Refraining From Taking Liquor

Abu Baseer was once in the company of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) when a woman came and said to the Imam, “I have come to ask a question. I am ill. Physicians in Iraq have told me to take liquor. Now I want to know what to do in such circumstances?”

The Imam asked her, “Why don't you drink what the doctors have prescribed for you?”

She replied, “As I am your follower, I shall obey what you say. If you permit me, I shall drink it; if not, I shall keep away from it; so that if I am asked by the Almighty God on the Day of Judgement why I did so, I shall reply that I followed the instructions of the Imam of the day.”

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) turned to Abu Baseer and said: “O Abu Baseer. Did you listen to what this woman has to say? Are you not moved by her faith? Inspite of her illness, she is refraining from taking liquor without the Imam's permission.”

The Imam then turned to the woman and said, “By God, I do not permit you to drink. If you do so, you shall be sorry when your soul reaches your throat (that is at the time of death)”.

So saying the Imam pointed at her throat; and asked her three times if she understood what he had said. The woman nodded her head.

Even the Dogs of Madina Do That

A group of people came to Imam Ali Zaynul Abedeen (pbuh) saying that they were his Shias (followers).

“What do you do when you get something?” he asked them.
“We say Alhamdulillah” they replied.

“What do you do when something is taken away from you?” Imam asked
“We lament a little and come to terms with it” they replied

“What do you do when you do not receive anything” Imam asked further.
“Nothing” they replied.

“Even the dogs of Madina do that”. Imam said. 
“When they are given something (food), they wag their tails in shukr.

When something is taken away from them, they bark a little and walk away. 
When they do not get anything, they walk around the streets.”

Our Shias are those who say Alhamdulillah 

• when they receive something, 
• when something is taken away and 
• when they receive nothing.

Real Life Story of an University Student

 Story of Fatema in her own words:
I was sitting in my room and thanking Allah SWT for making my dreams come true. Of course , this is just the beginning, I thought to myself.
I had joined one of the best colleges in India , this was the only thing I had been thinking of for last two years while studying and finally I was here ... I was extremely Happy!!!
A week passed , and I was called to the dean's office and He said, "You can't go to the Laboratory (Lab) for your 'practicals' with your Hijab, you should wear a Lab dress ( short shirt with half sleeves and pant ) and you cannot wear your head scarf either, coz' in the lab while working with the equipment, your dress may entangle or catch fire and your dress code is not congenial to the lab environment"
I was taken aback, in a flash of a moment, all my dreams were shattered …. The first thought that came to my mind was "I CAN'T GIVE UP MY HIJAB" and next came the question "Can I give up my dream??? …"
I am not a girl who gives up easily, I decided to fight….
I went to the principle and explained him my situation and told him I will not take off my hijab and I can't wear the Lab dress. However what I can do is I can wear a Lab coat over my regular dress along with my Head scarf… He said "NO, we can't change our rules for one student. For years, this is the rule and if you want to study here , you will have to follow it.."
I kept insisting …...finally he said, "Go and speak to the Head of the Department (HOD) of your department and if he permits you, I have No problem."
I came back to hostel and told this story to my seniors, They all said.. "WHAT!!! Your HOD !!!… Impossible .. Mr.Joshi is the Hitler of the college and no student has ever dared to go and speak to him.. He will reject you in a minute. The principle didn’t want to PERMIT you, since you insisted, he sent you to Mr.Joshi, cause he knows Mr.Joshi will never allow you and no one can argue with him. So Forget about it"
I was very sad but I had hope.. I prayed to Allah SWT for help .
Next Morning, I went to my HOD Mr.Joshi's room, OH GOD, How scary the moment was.. I still remember it… I knocked the door, with his strict and harsh voice , he said "Come in"…
I entered the room..he didn’t even look at me.. He was reading something… while his head was in the papers he said "What do you want?"
With shivering voice I said " I am a Muslim and my religion doesn’t allow me to wear a lab dress and I cant give up my Hijab. I need your permission to wear my hijab in the lab."
As I said this, he looked at me and asked me "Are you a shia?"
I was surprised as no one knew I was a shia.. I said "Yes"
Next thing he said was " Permission granted " and he signed a paper which I had brought with me which says I have a permission to wear hijab in lab and I don’t have to wear a lab dress, instead I can wear a Lab coat :)
I was in tears… I was Happy.. Surprised… shocked!!!
Then he asked me to sit and said don’t be surprised… I know everything about Shias and I respect them for their values.
Then he asked " Do you want to know how I know about them?"
He started his story.. He said " When I was a young boy , aroung 12 years old, and Hindu Muslim riots started off in India, Hindus were killing Muslims and Muslims were killing Hindus. We used to live in a Muslim area and our parents were scared that Muslims would come and kills us... The situation was bad . That time our neighbors promised my parents that they'll keep me with them till the situation becomes better and my parents had no other option but to leave me with them, and go to another town.
They were shias.
I stayed with them for almost a month and they took care of me like their own son.. I saw them praying, reciting Quran and abide by the laws of Islam. Also just because, I was a Vegetarian, they didn’t cook non-veg, till I was there. so that I don’t feel uncomfortable. I still consider that lady as my Mother. I know you people very well.
From now on, anyone says anything about your Hijab, just tell them my Name and you will have no problem"
Indeed, after that day in my 4years of life, no one ever said anything about my Hijab. I not only had permission to wear my Hijab comfortably but now I had some one to protect it…. Alhamdullilahi Rabbil A'alameen...
Dear friends, all I want to tell you is if you strive in the way of Allah SWT, He definitely helps you as promised.
Is it not the grand plan of Allah SWT, that a shia family helped a 12 year old kid, who grew up to become the HOD of department, who in turn protects the Hijab of a Muslim girl…. Truly as told by the Ahlul Bayt… "HAVE FAITH IN ALLAH SWT, HE is the best planner."
Its never late… you can start Today.. and Allah SWT will help you through means that you've never imagined.
Ws Salam

