Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 26th May, 2023
Sermon 1 : Taqwa in disputes between believers
I invite you all, myself and emphasize you to acquire Taqwa in your lives and make your lives in accordance with Taqwa. It is the plan for divine protection from Allah for human life and all its aspects. This security scheme is as vast as human life. In disputes between believers due to trading or something else man should acquire Taqwa because this is where man needs protection. We might win disputes by fighting but in reality we have lost something much bigger. The things on which we have no rights we take it by force and think we are victorious but in reality we have lost a lot. If you would not have taken anything which was not your rights then you would have gained a lot. In routine affairs whether big, small, related to wealth, business, inheritances, dealings and man gets into disputes with near ones and friends only. It is like Satan’s for everyone are near ones only and those who are not close to you are not Satan’s. The Satan’s are those who take you away from Allah and the right path.
If you see history the first ones who deceive people are parents. The first oppression which parents do is that they take away children from the right path placing them in incorrect direction. Then our friends who deceive us, you can see how many things your friends have deceived you. Like you want to study something good and your friend distanced you from the right course and he is the Satan. The relatives, friends, companions are the ones who distance you from the right path. When someone comes on the right path then the entire family stands up as to what path you have placed your child upon. The Satan is the one who distances you. Satan means distancing. You see many children enter schools and many leave out in primary and then further reduction takes place and upto matric few reach as many lave out school. One big cause are the teachers who frustrate children from education and distances them. And when you come forward then next and biggest enemy is media. Today in media everyone is connected to everyone through mobile where everyone has become Satan’s and you listen to all these Satan’s and read their posts. If you are asked to read 10 verses of Quran you wont but you read the posts of every Satan every day. Teacher is checking posts; employees are doing in office by leaving these responsibilities. We have so much attraction in these Satanic things.
We get into disputes as well with near ones but not with strangers. Though unknown can rob, steal you at times. But you do not get into disputes with unknown and unacquainted persons. You fight with relatives, family members, neighbors, business partners, clients, friends, donors and all those who are close to you. These disputes happen only when Taqwa ends and this is where Fisk comprehends someone. In disputes we always want to dominate. The Scholars have been prohibited to do MIRA which means useless, purposeless talks, discussion. Like someone talks something useless, other says this was not correct and hours pass away in this and then enmity, anger starts. In Mira there is nothing satiated other than your superiority. Then by making someone stop you thinking you have won but in reality you have incurred a big loss by loosing your personality , manhood, Karamat (elderliness). In these situations you need protection. If there is Taqwa , protection mechanism then the abilities that Allah has given us won’t be wasted. Most of the times in disputes there is ego and the biggest mistake is this only whereby man gets defeated by his own selfishness and self-show off. We most of the time entangle due to ego. If we balance out our Ego many disputes would end by itself. As the Prophet (s) said the most courageous person is one who can control his self. At times someone attacks our ego by doing our character assassination. There are some people like scorpions who sting, like snake who look beautiful as well but are poisonous from inside. Those who are smiling outwardly they are highly poisonous from inside. We trust them and they sting us. Some are like scorpions whose trait is to sting without asking. They do not check who are you they will just bite and sting. Like this there are some people whose habits are to attack the ego of others. In any gathering they would taunt someone and then the ego of that person arises and from here dispute starts. This battle of ego starts unnecessarily.
In such disputes the Taqwa is of different type which ends this ego. The knowledge of religion does not start with Arabic grammar and when the time comes to understand Quran they have already become scholars. In Sufism the lessons starts by the teacher by breaking the ego of the student first. The one who has ego it is useless to teach them Arabic grammar. If you educate someone with ego then that education would enhance his ego. The Sufis would ask the student to become beggar even if you are rich. They ask them to go and beg in front of others food. It is not that money is not there, it is to break their ego. This is how they would nurture the students. Ego is the name of distancing from Allah and this is the first lesson that Sufi gives and then they keep on assessing to see if any change has come or not. The Dervish place the begging bowl in neck to break their ego. In history the big Sultans sitting on thrones who wanted to become Sufis, had to place begging bowl in neck. This bowl was not due to deprivation but was meant to break the ego. Then they nurture after that.
The ego is the first thing that disturbs man in many ways. In dispute the egos are in clash. You can see this between husband and wife, brothers and one who is not a follower of his ego stays away. In such disputes you need to Taqwa.
