I turned to him and said, "If you don't mind, can you inform me whether my belief in Tawheed is correct or not?" He said, "Go ahead, tell me about your belief." I began narrating Ayaate' Aafaqi and Anfosi and presenting them as proofs for the existence of Allah. He said, "These proofs are sufficient for you for your belief in Allah." Then I presented before him my belief in Nabuwwat (prophethood) along with the wilayat (mastership) of Imams (as). He said, "Your beliefs in Nabuwwat and Imamat are very good."

I then asked him, "As per your knowledge, where do you think Imame' Zamana (as) will be at this time?" He said, "At this time, Imam (as) is in the tent." I said, "It is generally said that on the Day of Arafat, Imam (as) is present in the ground of Arafat. Where do you think he will be?" He replied, "He will be within the limits of the Mountain of Rahmat." I asked, "If some goes there, will it be possible to see him (as)?" He said, Of course! He will be able to see the Imam (as), but may not be able to recognise him (as)."

I asked, "Tomorrow which is the eve of the Day of Arafat, will Imame' Zamana (as) come into the tents of the believers and cast his mercy upon them?" He said, "Tomorrow, he (as) will come into your tent because you will present you case before my uncle, Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (as) and make him your intercessor." At this moment the respected Sayyed said, "Haji Mohammed Ali, do you have some tea with you?" At this question, I realised that I had brought everything with me except for some teabags.

I said, "O respected Sayyed, I have not brought any teabags with me. But I am thankful that you have reminded me about it. In the morning I will go and buy some for my companions." The respected Sayyed said, "At this time, I am having some teabags with me." He went outside the tent and brought some teabags with him, which he gave me to drink. It was the most refreshing and the sweetest tea, which I had ever tasted in my life.

Then he said, "Do you have any food with you that we can eat?" I was having some roti and paneer with me. He said, "I will not eat the paneer." I was having some curd with me which I served. The respected Sayyed ate from it.

Then he said to me, "Haji Mohammed Ali, I will give you 100 Rials. I would like you to perform an Umrah for my respected father." I agreed and asked him the name of his respected father?" He said, "The name of my father is Hasan (as)." I asked, "What is your name?" He replied, "Mahdi (as)!" I took the money and then the respected Sayyed got up to leave. I raised my hand to touch his robe, embraced him and wanted to kiss him. As I came close to kiss him, I saw a black mole on his right cheek, which added to his handsome features. I kissed the black mole.

After he left, I looked in the ground of Arafat, but could see no one there. I suddenly realised that the person with me all this time was none other than the 12th Imam Hazrat Baqiyatullah (as). He was aware of my name. He spoke to me in Persian, my mother tongue. He said his name to be Mahdi (as). He said that his father's name was Hasan (Askari) (as)! Finally I sat down and began crying uncontrollably. The guards in the area thought that some thieves might have come and stolen my belongings. They gathered around me. I told them that I was praying some dua and hence I was crying.

That night we recited the evening namaz at its prime time. I had not informed my companions of the promise of Imame' Zamana (as) that he would visit our tent as we would seek intercession from Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (as). The speaker on his own began reciting the Masaeb of Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (as). The atmosphere was charged with emotion and all of us were crying out aloud. I was especially waiting to welcome Imame' Zamana (as).

At the majlis was coming to an end, I steadied myself, got up from my place and came outside the tent. I saw that Imame' Zamana (as) was standing outside the tent and was hearing the Masaeb recited by the speaker about Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (as). He was also crying. I thought that maybe I should call everybody and tell then that, look, Imame' Zamana (as) himself is here, but he (as) made a sign indicating that I should not do so. At this, I realised that my tongue had lost its capacity to speak. My body was rooted to the ground such that I could not take a single step towards him. After the majlis was completed, Imam (as) also went away and then my condition was restored.

This incident teaches us that during the days of Hajj, Imam (as) is present in the ground of Arafat. Often the organisers of Hajj tours are unable to spend much time for worship, as they are busy arranging for the comfort of the pilgrims. This action is liked by Imame' Zamana (as) and if one performs it with sincerity, it is possible that he is blessed with the visit of Imame' Zamana (as).

On the day of Arafat, recitation of the "Dua on the Day of Arafat" by Imam Hussain carries great reward. And one can increase it by remembering the masaeb of Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (as). During the time of Hajj, When we perform an action which is liked by Imame' Zamana (as) in our tent, it is possible that he (as) blesses us with his (as) visit.

If one is blessed with a visitation from Imame' Zamana (as), it is not necessary that we call everybody to benefit from it. If Imam (as) wishes that all were blessed with his visit, then he (as) will inform us accordingly.

It is the wish of Imam (as) that the Hajis after fulfilling their obligations towards Hajj, perform an Umrah Mufredah for his (as) father, Imam Hasan Askari (as). Imam (as) wants to show us that it is the duty of every son that after the death of his father, he performs such actions, which will benefit his father in the Hereafter.

Muqaddas Ardabeli

Imame’ Zamana (atfs) and his Solution to a Religious Difficulty

Respected Allamah Meer narrates –

Once I left my house in the last part of the night for the Ziyarat of Hazrat Ameerul Mo’meneen (as). It was pitch dark at that time of the night. As I walked towards the shrine, I sensed that there was a person ahead of me. I quickened my pace so that I could catch up with him and see who it is. As I came close to him, I observed that it was Muqaddas Ardabeli. I slowed down and began walking behind him to understand where he was going so late in the night. I followed him at a short distance till such time that he reached the door of the holy shrine and stopped there. I too stopped behind to observe what his next step would be. He called out to someone but I could not understand what he said. At this time, the door of the shrine opened and a voice called out to him – Janab Ardabeli, come in.