Unfair and Discriminatory

The plaintiff registered his complaint against Ali ibn e Abi Talib (‘a) in the court of the ruling Caliph Umar ibn e Khattab. As per rules, both parties had to be present for the proceedings to take place. Umar sat in the caliph’s chair and called both parties inside. According to Islamic routine, both parties sat next to each other, so that there be no sign of discriminatory behavior on the part of the court.

 Umar called the plaintiff by name and told him to stand before the judge. After that he looked at Imam Ali (‘a) and said, ‘Abul Hassan, please stand beside the plaintiff’.
 Ali (‘a) looked upset and annoyed when addressed thus. Noticing the obvious change in Ali’s (‘a) countenance, Umar remarked, ‘Ali, do you find standing beside the plaintiff annoying?’

 ‘No! The cause of my displeasure was the fact that you did not comply with the Islamic code of behaviour in court. You called me with great respect by my Kuniya, ( title of respect), whereas you addressed the plaintiff curtly, by name. This is unfair and discriminatory, thus, annoying,’ replied Ali (‘a).

The Secret of a Slave

Sa’eed Ibn Musayyab narrates:
“One year, there was a severe famine and so the people gathered together to pray for the rains.  I looked around and my eyes fell upon a black slave, who had separated himself from the crowd and emerged on top of a small hill.  I advanced in his direction and when I came near him, I noticed that his lips were moving in prayer.  Hardly had he completed his prayers, when a cloud appeared in the sky.
Seeing the cloud, the black slave praised Allah and moved away. Very soon, rains lashed us so heavily that we thought we might perish.
I ran after the slave and observed that he entered the house of Imam Sajjad (a.s.).  I arrived before the Imam (a.s.) and said:
“O’ My Master!  In your house there is a black slave; oblige me by selling him to me.”
He (a.s.) replied, “O’ Sa’eed! Why should I not gift him to you, instead,”and ordered the head of his slaves to bring all the servants before me.  When they had assembled, I noticed that the black slave was not amongst them.
I said, “The one whom I desire, is not amongst them.”
The Imam (a.s.) said, “There remains no other slave except one.”
He then ordered him to be brought forth.  When the slave was brought before me, I saw that he was the very person whom I had sought and so I said, “He is the one I need.”
“O’ Slave!  Henceforth, Sa’eed is your master so go with him,” instructed the Imam (a.s.).
The slave turned to me and asked, “What prompted you to separate me from my master?”
I replied, “When I witnessed your prayers for the rains being accepted, I wished that I could own you.”
When he heard this, the slave stretched out his hands in supplication and, turning his face towards the skies, beseeched:
“O’ My Lord!  This was a secret between You and me.  Now that You have divulged it, grant me death and take me towards Yourself.”
The Imam (a.s.) and all those present, wept over the position of the slave, while I, shedding tears, came out of the house.  No sooner had I reached my own house, than the Imam’s (a.s.) messenger arrived and said, “Come along if you wish to takepart in the funeral procession of your companion.”
I returned to the Imam’s (a.s.) house along with the messenger only to find that the slave had passed away.

