And who turns away from the
religion of Ibrahim but he who makes himself a fool; and most certainly We
chose him in this world, and in the hereafter, he is most surely among the
good ones (130). When his Lord said to him, Submit (yourself) he said: "I
submit myself to the Lord of the worlds" (131). And the
same did Ibrahim enjoin on his sons and (so did) Ya'qub: "0 my sons!
Surely Allah has chosen for you (this) faith, therefore die not unless you
are Muslims" (132). Or, were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qub,
when he said to his sons: "What will you worship after me?" They said: "We
will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim and
Isma'il and Ishaq, one God only, and to Him do we submit" (133). This is a
people that have passed away; they shall have what they earned and you
shall have what you earn, and you shall not be called upon to answer for
what they did (134).
COMMENTARY
QUR'AN: And who turns away from the
religion of Ibrahim but he who makes himself a fool: "ar-Raghbah
followed by
the preposition 'an (away from; off) means "to turn away", "to
dislike"; when followed by fi (in), it denotes "to incline
towards", "to desire". The verb, safiha (made a fool; became a fool)
is used both as transitive and intransitive. Some exegetes have taken
this word here as a transitive verb - according to them, the word
nafsahu
(himself;
his self) is its object; others have taken the verb in the intransitive
sense and in that case nafsahu will be at-tamyiza
(specification), not an object. In any case, the meaning will remain the
same: Whoever turns away from the religion of Ibrahim is a fool; he does
not recognize what is beneficial to him from that which is harmful. From
this verse we may infer what we have been told in the hadith:
"Surely wisdom is that by which the Beneficent (God) is
worshipped."
QUR'AN: and most certainly We chose
him in this world: "al-Istifa’ means to choose, to separate best
parts of a thing from other parts (if they were mixed together). Looking
at the positions of al-wilayah (love of Allah), this choosing, this
selection fits the sincerity of servitude. A person so chosen behaves in
all his affairs as a sincere slave and servant, totally surrendering
himself to his Lord. In other words, religion is embodied in all his
affairs. After all, what is religion if not total servitude to Allah in
all matters whether of this world or of the hereafter, accepting gladly
whatever the Lord decides for His servant in any given situation, as He
says: Surely the religion with Allah is Islam (3:19).
Clearly it shows that the position of "selection" is not different
from that of "Islam", that is, surrender. As a further proof, look at the
next verse: "When his Lord said to him, Submit (yourself) he said: 'I
submit myself to the Lord of the worlds' ". Obviously, the adverb "when"
is related to the preceding verb "We chose him". It means that Ibrahim was
chosen when his Lord said to him to submit and he responded by submitting
himself to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. In other words, the verse 131
(When his Lord said to him, Submit, he said: "I submit myself to the
Lord of the worlds",) is like an explanation of the words,
"most surely We chose him".
In these verses, the
pronouns have been changed from the first person to the third, and again
from the second to the third. After saying, "We chose him", it would have
been more usual to say: "When We said to him"; but Allah says, "When his
Lord said to him, Submit (yourself)"; then in reply, Ibrahim (a.s.) should
have said: "I submit myself to Thee"; instead he said: "I submit myself to
the Lord of the worlds". The reason is a follows:
"When his Lord said to him":
It points to the fact that the talk was a secret between Ibrahim and his
Lord, at a level where there was no one else to listen to that
confidential conversation. Had Allah said, "When We said to him", it would
have implied that the hearers of this verse were present at that sublime
station and could be addressed to by Allah - after all, the audience has a
direct relationship with the speaker. Therefore, Allah referred to Himself
in the third person, cutting the connection between Himself and the
hearers of the verse, showing that at the level where He spoke with
Ibrahim, no one else was present; the conversation between Allah and
Ibrahim was a confidential matter veiled in secrecy. In short, it was a
talk between two close friends which others were excluded from.
"I submit
myself to the Lord of the worlds". As mentioned above, the preceding
phrase shows that Allah bestowed His grace exclusively on Ibrahim and
enhanced his rank by this friendly confidential conversation. But Ibrahim
knew how to speak in Divine presence; he was a servant of Allah; he should
not forget the dictates of humility; it was a sign of his excellence ' of
his humbleness, that he did not start talking with Allah in a friendly
way, did not consider
himself as worthy of that exclusive proximity, of that sublime friendship.
He continued to see in himself a humble and powerless servant who is
sustained by his Master's grace. That is why he submitted to the Lord to
Whom all the worlds surrender, and said: "I submit myself to the Lord of
the worlds".