He went inside the shrine. I wanted to follow him and ran to the door, but by then the door had closed and I had to wait outside. After some time he came outside and went in the direction of the market. From there he left along the road which led to Masjide’ Kufa. I followed him at a distance till he reached Masjide’ Kufa. In the mosque, the place known as Maqaam-e-Ibrahim appeared illuminated by a light. Muqaddas Ardabeli went towards that light and stood respectfully before it. I tried my best to come closer and observe what is happening, but was unable to do so. After some time, Muqaddas Ardabeli left from there and returned back to Najaf. Once again, I followed him.

When we crossed Masjide’ Hannana, I sneezed. He immediately turned in the direction of the sound and said, who is it? I said, I said, it is me. He replied, Meer, is it you? I replied in the affirmative and said, I have been following you from Najaf Ashraf. I wanted to enter the shrine along with you, but the door closed before I could enter. I hid there for some time and waited for you to come out. Thereafter, I walked behind you for the entire distance of eleven kilometres till Masjide’ Kufa. While you stood before the light, I waited at a distance and tried to observe what was happening. After that I followed you from the mosque till I sneezed. For the sake of God, please do clarify this matter for me.

Muqaddas Ardabeli asked me to promise that I would not disclose this secret to any person in his lifetime. I did so. He said, O Meer! Whenever I faced any difficult religious query, I sought its answer from Imam Ali (as). He (as) always responded to my queries and solved my difficulties. Today, I was presented with a religious query which, despite my best efforts, I was unable to get its answer. So I came, as was my custom, to the door of Imam Ali (as) so that he could relieve me of this difficulty. This time however, he instructed me to go to Masjide’ Kufa and meet his son, Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as) and present this case to him. He would provide me with the answer. Thus, I met Imame’ Zamana (as) in the mosque and he gave me a satisfactory answer to my question.

All praise be to Allah! Our countless salutations upon our scholars and may the mercy and blessings of Allah (swt) be upon those who had the good fortune of meeting with Imame’ Zamana (as)! Indeed they were blessed with a good fortune to meet with the Imam (as) and to benefit from the ocean of his (as) knowledge. O Allah! Grant us too the opportunity to meet with the Imam of the Time, Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as). Ameen!
Ref: Bulbule’ Bostaane’ Hazrat Mahdi (as), volume 2, page 192

There are many lessons which one can learn from this incident. Some of these are as follows,

After the Holy Imams (as) and the companions of the Imams (as), scholars like Muqaddase’ Ardabeli are a source of guidance for us. These scholars with their efforts, not only ensured that the words of the Imams (as) reached us, but also taught us how to purify one’s soul for the pleasure of Allah.

The spirituality of Muqaddase’ Ardabeli was at its peak.

In an incident it is narrated that once he hired an animal to travel for Arba’een from Najaf. He intended to walk along with the animal while going and ride the animal on the return journey. However when he returned, people saw that he was walking on the return people. When people questioned him about this, he replied, that while returning some person gave him a parcel to carry. Since he had only hired the animal to carry his own weight, he did not consider it appropriate to carry the load of the parcel. Hence he had walked back. It is due to such high attention to spirituality that the doors of the shrine of Ameerul Mo’meneen (as) opened for him.

The shrine of Ameerul Mo’meneen (as) is a door for seeking a meeting with Imam Mahdi (as)

Ameerul Mo’meneen (as) guided Muqaddase’ Ardabeli to seek the solution of his problem through Imam Mahdi (as).

The instruction of Muqaddase’ Ardabeli to his student to not narrate this episode in his lifetime is a pointer towards the sincerity of his intention.

The grave of Muqaddase’ Ardabeli is in the shrine of Ameerul Mo’meneen Ali (as). It is our duty that when we visit Najaf, we should forsake a visit to his grave and recite a Surah Fateha for him.

Imam e Zamana (atfs)

Imam e Zamana (atfs)

1. Imām ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn  (A.S.) ne farmaya:
"Yakinan logo me sabse behtarin vo hai jo gaibat k zamane me Imām Mahdī (atfs) ki Imamat ko mane aur onka intezar kare."

[Reference: Kamaluddin page 31, vol 2]

2. Hazrat Muhammad al Mustafā (S.A.W.W) ne farmaya:
"Khush Kismat hai woh log ko meray Ahle Bayt (a.s) se Qaim (a.s.) kay zamanaey ko paayengey aur unn kay qayaam se pehley woh log un ki iqteda aur pairavi kartey hoongey aur un kay doston se mohabbat rakhtey hongey un kay dushmano se dushmani rakhtey hongay aur unn se qabl jitney Imāmul Huda (a.s.) guzar chukey hain unn sab se wilayat rakhtey hongey, wahi log to meray rufaqaa hai un hi sey meri muwaddat hai aur meri mohabbat bhi unhi kay waastey hai aur meri ummat se wahi loh meray paas mukarram  aur izzat daar hai

[Reference:  Bihaar vol 25, page 921, Ghaybat e toosi]
3. Rasule Khuda (saww) se poochha gaya ke Aap ke farzand Qaim (atfs) ka zahoor kab hoga?
Rasule Khuda (saww) ne farmaya,
"Is ki misaal Qayamat ki si hai. Jis tarah se Qayamat ki ghadi ka ilm Allah ke paas hai isi tarah Qaim (atfs) ke zahoor ka ilm bhi Allah ke paas hai."

[Reference: Tafseer Noor us Saqlain, Vol - 3, Page - 513]

4.