A Brave Bahraini Poetess

Ayat al-Gormazi is a 20-year-old Bahraini full of enthusiasm. "We are a people killing oppression and assassinating misery," she cried at the Lulu roundabout as she recited her poem about a fictional conversation between the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, and Satan. It was the second time she read her work at the now destroyed landmark and central hub of the Bahraini revolt.
On February 14, the day the Bahraini uprising broke out, she was outside the country with her family eagerly following the news. As soon as she landed back home five days later, she hurried to the Lulu (Pearl) roundabout.
She would sit shyly in one of the corners and follow the program of events. She did not know anyone from the February 14 youth organizers. Describing those days at the roundabout, she said: "We breathed freedom. For the first time we felt we were free."
In her first public appearance at the roundabout, she recited a poem as part of the Bahrain Teachers College event - she was a student at the college before being dismissed.
As a result, her name spread on social networking sites and she started receiving tens of threatening and insulting calls daily. She broke down and got in touch with the youth of the uprising; it was a chance to get closer to them. "Frankly I was not afraid of getting killed, but I was afraid of an attack on my honor as I was threatened with rape," she said.
On March 17, the night of the bloody attack on the Lulu Roundabout, al-Gormezi was planning how to spend her time there. She said they sensed the smell of death everywhere "even the program consisted of prayers and supplications. There was a strange feeling that everyone felt a malicious intent besetting us. The sky was strange and a plane was flying above us at a low altitude."
Although she had resolved to sleep at the roundabout, al-Gormezi did not, because of her mother's pleas. She woke up the next day to chants of Allahu Akbar (God is Great) everywhere, and she heard the ominous news about the attack on Lulu.
Her parents were terrified. They asked her to hide but al-Gormezi refused. They told her that they lived through the 1990s and they are aware of this regime's ability to oppress, but she was not convinced. Al-Gormezi told them she is a woman and will not be touched. But then she acquiesced and was taken to a relative's home. Less than a week later her home was attacked and her family was threatened and humiliated until they revealed her hiding place.
The police came, arrested her, and put her in prison where she was subjected to the worst kind of torture for three months and 16 days. She says: "I realized from the first moment that I was among people who do not fear God, the policeman would insult me and ask me how many times I experienced sexual pleasure in the roundabout."
"I was handed over to a Jordanian investigator known for his torture practices." She says that as soon as she was placed before him he told her that he does not differentiate between men and women, that "he can wipe the floor with her."
They told her "your father works in the public sector, you and your brothers studied at the expense of the state." Surprised, she said, "This is not a favor, this is our right."
Later, a woman who heads the drug section at the department of investigations, took charge of the investigation and the torture, according to al-Gormezi.
At the beginning, she used to slap al-Gormezi violently on the face. In later interrogation sessions, al-Gormezi's face was electrocuted and she was threatened with cutting her tongue off.
In one torture session, the police officer opened al-Gormezi's mouth and spit in it, then she brought a toilet bowl brush and inserted it in her mouth. She was forced to make confessions that were broadcast on TV in which she apologized to the al-Khalifa family.
Al-Gormezi said that the international support she received helped her. She pointed out that the regime's weakness lies in its vulnerability when light is shed on a case of an individual like herself.
Al-Gormezi is now planning for her future. She is thinking about traveling and would like to study law.

