Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 25th November, 2022
Sermon 1: Difference between Hifazat, Hisn, Taqwa and Ismat
I invite you all bondsmen and myself towards Taqwa and counsel, emphasize you to establish your lives on the basis of Taqwa. It is the protection mechanism of life for every segment from Allah (s) and humanity remains preserved through Taqwa without which it turns into beastliness. The life without Taqwa is beastly life which is the representation of human life in today’s generation where human values have been lost. Allah has ordained Taqwa for every segment for its security relevant to that particular segment of life. Man is compelled to form a society and hence a social life is must. The type of social life which man has to live is presented by religion as Hablullah whose title is Ummah. If man leaves Hablullah then on the basis of personal interests, lusts, desires they will form society which would be a beastly society. There have been societies whose axis is not religion , Hablullah but instead their desires, lusts and personal interests have gathered people together. These basis do not provide ground for humanity to nourish and instead it gets destroyed.
Allah has ordered human being to do Etesam around Hablullah and prior to this, Allah says that you do not acquire Taqwa and then only you will come near Hablullah.
In Surah Aale Imran verse 102, Allah says
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ {102}
O you who believe! Acquire Taqwa in accordance to its worth and do not die unless you are Muslims.
The believers are ordered to acquire Taqwa which will preserve death and this Taqwa should make you reach the end by dying as Muslims. I have pointed before that in these verses there is Taqwa and Etesam with Allah and Ehtesam with Hablullah. Both Taqwa and Ehtesam carry the similar meaning of protection. Ehtesam means to acquire Ismat and not to hold or cling to something which is incorrect translation. Through Hablullah you need to make arrangement for protection. Hifazat and Hisn is also protection in Arabic, like Mohsinaat means pure, chaste women and Hisn also used for fortress. But all these words related to protection carry different attributes of protection.
Hifazat means to protect something by guarding. It is like a shepherd who keeps an eye on the flock so that they do not disperse. This kind of protection is Hifazat. Certain things acquire protection by guarding or observation.
Hisn from where Mohsinaat is derived is the protection of a certain piece of land in a such way that it becomes unapproachable. Like a fortress is made around a land. But if someone can enter a house or place then they are not Haseen. To make something free from infiltration, invasion and entering in Arabic is known as Hisn. Today also like in past forts were there and many organizations have made strong arrangements around their periphery to protect from terrorism. Those women who make them approachable from men. The men are always hunting for women irrespective of age, that lust does not end. It is in nature of man to incline towards women in lust. Women likes the assets of man like wealth, car, lavishness etc. Women needs protection from the approach of man. This protection is termed as Hisaan where Na mahram cannot approach her neither with eyes or hands. This is what is required by women.
Taqwa which comes from Waqaya is that protection from threats, dangers to something endangering life. Waqaya was the shield that was used in the past in wars. In today’s resemblance bullet proof jacket or cars are Waqaya. Quran refers to Taqwa as the protection from things which are destructive threat to the personality, values of human being.
Ismat is also the name of protection , but that kind of protection which protects from adulteration and impurities. If man is going to towards impurities then to stop man is Ismat or to stop the impurity from reaching man both are Ismat. Ismat is the protection from impurities, Rijz, that kind of lusts which degrades man. And this happens by either stopping man from going towards Rijz or not allowing Rijz to come towards man. Like either we stop ourselves from entering filthy water or stop the filthy water to approach men.
In Quran Taqwa is used to protect man and society from destructive threats. This Taqwa should not be surficial and delivered to its rights. If you act with laziness then that threat will hit you. The context in which this has come was related to social life where command for Ehtesam has been given. This Ismat should start from Habullah that is through religion. Ismat is based on Taqwa that is when you make your foundation of life on Taqwa then you can do Ehtesam.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: One who compromises cannot establish divine orders
The practical Taqwa in which human life is secure is seen in the wise saying and Seerat is present. It does not mean that the Seerat of other Imams and Prophets do not have this. since our subject is related to Nahjul Balagha we are taking his name. The lives of everyone is a practical Taqwa.