"al-Islam", "at-taslim"
and
"alistislam" all are from the same root s-l-m and have
the same meaning, that is, to submit, to surrender. These verbs are used
when a man or a thing submits to another thing, in such a way that the
first never disobeys the second, never goes against it. Allah says:
Yes! whoever submits himself entirely to Allah ... (2:112);
Surely I have turned my face, being upright, wholly to Him Who
originated the heavens and the earth ... (6:79). It is with the
face that one turns towards someone. So far as Allah is concerned, the
whole being, the whole existence, of the thing turns to Him. When a man
surrenders to Allah, he obeys and accepts whatever comes to him from Allah
- the creative matters like the measure and the decree, as well as the
legislative ones like order and prohibition.
As men differ in degrees of
their submission to Divine Decrees or legislations, so does their
Islam.
The first stage of Islam is
to accept and obey the exoteric commandments, orders and prohibitions, by
reciting ash-shahadatayn (the two testimonies, that is, testifying
to the Oneness of God and Messengership of Muhammad, (s.a.w.a.)), no
matter whether the belief has entered into the heart or not. Allah says:
The dwellers
of the desert say: "We believe". Say: "You do not believe but say, 'We
submit'; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts". . .
(49:14)
This Islam is followed by
the first stage of al-iman (faith, belief); and that is
the sincere belief in the above-mentioned shahadatayn,- such a
believer faithfully obeys most of the rules of the
shari'ah.
This first stage of
al-iman is followed by the second stage of Islam. It is the sincere
acceptance of all true beliefs in detail, with its necessary concomitant,
that is, good deeds - although occasional slips are not impossible. Allah
says praising the pious ones: Those who believed in Our signs and were
submissive (43: 69). Also, He says: 0 you who believe! enter into
submission one and all (2:208). These verses show that there is an
Islam, which comes after aliman; obviously this Islam is other
than the previously mentioned one.
This Islam is followed by
the second stage of al-iman; and it is the believing, with full
details and reasoning, in the realities of the religion. Allah says:
The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger
then they doubt not and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in
the way of Allah; they are the truthful ones (49:15). Again, He says:
0 you who believe! shall I lead you to a merchandise which may deliver
you from a painful chastisement? You shall believe in Allah and His
Messenger, and struggle hard in Allah's way with your properties and your
lives (61:10-11). This verse directs the believers to believe;
obviously the second Nan is other than the first one.
This second stage of
al-iman paves the way for the third stage of Islam. When the soul
is sufficiently imbued with the above-mentioned Nan, and acquires
its characteristics, then man's all animalistic and beastly faculties are
subdued to the sublime powers of his intellect and spirituality. He keeps
all his desires - pulling him to the material attractions and transient
trinkets of this world - under firm control. Thereupon, he reaches a stage
where he worships Allah as though he was seeing Him and if he was not
seeing Allah, then Allah was seeing him. There is nothing in his hidden
life and inner-self that is not submissive to Allah's orders and
prohibitions; he is never annoyed with any decree or measure of Allah.
Allah says: But no! by your Lord! they do not believe until they make
you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them,
and then do not find any straitness in their selves as to what you have
decided, and submit with total submission (4:65).
This Islam is followed by
the third stage of al- [man. Allah says: Successful indeed are
the believers, who are humble in their prayers and who keep aloof from
what is vain... (23:1-3). It is this stage that the words of Allah
refer to: "When his Lord said to him, Submit (yourself), he said: 'I
submit myself to the Lord of the worlds.' "
Sometimes the second and the
third stages are counted as one. The sublime virtues, for example, being
pleased with Divine Decree, submitting to the commands of Allah,
forbearance and patience for the love of Allah, self-denial, piety, and
love and hate for the sake of Allah are concomitants of this stage of
al-iman.
The fourth stage of Islam
follows the third stage of al-iman. In the abovementioned
stage of al-iman the condition of a man vis-à-vis his Lord is like
that of a slave with his master when a slave faithfully follows the
dictates of his bondage - when he totally surrenders to the will of his
master and accepts his likes and dislikes. Obviously there is no
comparison between the ownership and authority a master has over his slave
and the ownership and authority the Lord of the worlds has over His
creatures. His is the real possession, the real ownership; nothing else
has any independent existence - neither in person or characteristics nor
in actions.