Those disputes where rights of someone is involved like inheritance, business relationships where someone has rights on someone who is not ready to give. For disputes of ego the Taqwa is different but for disputes related to rights the Taqwa the Quran terms it as Kist or Adl, which Quran considers as Taqwa. The disputes of such rights which reaches court like some termed as civil cases , there are some cases where crime is involved this is criminal case that goes to criminal courts.
In Surah Maida , verse no 8
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ {8}
O you who believe! Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably, that is nearer to piety, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do
In disputes the method of solving them is presented by Quran. The verse addresses the believers, but those who are believers by heart and not false claimants as Quran says they are deceivers. This verse is for those whose faith has been testified. Quran says in this verse you should become those who stand for Allah, become those who give witness with justice. It should not happen that if you have enmity with someone then it should not become the basis of injustice. Even if he is your enemy then at the times of witness, be equitable if you are real believer. The false claiming believer cannot even maintain justice for his own brother, believing friend then how can he do this for enemy. Today our passionate communities are blind in enmity. The sectarian would never deal with justice with their enemies. They consider Halal to usurp everything of their enemy. The enmity should not become basis for you not deal equitably. Quran says establish justice and this is much nearer to Taqwa. And then acquire Taqwa and Allah is well aware of what you do.
There are many verses related to this subject which is an essential, practical social topic that is Kist o Adl. First we should know what is meant by establishing justice and equality. Then what is its relationship with Taqwa. Ali (a) has expressed this meaning beautifully that Taqwa comes more from justice then even worship. Justice is a gold mine from which the system of Islam gets established. The universe and the system of guidance for man also gets established with justice. We have transformed Adl in some other meaning in theology. We will discuss Kist or Adl in more details later.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: The meaning of Tafakkur (thinking) and its merits
In saying number 113, Imam Ali presents a beautiful system for believers.
وقال عليه السلام : لاَ مَالَ أَعْوَدُ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ، وَلاَ وَحْدَةَ أَوْحَشُ مِنَ الْعُجْب، وَلاَ عَقْلَ كَالتَّدْبِيرِ، وَلاَ كَرَمَ كَالتَّقْوَى، وَلاَ قَرين كَحُسنِ الخُلْقِ، وَلاَ مِيرَاثَ كَالاْدَبِ، وَلاَ قَائِدَ كَالتَّوْفِيقِ، وَلاَ تِجَارَةَ كَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ، وَلاَ رِبْحَ كَالثَّوَابِ، وَلاَ وَرَعَ كالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَ الشُّبْهَةِ، وَلاَ زُهْدَ كَالزُّهْدِ فِي الْحَرَامِ، ولاَ عِلْمَ كَالتَّفَكُّرِ، وَلاَ عِبَادَةَ كَأَدَاءِ الْفَرائِضِ، وَلاَ إِيمَانَ كَالْحَيَاءِ وَالصَّبْرِ، وَلاَ حَسَبَ كَالتَّوَاضُعِ، وَلاَ شَرَفَ كَالْعِلْمِ، وَلاَ مُظَاهَرَةَ أَوْثَقُ مِن مُشَاوَرَةٍ
113. Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, said: No wealth is more profitable than wisdom, no loneliness is more estranging than vanity, no wisdom is as good as tact, no honor is like Taqwa, no companion is like the goodness of moral character, no inheritance is like civility, no guide is like promptitude, no trade is like virtuous acts, no profit is like Divine reward, no self- control is like inaction in time of doubt, no abstention is like that (which is) from prohibitions, no knowledge is like thinking, no worship is like the discharge of obligation, no belief is like modesty and endurance, no attainment is like humility, no honor is like knowledge, no power is like forbearance, and no support is more reliable than consultation.
