THE ORIGIN AND LOFTY POSITION OF THE AHLULBAYT
You have already gone through Hadees-e-Kisa, which stated that everything in this world has been created because of the Ahlulbayt. That was not just an isolated incident where this has been mentioned. There are countless places where the Ahlulbayt have been presented as enjoying the highest position, higher than all creation and next only to God.
We present before you the verse 3:33 of Quran, which says:
Surely Allah chose Adam and Nooh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations.
In this verse Adam and Nooh are mentioned by their names, whereas Ibrahim and Imran are mentioned with reference to their posterity. The Arabic term ‘Aal’ (the posterity) of Adam and Nooh have not been included in the category of the chosen ones, because there were several ungodly and wicked persons in their lineage, but in the ‘aale’ (immediate issues) of Ibrahim (Ishmael and Ishaq) and Imran (Musa and Harun), holy men of God, were chosen as messengers of Allah.
The mention of Ibrahim and Imran, undisputedly amongst the holiest prophets of God, has been made in this verse with reference to their posterity, because according to the religious annotation, in the word ‘aale’ the spiritual quality of a posterity automatically includes the immediate ancestor or the founder of a family. Aale or Ahlulbayt, commonly used to address the members of a family, is exclusively reserved, in the religious and spiritual act of referring, for the holiest members of the family of the Holy Prophet who are identical with each other in their personal purity and spiritual sanctity. We have proved in this BOOK that Ahlulbayt is reference to People of the House of God.
The Holy Prophet and his Ahlulbayt are in the posterity of Ibrahim, therefore, in the light of this verse, they are chosen in preference to all the created beings. They are superior to every human being.
(Tafsir Durr al Manthur; and Mawahib al Ladunniya)
Aga Mahdi Pooya states: “The Holy Quran refers here to this process of selection and choice of a particular lineage for risalat (Prophethood) and imamat (vicegerency). It starts from Adam and passes through Nooh to Ibrahim. After Ibrahim it was bifurcated in his two sons, Ishmael and Ishaq. The descendants of Ishmael are known as aale Ibrahim, and the descendants of Ishaq are called aale Imran. The selection of the line of aale Imran for prophethood was terminated after Isa whose birth, disappearance (he was raised to the heavens) and promised re-appearance (at the end of this world before the day of resurrection) are the signs (miracles) of Allah; but the line of aale Ibrahim, through Ishmael, remained chosen till Abd-al-Muttalib, and then again bifurcated through his sons Abdullah and Abu Talib. Mohammad was the son of Abdullah and Ali was the son of Abu Talib. When Ali and Fatima, the daughter of the Holy Prophet, were joined in the holy matrimony, the line of Ibrahim continued in their progeny through birth of eleven more Imams.”
However, I am showing from my study of scriptures dear to various religions that 7 Light Spirits [Noorani Rooh] were created at the beginning of all creation, out of which one was Devi or feminine power. At the same time, an opposite and contrary power, Zulmat or Darkness got created. Quran says that Allah is the Creator of Noor and Zulmat. The Noor is the power of guidance while Zulmat is the power of misguidance while mankind has been bestowed with the highest of all gifts, viz. mind, which makes him superior to all. These 7 spirits are performing the task of guidance at all times but from time to time they used pious human bodies as offices to impart teachings related to guidance and right path. Zulmat too use corrupted spirits as its tools. The 7 spirits descended in various bodies in various regions and ages and there was to be a time when these 7 Noorani Rooh were to descend in 14 bodies called the 14 Ahlulbayt(ullah). The 14 include Prophet Mohammad, his daughter Fatima and the 12 Imams, who are:
Imam Ali (Ameer-ul-Momineen s/o Abu Talib)
Imam Hasan (s/o Ali)
Imam Husain (s/o Ali)
Imam Ali (al-Zainul Abidin s/o Husain)
Imam Mohammad (al-Baqar s/o Ali)
Imam Jafar (al-Sadiq s/o Mohammad)
Imam Musa (al-Kazim s/o Jafar)
Imam Ali (al-Raza s/o Musa)
Imam Mohammad (al-Taqi s/o Ali)
Imam Ali (al-Naqi s/o Mohammad)
Imam Hasan (al-Askari s/o Ali)
Imam Mohammad (al-Mahdi s/o Hasan)
The disappearance and the promised re-appearance of the living Imam Mohammad (al-Mahdi) resembles the disappearance and the promised re-appearance of Isa; both are examples for the house of Ishmael and the house of Israel respectively (Quran, Surah Zukhruf: 59). When both of them will re-appear at the end of the world, before the day of resurrection, Prophet Isa will follow Imam Mohammad (al-Mahdi), and the whole mankind will follow them.