Sometimes, when a man
reaches the third stage of surrender and submission, the Divine Grace
takes him under its wing; he is shown the reality, and sees with his
heart's eyes that the Kingdom belongs to Allah, nothing else owns anything
at all - except when Allah bestows it to someone; there is no Lord other
than He.
This realization, this
unveiling of reality, is a Divine Gift, a bestowal by Allah, to whom He
pleases; a man cannot reach this sublime stage by his own will or effort.
Probably it is to this Islam that the prayer of Ibrahim and Isma'il
refers: Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee and (raise)
from our offspring a group submissive to
Thee, and show us our ways of devotion. . . (2:128). Compare this
to the verse: "When his Lord said to him, Submit (yourself), he said: 'I
submit myself to the Lord of the worlds' ". Obviously the latter is a
legislative, not a creative, order. Ibrahim was Muslim by his own will and
choice, responding to the Divine Invitation, obeying the orders of Allah.
It was an order he received in his early life. Now the former verse shows
him, in the twilight of his life, praying with his son, Isma'il,
for Islam and for being shown their ways of devotion. Undoubtedly, he was
asking for something, which was not in his hand; or was praying to be kept
firm on something, which was not in his power. In short, the Islam, which
Ibrahim and Isma'il prayed for, was of this fourth and sublime stage.
This Islam is followed by
the fourth stage of al-iman. It happens when the above-mentioned
conditions permeates the believer's whole being, and submerges all his
conditions and actions. Allah says: Now surely the friends of
Allah - they have no fear nor do they grieve; those who believed and were
pious (10:62-63). The believers mentioned here must be having the
certainty that nothing is independent of Allah, and no "cause" has any
causative power except by His permission. It is this certainty, which
insulates them from grief when a tragedy strikes them, and protects them
from fear if a danger looms ahead. It is only because of this factor that
they have been praised in these terms.
This iman comes after
the above-mentioned Divine Gift of Islam. Ponder on this point.
QUR'AN: and in the hereafter he is
most surely among the good ones: "as-Salah" literally means: capability,
ability. In the Divine Speech, this word and its derivatives, have been
used sometimes for the man himself, and, at other times, for his actions
and deeds. Allah says: ... he should do good deeds. . .(18: 110);
also, He says: And marry those among you who are single and those who
are good (i.e., fit) among your male slaves and your female
slaves... (24:32)
No clear
explanation is found in the Book of Allah as to what constitutes goodness
of deeds. But the Book attributes to it some effects, which may be helpful
in understanding its meaning. For example:
1. A good deed is good for
the pleasure of Allah: And those who are patient, seeking the pleasure
of their Lord... (13:22); and you do not spend but to seek Allah's
pleasure . . . (2:272)
2. It is good for the reward
of Allah: Allah's reward is better for him who believes and
does good... (28:80)
3. It lifts up the
good words, which ascend to Allah: To Him do ascend the good words; and
the good deed lifts them up ... (35:10)
These descriptions show
that, so far as actions are concerned, a "good deed" means an action that
is fit to receive honor from God, is capable of lifting the good words to
Allah. Allah says: ... but to Him reaches the piety on your part ...
(22:37); All do We aid - these as well as those - out of the bounty
of your Lord; and the bounty of your Lord is not confined
(17:20).
As for the persons, the
following verses show what constitutes their goodness: And whoever
obeys Allah and the Messenger, these are with those upon whom Allah
has bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the
martyrs and the good ones; and excellent are these as companions!
(4:69);
And We
caused them to enter into Our mercy; surely they were of the good ones
(21:86). Again Allah quotes Sulayman (a.s.) as saying: . . .
and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones
(27:19). Also, He says: And (as
for) Lut, We gave him wisdom and knowledge . . . and We took him into Our
mercy; surely he was of the good ones (21:74-75). The mercy referred to in these
verses is not the general Divine Mercy which encompasses everything; nor
does it mean that mercy which is ordained for the pious believers, as
Allah says: ... and My mercy encompasses all things; so I will
ordain it (especially) for those
who are pious... (7:156). The great
personalities mentioned in the verses earlier referred to were "the
good ones", and they were a selected group from among the pious believers;
they were "fit
" for the exclusive mercy mentioned in those verses. We know that some of
the mercies of Allah are reserved for some special groups to the exclusion
of others. Allah says: and Allah chooses especially whom He pleases for
His mercy (2:105).