Duty of a Governer

During the Caliphate of Hadhrat Ali (a.s.), once a governor was invited to a feast. The governor accepted the invitation and participated in the party. When Hadhrat Ali (a.s.) came to know about this he reprimanded the governor severely saying: "Entertaining a governor is bribe. Why was this bribe given? If it was given to establish a right it is the duty of a governor to give the entitled persons their right without taking bribe, or this bribe was given to validate something invalid. If that be the case it is not lawful for a governor to do any such thing even though the entire world may be offered to him as bribe.
The second thing is: Why did the governor participate in a feast to which the rich were invited but the indigent were ignored and thus a discrimination was made between the slaves of Allah? This discrimination pained many persons and also grieved Ali. Of course if the society is prosperous and the people are well-to-do there is no harm in inviting only some persons to a party to the exclusion of others. However, when the conditions are such that there are poor as well as rich persons in the society, does the extension of an invitation to a governor to participate in a feast not amount to giving him bribe?

(Voice of Human Justice)

Logic of Bohlol

Bohlol was a very wise and a witty man once he went into a mosque where Abu Hanifa was lecturing to his students. Buhlol heard him saying, “I cannot understand three things that Imam J’afar Sadiq (A.S.) says, viz,
(1) God will not be seen even on the Day of Judgment. But you know that if something exists and is present, it would very definitely be seen:
(2) Shaitan will be burned in hell fire. But you all know that Shaitan was created from the element of fore. How can a fire burn or hurt fire?
(3) Man is a free agent and is responsible for all his deeds. But the truth is that man is not free. Whatever he appears to do, is something that was dictated by God.”
Bohlol heard these arguments of Abu Hanifa and he was amused by them. He then went out of the mosque and stood waiting for Abu Hanifa to come out. When Abu Hanifa came out, Bohlol, threw a little rock at him in the face and hurt him, Abu Hanifa’s students seized Bohlol and took him to the court. They told the judge what he had done. When the judge asked him why he had hurt Abu Hanifa’s, He said that he did not hurt him and that he was innocent. Thereupon, Abu Hanifa shouted; “You threw the rock in my face. How can you be innocent.” Bohlol said, “No, I did not. God did. You were saying only a little while ago that God does everything.”
Abu Hanifa said; “My face is hurting and you are joking. I have so much pain.”
Bohlol said; “Pain? Show me the pain. I would like to see it.” Abu Hanifa said, “But pain is something one feels; it is not something that one can see with one’s eyes,”
Bohlol; “But you said that whatever exists and is present, will definitely be seen. If your pain exists and is present, you should be able to show it to me. Furthermore, you said that Shaitan is made from fire, and that fire of Hell cannot, therefore, burn or hurt him (Shaitan). But you were made from dust, and the clod which struck you, was also a lump of dust. If fire, then how can dust hurt dust? You ought to feel no pain at all; after dust hit dust.”
Abu Hanifa was embarrassed. Bohlol had used a little rock to demolish all the arguments of Abu Hanifa. He proved and also demonstrated that man is responsible for his own deeds, and that he cannot blame God for them and their consequences.
Note: To know more about Imam Abu Hanifa CLICK

A Man of Intellect

Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from (al-Hasan) ibn Mahbub, from `Abd Allah ibn Sinan [6], who said:

I mentioned to Abu `Abd Allah (al-'Imam al-Sadiq) (A) about a man afflicted with (doubts about) wudu' (ritual ablutions) and salat; remarking that he was a man of intellect (`aqil)- Abu `Abd Allah (A) said: `What kind of intellect has he 'when he obeys Satan! ' I said: `How does he obey Satan?' He said: `Ask him about its cause and he will tell you that it is the work of Satan.' 

Ibne Sina, the genius

A group of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from al-Haytham ibn Abi Masruq al-Nahdi [7]; from al-Husayn ibn Khalid [8], from Ishaq ibn `Ammar [9], who said:

I asked Abu `Abd Allah (A): `How is it that certain people understand everything on being told a little (about some matter) and some people are such that they hear the whole thing and respond to it; but there are some others who on being told (about a matter) ask one to repeat it again?' 

The Imam (A) said: `O Ishaq, do you know why that is so? The man who understands the whole (matter) on hearing a little is one whose intellect was kneaded with his (substance) at the spermatic stage. 

The one who hears the whole thing and responds in accordance with what you had told him, is one whose intellect developed in his mother's womb. 