Allah chose Adam, Nooh, aale Ibrahim and aale Imran in preference to others for appointing His messengers and guides. It is a selection from the descendants of Adam, Nooh, Ibrahim and Imran, because all their children did not have the superior quality to represent Allah. In other words, only those were chosen in whom one or the other constituents of the Noor was at work.
The Holy Prophet has said:
Allah selected Adam in preference to all other creatures; from among the descendants of Adam, He selected Nooh; from among the descendants of Nooh, He selected Ibrahim; from among the descendants of Ibrahim, He selected Ishmael; from among the Quraish, He selected Hashim. All of them carried my Noor (the first light which came forth from the absolute and goes on till the day of resurrection to manifest ultimately in the arc of ascent). It passed through Abd-al-Muttalib to Abdullah and Abu Talib. I am from Abdullah and Ali is from Abu Talib. Ali and I are one and the same noor.
See how Prophet Mohammad has stated the Prophets carried his Noor (Light). Kitabul Amana (Bihar al-Anwar) too states that the world was created from the Noor (light-heat) of the Panj-tan (the Five Persons). See what it says:
The highest seat and the throne (arsh and kursi) from the noor of Prophet Mohammad
Angels and the book and pen (malaika and loh-o-qalam) from the noor of Ali.
Earth and sky (zameen-o-aasman) from the noor of Fatima
Moon and Sun (chand-o-sooraj) from the noor of Hasan
Heaven and the apsaras of heaven (jannat and hoorane-jannat) from the noor of Husain.
A quote from Imam Jafar Sadiq – the sixth Imam – given in Chapter 53 of Al-Kafi even goes on to say that it were the Ahlulbayt who framed the rules and religious obligations. Can any Muslim, with their present belief, tell how could it be that the Ahlulbayt decided how many rakats to perform for morning prayers, how many for noon, afternoon, evening and night prayers? But the Imam is saying exactly the same. And this is not something that we are translating now but has remained in the books for hundreds of years.
Whereas the Upanishads are clearly saying that it was the Manifest Self from which the Noor was created which divided into several Noor who are responsible for our guidance and leading us to the worship of the Almighty.
Surely, this can only be expected from those who are the rulers of spheres created by God and the rulers of our organs of senses and action, as said in Paingala Upanishad, and from whom the entire cosmos was created and who took upon themselves the task of leading mankind to God.
See what Imam Jafar Sadiq says in Hadees no. 703:
It terminates in us with what is halal (lawful) and what is haram (unlawful), but (as for) the prophethood, no, (we have no part).
Muslims have been reading such claims in their books but never understood their true meaning till now. That reason and intelligence in each one of us is courtesy the Ahlulbayt or Devatas can be seen in these words of Imam Jafar Sadiq to Hasham:
God-Almighty has blessed the human beings with two proofs:
One is apparent and the other is hidden. The apparent proofs are Prophets and Imams, and the hidden proof is the reason and intelligence within our existence.
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p-16
This is the reason why Quran says that guidance is through ‘Us’. This tradition confirms the Upanishadic view that the 14 formed an important part of our body and henceforth we all are governed by the Devatas.
Prophet Mohammad referred to the same on another occasion, when he said:
I and Ali are from “one and same” divine light.
The first of us is Mohammad, the middle of us is Mohammad, the last of us is Mohammad, every one of us is Mohammad.
At another instance, Pooya/Ali Commentary states: “The Holy Prophet and the twelve holy Imams (are those) in whom each quality is manifest in its highest perfection and completeness. They are those who have been chosen by God to guide mankind towards His path through the Quran. Therefore, Shias, after the Holy Prophet, follow only Ali and the holy Imams as their guides because of their unique merits, acknowledged even by their enemies. The whole Muslim world, without exception, knows and accepts the fact that it was Ali alone who earned the unique title of mazhar ul aja-ib - the manifestation of (divine) wonders, because Ali and the Holy Prophet are the manifestations of one and the same divine light.”