Also, this expression does
not refer to the general honor of al-wilayah in other words, it
does not say that Allah managed or manages their affairs for them. Of
course, the good ones had that honor too; certainly they were among the
honored al-awliya' (friends of Allah), as we have explained in the
exegesis of the verse 1:5 (Guide us to the straight path);
but this wilayah is an attribute which is also shared by the
prophets, the truthful ones and the martyrs. If they had only this honor
to their credit they could not be counted as a separate group
distinguished from the other three.
So, what is the distinctive
feature of the "goodness"? The answer is that Allah takes a "good one"
into His especial mercy and grants him comprehensive protection from
chastisement. These two effects are mentioned in the Qur'an: Then as to
those who believed and did good, their Lord will make them enter into His
mercy (i.e., into the Garden) (45:30); They shall call therein
(i.e., in the Garden) every fruit in security
(44:55).
Now ponder on the following
verses: And We took him into Our mercy (21:75); and We made
(them) all good ones (21:72). Note how Allah attributes these
actions to Himself, not to the people concerned. Also look at the fact
that according to the Divine declarations, reward is always given in lieu
of actions and efforts. Keeping all this in view, you will realize that
the "personal goodness" is a especial honor which cannot be earned as a
reward of good deeds or by one's own will. Probably, it is to this reality
that the verse refers: They have therein what they
wish and with Us is more yet (50:35). Possibly, the first
clause (They have therein what they wish) refers to the
reward of their deeds; and the second one (and with Us is more yet)
concerns what they shall be given not in lieu of action, but purely by
Divine Mercy. We shall elaborate it, Allah willing, in the exegesis of
this verse.
Now look at the life of
Ibrahim (a.s.). He was a prophet, a messenger of God, one of the ulu
'I-azm prophets and an Imam; many of the prophets and messengers
coming after him were his followers; and he was of the good ones, as the
words of Allah clearly say: and We made (them) all good ones
(21:72). This verse also shows that he was made, in this very
world, one of the good ones. Consider also the fact that many
prophets of lesser rank were made, in this very world, among the good
ones. Then why does he pray to Allah to join him to the good
ones?
It is clear from this prayer
that there was a group of the "good ones" who had gone ahead of him, and
now he was praying to Allah to join him to them. Allah granted him his
prayer "in the hereafter", as is mentioned in the Qur'an in three places -
one of which is the verse under discussion: and most certainly We chose
him in this world, and in the hereafter he is most surely among the good
ones (2:130). Other two verses
are: ... and
We gave him his reward in this world, and in the hereafter he is most
surely among the good ones (29:27). And We gave him good in this
world, and in the hereafter he will most surely be among the good ( 16
:122).
If you ponder on the
foregoing details, you will know that the “goodness" has many ranks,
one above the other. Therefore you should not be astonished if you are
told that Ibrahim (a.s.) had asked to be joined to Muhammad (s. a. w. a.)
and his purified progeny (a.s.), and that Allah granted him his prayer in
the hereafter, not in this world. Ibrahim (a.s.) had prayed to
Allah to join him with the good ones, while Muhammad (s.a.w.a.)
unambiguously claims this honor for himself: Surely my guardian is Allah,
Who revealed the Book, and He takes in hand (the affairs of)
the good
ones (7:196). It is obvious that
Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) claims the wilayah for himself. In other words,
the Prophet, according to his claim mentioned in the verse, had already
got the "goodness"; and Ibrahim (a.s.) was praying to be joined to a group
of "good ones" who had already been given that rank, and that group was
Muhammad (s.a.w. a.) and his progeny.
QUR'AN: And the same did Ibrahim
enjoin on his sons: that is, the same
religion.
QUR'AN: ... therefore die not unless
you are Muslims: Death is something beyond
one's control; and "at-taklif
(commandments of the
shari'ah) covers only those things
which are under one's control. Then why did Ibrahim and Ya'qub (peace be
on them!) tell their progeny not to die unless they were Muslims? The fact
is that this admonition concerned a matter, which was fully under their
power. The real meaning is like this: Beware lest the death comes to you
and you are not Muslims; always remain Muslims; keep on Islam, so that
whenever death comes to you, you are Muslims.
The verse gives a hint that
the religion means Islam, as Allah says: Surely the religion with Allah
is Islam (3:19).