And the man who requests you to repeat is one whose intellect developed after he grew up.'

Healing the Boil

Once boils came out on Abbaside Caliph, Mutawakkil’s body. His condition was so critical that no surgeon dared to put a knife on his wound. His mother made a vow that if her son recovered from the disease, she would hand over a good deal of properties to the Imam (AS).
 
Fath ibn Khaqan proposed that they send someone to the 10th Imam, Imam Hadi (AS) to ask him for a drug to heal the boil. They sent someone to the Imam (AS) and he came back with the following prescription: 

Soak dung in rose water and place it on the boil. It will definitely fall if Allah wishes.
Upon hearing this, some of those who were present by Mutawakkil’s side burst into laughter. But Fath ibn Khaqan told them: What will be the harm if we practiced what he said? They did what Imam (AS) had said. The boil burst and all the pus came out.
Mutawakkil’s mother sent 10,000 dinars to the Imam (AS) when her son Mutawakkil regained his health.

A Powerful Story About Prayers

He remembered his grandmother's warning about praying on time: "My son, you shouldn't leave prayer to this late time". His grandmother's age was 70 but whenever she heard the Adhan, she got up like an arrow and performed Salah. He, however could never win over his ego to get up and pray. Whatever he did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it quickly to get it in on time. Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes left before Salat-ul Isha. He quickly made Wudhu and performed Salat-ul Maghrib. While making Tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed. His grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making Dua and went down to make Sajdah and stayed like that for a while. He had been at school all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he looked in was filled with people.

Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.

His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgement. When he was alive, he had heard many things about the questioning on the Day of Judgement, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imagined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him.

All of a sudden his name was called and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two people grabbed his arms and led him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd. The angels brought him to the center and left him there. His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping others. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was being cleared. He pleaded his case, "I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah. I performed my Salah. I fasted in the month of Ramadan. Whatever Allah ordered us to do, I did. Whatever he ordered us not to do, I did not."

He began to cry and think about how much he loved Allah. He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah deserved and his only protector was Allah. He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they
were going to collapse.

He closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam. His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn't be, "How could I go to Jahannam? I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah to others". His eyes had become blurry and he was shaking with sweat. The two angels took him by the arms. As his feet dragged, they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Qur'an that he read, he was asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had gotten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Rasulullah [saw] said, "How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah performed five times cleanse someone of their sins"?

He began yelling, "My prayers? my prayers? my prayers." The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam. The flames of the Fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in. He found himself in the air and falling towards the flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted his head and saw an old man with a long white beard. He wiped some dust off himself and asked him, "Who are you?" The old man replied, "I am your prayers". "Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire! You rescued me at the last minute before I fell in!!"

The old man smiled and shook his head, "You always performed me at the last minute, did you forget?" At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from Sajdah. He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat-ul Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform Wudhu.

Reward on the Basis of Common Sense

Mohammed bin Suleiman Al-Dailami, through a reliable chain of narrators said, "I mentioned the devotion, religious acts and piety of a certain individual to Hazrat Imam Jaffer as-Sadiq A.S. The Imam asked, "What about his common sense?" I said, "I have no idea." The Imam said, "The rewards depends upon the degree of his common sense." Then the Imam A.S. exemplified this principle saying, "A descendent of Israeel used to worship Allah in an Island, verdant, full of greenery and blossoming trees and an abundant supply of pure and fresh water. One of the angels happened to pass that way and (being impressed by the sincerity of the devotion of the worshipper) prayed: "O my Lord! show me the reward destined for this servant of Thine." Allah, the Elevated One, showed him that (reward). The angel thought that the reward was less than what the worshipper deserved. Allah, the Elevated One, then inspired the angel to befriend him. The angel approached the worshipper in a human form. The worshipper asked, "Who are you?" He said, "I am also a devoted worshipper. I have been told about your worship and this place of yours in this area. Therefore I have come to you to worship Allah in your company." That day the angel remained with the worshipper. The following morning, the angel addressed the worshipper saying, "This place of yours is excellent and is most suitable for worship." The worshipper remarked, "There is, however, one drawback in this place." The angel asked, "And what is that?" He said, "Our Lord does not have any quadrupeds. If he had a donkey, I would have let him graze in this place because all this grass is just being wasted." The angel then asked him, "So your Lord does not possess a donkey?" He replied, "If he had a donkey, a verdant greenery would not have been wasted." Allah then revealed to the angel by means of inspiration, "I reward (My servants) on the basis of their common sense."