It is interesting to note that both the Upanishads and the traditions of the Prophet have equated the Ahlulbayt to the rope of Allah. Even Gita has referred to the rope but we will be addressing this later.
One thing is to be remembered; it is true that Shias, after the Holy Prophet, follow only Ali and the holy Imams (who together constitute the 14 Devatas or Manus, this writer does not want any of the readers to emulate the present day Shias or try to understand the path through them. Such is the level of deviations that have occurred among them from the path shown by the Ahlulbayt. This is unfortunate indeed because the Shias took hold of the Ahlulbayt but left their teachings altogether; the express purpose of all that the Ahlulbayt said and did was to lead their followers to the worship of the One God of the universe. We were to reach God through the rope of Ahlulbayt, but we kept on holding the rope, without making any attempt to climb it and reach the desired destination.
Quran says:
Hold fast, all of you together, to the cord of Allah.
It gives a mental impression that a rope is hanging from the heaven so that those who are below on the ground (earth) may climb up, by holding it, and reach the presence of the Lord to seek His nearness.
Abu Sa-id Khudri reports that he heard the Holy Prophet saying:
I leave behind me, among you, two ropes. If my people hold fast to these two ropes, after me, they shall not go astray. They are the book of Allah, hung from the heaven unto the earth, and my Ahlulbayt. One of them is greater than the other. Be it known that these two shall never be separated from each other; and joined together, they shall meet me at the spring of Kausar.
Tafsir Kabir and Durr al Manthur
In another similar declaration, known as Hadees-e-Saqalain, the Prophet stated:
My Ahlulbayt, among you, are like the ark of Nooh (Noah). He who sails on it will be safe, but he who holds back shall perish.
The Holy Prophet has said:
Verily the Quran has been revealed in seven letters. There is no letter which has not an evident and a latent meaning; and verily Ali knows the evident as well as the latent.
Itiqan-Sahih Bukhari
A commentator of Quran says: “The holding fast to the book of Allah and “Mohammad and aale Mohammad” means total attachment with and devotion to them because all good generates from this act which enables man to rise upward and reach nearness to Allah. The life of the Holy Prophet and his Ahlulbayt is the best example of the teachings of the Quran.
Do not become disunited
Those who rely on and make use of theories and methods formulated and put in practice by mortal men, by avoiding or neglecting the commandments of God and the teachings of his Ahlulbayt, are bound to go astray and create discord and disagreement among the united community of the believers.
This sentence warns the Muslims not to misinterpret the verses of the Quran or have doubts about the authority of the Holy Prophet and his Ahlulbayt to explain the true meanings of the word of Allah, because these two are the inseparably interwoven cord of Allah; else they will be divided into several sects. So to remain on the right path shown by the Holy Prophet, follow him and his Ahlulbayt in letter and spirit.
In Minhaj al-Sadiqin it is written that once, Jalut, the chief rabbi, along with some of his very learned disciples, came to Ali to prove that Islam was not a true religion of God.
The first question Ali asked was:
“Do you know the number of sects the followers of Musa were divided into after his departure?”
“I will have to refer to the book”, he replied.
“You are a rabbi, yet do not know what is written in your book. What will you do if your book is lost?” Ali asked.
Jalut referred to his book and said that there were 45 sects.
“You are wrong. I know the Tawrait and the Injeel (the two scriptures). The followers of Musa were divided into 71 sects, out of which only one is on the right path. Also the followers of Isa were divided into 71 sects, out of which only one is on the right path. The followers of our Prophet will be divided into 73 sects, out of which only one will be on the right path and the rest will be among the losers.”
Earlier the Holy Prophet had also said the same about his and Musa’s followers. When asked as to which sect of his followers is on the right path, he put his hand on the shoulder of Ali and said:
This man and his descendants and their followers.
Then he recited this verse:
You became brothers by His grace.
Yet the Muslims couldn’t understand!
No comments:
Post a Comment