QUR'AN: "We will worship your God
and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim and Isma'il and Ishaq ":
The verse
uses the word "father" for the grandfather, the uncle and the father - and
it has been used without any reason of "at-taghlib” that is, all
groups are equal in number; there were not more "fathers" than the
grandfather and the uncle to justify the use of this word for the whole
group. It proves that the word "father" may correctly be used for uncle,
as we shall show, Allah willing, that Ibrahim (a.s.) addressed his uncle
Azar, as "father".
QUR'AN: "one God only": This
sums up the
preceding detailed description, "your God and the God of your fathers. . .
"; It serves to remove any possible misunderstanding that his God was
other than the God of his fathers as the idol-worshippers thought that
there were many gods.
QUR'AN: "and to Him do we submit";
It refers
to the subject of their talk, that is, worship. They made it clear that
their worship of Allah would be totally in accordance with the dictates of
Islam. The reply shows that the religion of Ibrahim was Islam.
Accordingly, the religion which was inherited by his offspring, for
example, Ishaq, Ya'qub and Isma'il, and which continued in the Children of
Israel and Isma'il, was Islam, and nothing else. It was this religion,
which Ibrahim (a.s.) brought from his Lord; and nobody had any right to
turn away from it or to call to any other religion.
TRADITIONS
Sama'ah narrates from
as-Sadiq (a.s.) that he said: "The position of iman (faith)
vis-a-vis Islam is like that of the Sacred
Ka'bah vis-a-vis the
Sanctuary; sometimes one may be in the Sanctuary without being in the
Ka'bah, but he cannot be in the Ka'bah without being in the Sanctuary."
(al-Kafi)
Also he narrates from the
same Imam that he said: "Islam is, to bear witness that there is no god
except Allah, and to accept the truth of the Messenger of Allah; it is by
this that the bloods are spared (i.e., lives are protected) and marriages
and inheritance are validated; and the multitude of people are on its
apparent (meaning); and the iman (i.e., faith and belief) is the
guidance, and (it is) that characteristic of Islam which is firmly placed
in the hearts." (ibid.)
The author says:
There are
other traditions of the same meaning; and they explain the above-mentioned
first stage of the Islam and iman.
al-Barqi has narrated from
'Ali (a.s.) that he said: "Islam is submission and submission is
conviction." (ibid.)
Kahil said that as-Sadiq
(a.s.) said: "If a people worshipped Allah - the One, there is no partner
to Him - and established prayer, and paid the zakat and did the
hajj of the House, and kept the fast of the month of Ramadan,
and then said about something done by Allah or done by the Messenger
of Allah, 'Why did he not do it in another way?', or (even if) they felt
(like) it in their hearts, they would become polytheists because of it. .
. " (ibid.)
The author says:
The
foregoing two traditions refer to the third stages of the Islam and
iman.
ad-Daylami narrates in his
al-Irshad - and he gives two sanads for this
hadith which is one of the traditions of Ascension - that Allah
said: "O Ahmad! Do you know which way of living is happier and which life
more durable?" (The Messenger of Allah) said: "No, O Allah! " (He) said:
"As for the happy way of living, it is that in which the (living) person
is not tired of remembering Me, and does not forget My bounties, and does
not ignore My rights (on him); he seeks My pleasure day and
night.
And as for the ever-lasting
life, it is (realized) when (the person) works for his (spiritual) benefit
until the world looses its significance for him, and looks small in his
eyes; and the hereafter becomes great for him; and he gives preference to
My pleasure over his own desire, and seeks My pleasures, and thinks the
right of My bounty (as) great (on him); and keeps in mind what I have done
for him (i.e., for his benefit); and watches Me day and night whenever he
is tempted to commit any wrong or sin; and keeps his heart clean from all
that I dislike; and hates Satan and his whisperings, and does not let
Satan establish a hold over, or a passage to, his heart. When he acts
(like) this, then I put (My) love into his heart - until I make his heart,
as well as his leisure and engagement, and his thought and speech, a part
of (My) favors which I have bestowed on those of My creatures who love Me;
and I open his heart's eye and ear, so that he hears with his heart, and
looks with his heart to My Majesty and Greatness; and I make the world
straitened for him; and make him hate it with all its pleasures; and I
caution him of the world and all that it contains, as a shepherd protects
his sheep from dangerous pasture lands. When it happens, then he flees
from people, and transfers from the house of termination to the abode of
eternity, and from the house of Satan to the seat of the Beneficent (God),
0 Ahmad! and I adorn him with dignity and majesty. So, this is the good