Who was Bintul Huda?

Aminah Haidar Al-Sadr was born in the holy city of Kadhmain, Baghdad in 1937. Her father, a renowned religious leader, died when she was two years old. She enjoyed the loving care of her mother and two kind brothers, Sayyid Ismael and Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr. Aminah Al-Sadr, known as Bint Al-Huda, did not attend any government school, but was well educated at the hands of her two scholar brothers, especially Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir, who recognized her bright talent. As a teenager, Bint Al-Huda was a voracious reader who always spent her pocket money on useful books and increasing her knowledge.

The first half of this century indicated that Western cultural values dominated the Arab and Muslim countries of the world. Secular systems spread deviation and corruption and branded Islam as reactionary and as a hindrance to progress.

At the age of 20, Bint Al-Huda began writing articles in Al-Adhwa magazine published by the religious ulema in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. Her articles drew the attention of intellectuals in Najaf and became torches which illuminated the darkness for women. Her writings awakened a society which, like many societies in other Muslim countries, was being deviated under the pretexts of freedom and equality. Possessing keen insight, she felt the great damage that was being inflicted upon Islam through the deliberate corruption of women. Her simply-written stories tackled these wrong traditions and presented truly Islamic concepts concerning woman and her specific role in a healthy society.

It is a great pity and a serious setback that the Muslim women of the world lost this great woman writer so early. A major crime of the Iraqi Ba'thist regime was the tortured murder of this noble lady and her brother and religious scholar, Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr (May Allah bless them both). The tyrannical, anti-Islamic regime of Saddam was well aware of their brave struggle for the sake of Islam and decided to finish them off. They were arrested in April, 1980, and killed in cold blood three days later

A brave woman who confronted tyrants and achieved martyrdom for the sake of Islam.

Benefits of reciting Ayatul Kursi

1. Holy prophet (PBUH) said: whoever recites the first 4 ayats of Surah-e-Baqarah (chapter: The cow), then Ayatul Kursi and then the last 3 ayats of Surah-e-Baqarah, will not be inflicted with any kind of difficulty in his wealth or himself, Satan will not come near him and he will not forget the Qur’an.

2. Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: Qur’an is a great word, and Surah-e-Baqarah is the leader of the Qur’an and Ayatul Kursi is the leader of Surah-e-Baqarah. In Ayatul Kursi there are 50 words and for each word there are 50 blessings and good in it.

3. One who recites Ayatul Kursi every morning will be in the protection, safety of Allah until the night.

4. If one ties this to ones wealth or children, they will be safe from Satan.

5. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said: These things increase ones memory: sweets, meat of an animal which is slaughtered in Islamic manner near the neck, Lentils, cold bread and recitation of Ayatul Kursi.

6. For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiyeh to them, gives them light (noor) in the grave.

7. Frequent recitation makes ones own death easy.

8. When leaving home, if one recites it once, the Almighty has one group of Angels to come and protect you. If recited twice, 2 groups of Angels are assigned to do this. If recited 3 times Allah tells the Angels not to worry as the Almighty himself takes care of him.

9. The Holy Prophet has said: If one recites Ayatul Kursi before going to sleep, Allah will send an Angel to come and look after you and protect.

10. When one is alone in the house, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and asking Allah for help will make you remain calm and you will not fear.

11. The Holy Prophet has said: When leaving home, if one recites Ayatul Kursi, then Allah will send 70,000 Angels to do Istighfaar for him until he returns home, and upon his return Poverty will be removed from him.

12. If one recites this after performing Wudhoo, the 5th Imam Hazrat Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s) has said: Allah will give him a reward of 40 years of Ibadaat, and his position will be raised in the Heavens 40 times (levels).

13. One who recites it after every prayer, their salat will be accepted, and they will remain in the safety of the Almighty and He will protect them.

14. Allah told Prophet Musa (a.s): If one recites it after every salat, the Almighty will make his heart a thankful one (Shakireen) will give him a reward of the prophets, and his deeds will be like those of the truthful (Siddiqeen).