ولاَ عِلْمَ كَالتَّفَكُّرِ
No knowledge is like thinking
Tafakkur is the act of Aql for which we have to understand the meaning of Tafakkur. Haji Hakim Sabzwari (r.a) has expressed a beautiful meaning of Tafakkur. He has written Logic and Philosophy in the form of poetry which is a difficult thing to do. The most beautiful introduction which he has done is for Fikr (Thinking). He says it is Harqatul Aqle minal mabadi. It means when Aql originates from its source and moves towards intention (objective) then this movement is Fikr. This means when anyone wants to understand something about which he has no understanding man starts to ponder (Ghaur) and think (Fikr). Ghaur means to go deep inside. Fikr means when you want to understand something first you have to see how much information related to that subject is present with you. Your mind gets into memory to bring out the information. Then the next step is to arrange all this information in your memory and this arrangement and organization should be such that this arrangement itself discovers the understanding of thing which you wanted to understand. This is Tafakkur. The scholars of terminology have also done the same meaning. Like Raghib Isfahani says Fikr is the back-and-forth movement of intellect, it means the Aql goes and comes back. The Aql goes from understandable thing towards things about which the understanding are there and does back and forth so much that that the thing that was not able to understand man understands. There are many verses in which Quran has presented the signs of Allah and then told that these are for those who do Tafakkur.
In one verse where Allah has ordered man to think
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ ۖ أَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَىٰ وَفُرَادَىٰ ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا ۚ مَا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ {46}
Say: I exhort you only to one thing, that rise up for Allah’s sake in twos and singly, then ponder: there is no madness in your fellow-citizen; he is only a warner to you before a severe chastisement
Allah is telling the Prophet to inform the believers that I am counselling for you only one thing, that stand up for the sake of Allah whether you are alone or two. Imam Khomeini (r.a) made this verse as the manifesto of revolution. This means rising for the sake of Allah unconditionally and then after rising then do Tafakkur. That your companion, this Prophet is not crazy. He is the one who is only a warner about the severe chastisement waiting for you.
They would say that Prophet has become crazy (God forbid). The Prophet is admonishing you to rise and then think. This thinking is not just in this one context that the Prophet is not crazy. There are various subjects on which we are asked to think and condemnation is done for those who do not think. The power of thinking is the food for guidance. The universe, system of guidance is made so that we can think. Today we are deprived of guidance is due to non-thinking. We have abandoned thinking in our education system. We have developed our current education system on another Satanic thing that is Taqlid. Tafakkur means to accept everything by understanding then accepting, rejecting or acting upon. The Taqlid of Mujtahid is an incorrect term selected. A patient going to doctor for treatment is not Taqlid, this is referral of someone who does not know to approach someone who knows. The Quran says that you if you do not know then refer to those who know. This is not Taqlid.
The Taqlid means if someone is doing something, you also start to do the same thing by blind following without knowing , understanding what is being done, why he is doing this, the purpose of it. The Sheep are like this only where they graze in the form of flock. Their method is that wherever one sheep goes the flock blindly follows that.
The reason today Pakistan is burning is due to lack of Tafakkur.
There are some traditions regarding this:
Ali (a) says
Hikmah comes from Tafakkur
Tafakkur polishes Intellect
Tafakkur is the nurturing, growth and maturing of Intellect
One who can think can never slip
Imam Raza (a.s) says
Worship is not the name of excessive Salaat and Fasting. Verily the real worship is to do Tafakkur (thinking) on the Amr (orders) of Allah.
Imam Sadiq (a.s) says
The maximum worship of Abuzar Ghaffari was to do Tafakkur and take Ibrat (lessons)
The mother of Abuzar says that the worship of Abuzar was that throughout the day Abuzar used to think about the affairs of people.
The best worship in the bounties of Allah is to do Tafakkur
People reach the status of Mukhlaseen through Tafakkur
One moment of Tafakkur is more virtuous than one thousand years of worship
Thinking for some time is better than prolonged worships
Prophet says:
Acquire the share of eyes in worship. People asked what is that? Prophet says to read Quran and then do Tafakkur that is worship in Quran.
Coming out for Tafakkur at night is better than worship for full night. When asked how? He said visit the ruined houses and do Tafakkur as to where are those people who dwelled in these houses and why no one is replying.
There is no knowledge, worship, act better than Tafakkur.
When Tafakkur gets developed in someone like Martyr Motahari how he excelled over other scholars. The scholars are generally same in most affairs of knowledge, information and this is due to following of past elderly scholars. Certain scholars like Motahari, Sadr excelled due to Tafakkur. For us all those with turban are same, but we don’t see the difference in their heads under turban. The thinking of Motahari is different. You read the books of Supreme Leader and others; you can see a clear difference.
When Imams are saying that best thing is Tafakkur, then there is something inside. They could have said just follow what we are saying. But instead they said think on everything we say and even Quran which is all correct but still invitation is given to think.