way of living and the eternal life; and it is the station of those who are
pleased (with Me). So, whoever acts for My pleasure, I give him three
characteristics: I teach him gratitude which is not polluted by ignorance,
and remembrance that is not adulterated with forgetfulness, and love - so
that he does not prefer the love of creatures to My love. Then when he
loves Me, I love him, and I open the eye of his heart to My Majesty, and
do not keep My (very) special creatures hidden from him. And I converse
with him secretly in the dark of night and the light of day, until he
ceases talking with the creatures and sitting with them; and I make him
hear My talk and the speech of My angels; and I make My secret known to
him - which I have kept hidden from (all) My creation. And I dress him in
modesty, until all the creation is awed of him. And he walks on the earth
(and all his sins are) forgiven. And I make his heart hearing and seeing;
and do not hide from him anything of the Garden or the Fire; and I make
known to him what terror and affliction are going to happen to the people
on the Day of Resurrection, and the things I will question the rich and
the poor, as well as the learned and the ignorant, about. And I will make
him sleep (in peace) in his grave, and I will send Munkar and Nakir to him
for questioning him; and he will not see the sorrow of death, nor the
fright of the prelude (of the next world). Then I will erect his weighing
scale for him, and will unroll his book (of deeds), then I will put his
books in his right hand, and he shall read it unfolded; then I will not
keep any interpreter between Me and him. So these are the attributes of
the lovers. 0 Ahmad! make your concern one concern, and make your tongue
one tongue, and make your body (i.e., your person) alive that is never
oblivious (of Me). Whoever is oblivious of Me, I do not care in which
valley he perishes." (Biharu 'l-anwar)
al-Majlisi quotes the
following tradition from al-Kafi, Ma'ani 'l-akhbar and
anNawadir of ar-Rawandi, with various chains of narrators,
from as-Sadiq and alKazim (a.s.) - and the text given here is from
al-Kafi - that the Imam said: "The Messenger of Allah met Harithah
ibn Malik ibn an-Nu'man al-Ansari, and said to him: 'How are you? O
Harithah ibn Malik an-Nu'mani! He said: 'A believer in reality, 0
Messenger of Allah The Messenger of Allah then said to him: 'There is a
reality for everything; so what is the reality of your word?' He said: '0
Messenger of Allah I turned myself away from the world, so I kept my night
awake (in worship) and my days thirsty (in fast); and (it is) as though I
am looking at the throne of my Lord which has been set up for (taking) the
(people's) account; and as though I see the people of the Garden visiting
one another in the Garden, and as if I hear the howling of the people of
the Fire in the Fire.' Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (s. a. w. a.)
said: 'A servant that Allah has enlightened his heart. You have seen, so
be firm.' " (ibid.)
The author says:
The two
traditions describe the fourth stage of the Islam and iman
mentioned above. There are many
traditions explaining
particulars of these two; and, Allah willing, we shall quote some of them
in various places of this book; and they are supported by the Qur'anic
verses.
Also it should be kept in
mind that for each stage of the Islam and iman, there is an
opposite stage of al-kufr (disbelief) and ash-shirk
(polytheism). And it is known that the higher and subtler the meaning
of the Islam and iman, the more difficult it is to protect oneself
from its opposite kufr or shirk.
Obviously, a lower stage of
the Islam or iman does not exclude the possibility of a subtler
kufr or shirk.
These two principles should
be kept in mind. It follows that the verses of the Qur'an have some
esoteric meanings, which are applied to the situations, which its exoteric
meanings cannot be applied to. Please keep this hint in mind until we
explain to you its details.
al-Qummi writes about the
words of Allah, and with Us is more, that the Imam said: "Looking
towards the mercy of Allah." (at-Tafsir)
The Prophet said: "Allah
says: 'I have prepared for My good servants that which no eye has ever
seen, nor any ear ever heard, nor has it ever passed from the heart of any
man.' " (Majma'u 'I-bayan)
The author says:
The meaning
of the two traditions may easily be understood from what we have written
about the meaning of "good ones"; and Allah is the Guide.
al-Baqir (a.s.) said about
the words of Allah, Or, were you witnesses when death approached
Ya'qub... :" It is applied to al-Qa'im (the one who stands - i.e.,
with sword to establish the way of Allah). (al-Ayyashi)
The author says:
The author
of as-Safi writes: "Perhaps the Imam meant that it was about the
Qa'im from the progeny of Muhammad, because every Qa'im of them asks his
children the same question at the time of his death, and they reply him as
the children of Ya'qub had replied."
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