Nobility of Shaykh Saduq (a.r.)

In the year 1238 A.H. (1859 A.D.) Fath Ali - the king of Qajar - ordered the building of the shrine to be reconstructed. This resulted in a demonstration of nobility. The word spread around among the people, and it was finally approved of by the government officials and the king. The details of this event have been recorded by many authors - may God have mercy upon them. Among them we can mention ROWZA by Khansari, QISAS AL-ULAMA by Tonikaboni, TANQIH AL-MAQAL by Mamaghani, MONTAKHAB UL-TAWARIKH by Khorasani and TAVA'ED AR-RAZAVIEH by Qumi. This has been recorded in ROWZA by Khansari as follows: 'This event was a demonstration of the nobility of the Sheikh. It attracted the attention of many people, and was a source of guidance for many and a cause of happiness for many enlightened people.

There once appeared a rupture in the shrine of the noble Sheikh - that is located near Ray - due to a flood. When they investigated to find the degree of damage done in order to reconstruct it, they reached a room in which he was buried. Once they entered that room they found his body naked, with his private parts covered, and in perfect shape. His face was absolutely peaceful and they could still see the polish (khadhab) on his nails. The shroud with which his body was wrapped at the time he was buried had worn out, torn into shreds and fallen down on the dirt around his corpse. The news rapidly spread around in Tehran. When Fath Ali - the grandfather of Naser ad-Din - the king of Qajar heard about this around the year 1238 A.H. (1859 A.D.), he went there in person to investigate. He consulted with the government officials whom he trusted as to whether or not he should enter the tomb in person.

They did not recommend the king entering the tomb, as they thought this was not appropriate for his rule. Then a group of religious scholars and well-known people were sent into the tomb to check the issue. When the numerous people who had entered the tomb all testified to the truth of this issue, no doubt was left for the king.

Once he was certain about the truth of this issue, he ordered the cavity to be closed off, and the building of the shrine to be reconstructed, and decorated in the best possible fashion using mirror work. I have personally seen some of the people who were present there. Some of our religious professors who are of the noble scholars have also described this event. And peace be upon him the day he is born, and the day he dies, and the day he is resurrected.'

Faazil-e-Hindi

A Child Prodigy and an intelligent youth

There is an intellectual among our scholars who led a life of anonymity. His name was Muhammad bin Hasan bin Muhammad Isfahani, and he was known by the appellation of Fazil-e-Hindi. If he is called as a great personality it is not beyond reality because he was indeed a great personality but what is actually needed is to bring out his personality from the shadows of anonymity. This is so because he was not an ordinary scholar; he has to his credit great services in the field of knowledge.

This great personality was born in 1062 A.H. in Isfahan and since he had traveled to India (Hindustan) during his childhood he began to be addressed as Fazil-e-Hindi.

His father Tajuddin Hasan bin Muhammad Isfahani was among the great scholars of his time. He is the writer of the commentary of Baher-e-Mawaj.

Fazil-e-Hindi is not known to the general readers, not even among the scholars. But the religious jurisprudents and the great Shia intellectuals know him well. Al-Hajj Mirza Husain Noori narrates from his teacher Shaykh Iraqain that the writer of Jawahir has expressed great trust in the book of Kashful Atham. Till the time he did not have this book in front of him he never wrote any portion of Jawahir and he used to say, “But for Fazil-e-Hindi the science of religious jurisprudence would have become extinct in Iran.”

The great jurisprudent Shaykh Asadullah Shustari in his first book Maqabis presents Fazil-e-Hindi in such a way as if he is arguing about Imamate and the rights of Ali (a.s.) with the Ahle Sunnat. Thus in one of his commentaries he writes, “Among his writings is the book, Al-Manahij-ul-Sawiya which is the commentary of Rawdatul Hayya. I have seen some of its volumes.”

His book Salat is authoritative, lucid and brimming with benefits and research. It was completed in 1088 A.H., which shows that the author was only twenty-five at that time. This young man also experienced those days when the Afghans created great mischief and Isfahan was broken away from Iran. Those days he spent a very difficult life of grief and calamities. Fazil-e-Hindi has written around eighty books and he expired in 1137 A.H. The most well known of his book is Kashful Atham, which is the commentary on Allamah Hilli’s Qawaid. In the introduction of this book he has repeated the words of Fakhrul Muhaqqiqin that why people are surprised if some are endowed with knowledge at a young age. Allah gives to whom He pleases.