Amirul Momineen in saying no 110
وَ قَالَ عليه السلام: لَا يُقِيمُ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ إِلَّا مَنْ لَا يُصَانِعُ وَ لَا يُضَارِعُ وَ لَا يَتَّبِعُ الْمَطَامِعَ
He says, the system of Allah cannot be established by that person who is Ahle Musan’a, Ahle Zara’a and is not Ahle Muta’am. If these three things are found in someone then he can never establish the orders of Allah. We can see majority have abandoned the obligations of Allah. Allah has established the limits in Quran, these Halal and Haram are Amr of Allah. And the values also are the Amr of Allah and the system of guidance is also Amr of Allah which Allah has ordained for man. The Amr of Allah is also the divine governance which also cannot be established by these three persons.
Musana’a, Mudara, Mudahna means tenderness, softness or compromising. One who does compromise can never establish the obligations, orders and system of Allah. In this wise saying Amirul Momineen (a) has expressed a big secret. In history why the Islamic governance and system of Imamat does not get established because it gets established only when compromises against the system of Imamat is not done.
Mudahna has been explained in detailed in our lectures of Ita’at. In Surah Kalam,
The polytheists wants to compromise with you and in return they want you to compromise. Then the features of Walid ibn Mughaira are mentioned in subsequent verses and Prophet is told to not compromise with one having such traits.
We have been taught to compromise and not remain firm anywhere. Wherever there is hardship, difficulty you should do compromise and this is our new Shariah which is established on this basis.
Walid came to Prophet to show some softness and do compromise so that we can live together in Mecca. Mudahna comes from Duhn which means oil. One function of oil is to make something tender. Like you use oil for massaging to soften the muscles. Like today we use the analogy of buttering someone which means to soften persons who have hard stand. There are many people who are strong, firm but when you do some buttering they soften. If you flatter them they become soft. Idhan means to soften someone by talking to him such things by which he compromises on his stance. The enemies come to Prophet (s) with the suggestion of compromise. Today this compromise has become religion and Prophet has been told to not compromise with shirk and Kufr. There is no compromise on Tauheed. Amirul Momineen (a) says Amr of Allah can be established by one who does not do Musana’a which means same as Mudahna. This means to soften your stance for the sake of benefitting someone. Like if you see the politics of Pakistan, the Army softened despite of all humiliation, swearing done on them. The retired Army chief delivered a very soft speech at his exit. Bribing also softens. You give money to get your legitimate
Amirul Momineen (a) says that one who does not do Musana’a can only establish the Amr of Allah. You see we have been compromising all over history. With Taghoot’s, Banu Umayyah, Banu Abbas and Shais supported Banu Abbas to form the government. They fought wars, battles, protests to weaken Banu Umayyah to get Banu Abbas in power. This was the compromise and everywhere this becomes the basis of Amr of Allah. Even now the land is not governed by divine system because have done compromise with every evil, corruption. Our temperament is such that we are compromising with everything, like oppression, inflation and all difficulties.
Imam Hussain (a) did not do compromise, Mudahna, Musana’a because Quran is stopping me. Imam Hussain (a) said I cannot accept humiliation because my Lord does not accept it. If mothers teach their children to compromise with corruption, humiliation so how can he establish Amr of Allah and divine system. The pressure which Imam Khomeini (R.a) came under from his own companion. Mahdi Bazargan the first PM , Bani Sadr and others used to make Imam compromise but Imam disagreed only at one instance where Imam agreed to stop the war and said that I am drinking the cup of venom to do this. now there is a debate in Iran that who compelled Imam to do this, who made such an atmosphere? Imam asked the PM at that time what is the budget, he said zero. The commander of Sepah said we have no weapons. The situation was not bad but they portrayed as zero and then Imam said I am drinking this cup of poison. Those who do Mudahna reach this stage.
They came to Prophet that we will not boycott you, trouble you but just do-little compromise. Allah ordered that they desire to do compromise but you should not do it. If you do this then Amr of Allah does not get established.
Amirul Momineen (a) says one who does this cannot establish Imamat , as he could see the Kufis were always ready to compromise, they were ready to get sold on any facilities. Someone shows some benefits they get sold and sell their nation, religion and everything. Such a person cannot establish the Amr of Allah. Do not make a person who does compromise to become manager, leader and do not give anything in the hand of such persons.