He says, “I myself was not even thirteen when I had studied all the prevalent sciences. I was not even eleven when I had started writing and compiling books. When I was fifteen I wrote Munyatul Harees Dar Sharh Talkhis. I was only eighteen when I used to lecture on Taftazani…-

Mustadrakul Wasail, Vol. 3, pg. 402

Knowledge

Imam Ali (a.s.): O seeker of knowledge! Numerous are the advantages of knowledge. The head of knowledge (if knowledge is personified as a human being) will be humility, its eyes will be immune from jealousy; its ears will be understanding (the truth and justice); its tongue will be truthfulness; its security lies in visiting the learned scholars; its ambitions will be to establish (universal) peace; its wisdom will be piety; salvation will be its final abode; its health will be its leader; faithfulness will be its mount; sweet talk will be its ammunition; its sword will be the acceptance of the Will and Pleasure of God; its bow (and arrow) will be sympathy and hospitality; its army will be its good manners; its treasures will be its refraining from sins; its sustenance will be its good manners; its meekness will be its beverage (to quench his thirst during his journey); its guide will be the Divine Guidance and its comrades will be the love of virtues.

Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (AS) Advice to Ibne Sayyaba

Ibne Sayyaba, a resident of Kufa in Iraq, was a young man whose father had died. The tragedy of the death of his father, coupled with poverty and unemployment, was destroying the soul of the sensitive man. One day while sitting in his house, he heard a knock at the door. He was a friend of his father. After offering his condolences, he said:

"Did your father leave anything for you?"

"No"

"Then take this thousand Dirham; try to turn it into a capital, and meet your expense from its profit".

Saying these words he went away. Ibne Sayyaba, happy as he was, went to his mother and showing the money told her the story. The same day, he used the money in purchasing some merchandise and opening a shop; and set his heart to it. He made a rapid progress. Soon after he realised that not only he had met his household expenses from the profit, but also the capital had increased to a great extent. Now he thought of performing Hajj Pilgrimage, and approached his mother for her advice. She said, "First you should repay the thousand Dirham which has brought such prosperity to us, and then you may go to Makkah for Hajj."

He went to see the friend of his father, and placing a purse of one thousand Dirham before him, said, "Please accept your money back." The man thought that Ibne Sayyaba was returning the same money because it was not sufficient for any trade. So he said:

"If the amount is insufficient I can increase it."

"Good God, it was not insufficient. It has brought great prosperity to us and since I am now quite well off financially, I have come to repay your money, and to express my thanks to you, particularly when I have decided to go on pilgrimage to Makkah.

He came to his home and packed his luggage for Makkah.

After performance of the Hajj pilgrimage, he came to Medina and went to see Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS) along with other pilgrims. There was a huge crowd in the house of the Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS). Being young he chose to sit at the far end of the gathering, and from there watched the people coming and going; and heard their questions and the answers given by the Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS). When the house became nearly empty, Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS) pointed to him and said:

"What can I do for you?"

"I am Abdur Rehman, son of Sayyaba, of Kufa (from the tribe of Bijilly)."

"How is your father?" asked Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS)

"He died"

"Ah! Ah! May Almighty Allah (SWT) have His mercy upon him. Did he leave anything for you?"

"No, he didn't"

"Then how could you perform Hajj Pilgrimage?"

"After the death of my father we were in distress. On one side his death and on the other side poverty and unemployment, were crushing us extremely. Then one day a friend of my father gave me one thousand Dirham and advised me to invest the amount in business. I followed his advice and from its profit I came to perform Hajj Pilgrimage".

Before he could finish his story, Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS) said, "Tell me what did you do about the money of your father's friend?"

I refunded the amount on the advice of my mother before coming out for Hajj Pilgrimage".

"Very good. Do you like me to give you an advice?"

"May I be your ransom; of course"

Imam Jaffar as Sadiq (AS) said, "Be truthful and righteous. A truthful and righteous man is a partner in the wealth of others".