Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 23rd June, 2023
Sermon 1 : “Shan’an” (hatred) should not turn you into criminals
Taqwa is for every segment and field of life. One general field of Taqwa mentioned by Quran is of conflicts and disputes between believers. The segments of life where we are not concerned or remain alert we suffer losses. When there are issues and diseases people just give us some relaxation but do not solve the problem. The introduction of Taqwa commonly known means refraining from certain Haram acts that secures your life is just a false satisfaction. The abstinence from certain things will secure only these things and not others. Security is the practical plan which is adapted for the particular segment of life. Like for online things the security system is also digital, things in store are protected in a different way by guards and cameras. The data on internet is not protected by armed guns. Everything has a different way for security of everything. Allah has not made one generic Taqwa but instead Taqwa has been made as separate arrangements for every segment of life.
People get into conflicts related to rights of each other. This is an important field man where suffers extreme losses and loses his human status and values. We consider winning as a challenge in every field. But in this field a person wins even by losing.
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
There are some verses where there are secondary issues which we consider as primary. This verse talks about establishing system of justice and one person cannot do it, everyone has to do it. Amirul Momineen (a) established justice but one person cannot establish a system for everyone. When the people saw that this leader is on Kist and justice, they did not allow him to govern. They rebelled, fought with him. The Kufis were not ready to establish the system of justice and this tragedy is ongoing with the system of Imamat till date. These are two chapters on who blocked Imamat, the enemies or those who believed in Imamat.
The first order in this verse is to those who believe. We have mentioned this before, that there are three category of believers. One are those whom Quran has rejected as believers and they possess nothing, not even claim but were just born in Muslim family. The second category are the Bedouins to whom Quran says they come to Prophet and claim that we are believers. Quran says tell them that faith has not entered your heart but you have just submitted due to personal gains. The first category are those who were born in the Muslim family and did not do anything related to faith. These two categories Quran does not consider as believers.
For Quranic believers it is obligatory for them to rise in the way of Allah. The Quran has not argued about supporting enemies or not instead it says give witness righteously for the enemies as well. The way the subject of Wilayat e Faqeeh has been placed as a matter of Fiqh in trading by Jurists has been also made a verse of Fiqh. This verse of Surah Maida related to Kist has so much deep content that multiple books can be researched from it.
In this verse the rising for Kist has been mentioned and not just for the sake of whom it benefits. You have to see that you have to establish justice. “Shan’an” is that hatred which starts with differences, which turns into hatred, malice and this malice develops anger inside and then man takes practical steps to soothe his heart. This is Shan’an. Certain enemies just come out from tongue but those that get into hearts are Shan’an which remain in heart and continues. When man makes his heart a center for malice. We should not place everything in heart and not allow the hatred of believers of relatives enter your heart. There would be complains and real relatives are those who give everyday opportunity of complaints against you. When they speak against you, you can have complained against them, but do not allow this to turn into hatred, malice in your heart. This is where man causes harm to himself. He will now cause to damage to his enemy but this Shan’an will destroy his life more than others. This malice in heart destroys man.
In the system of Allah the criminals and believers are not same. In Arabic literature Jurm means to cut or break something. Jarama means to cut something after breaking but not everything instead it is specific to plucking fruits from trees and that not every plucking. It means to pluck fruit from those trees on which you do not have rights to pluck. When you pluck fruit from a tree of a garden which belongs to someone and without his permission. This plucking of fruit without permission and also before time is Jarama. Hence Jurm means something man does on which he has no rights and not at the right time or occasion. Like to remove your dress publicly say for heat. This is Jurm because it was not required to be done at that time. Then every such thing which man has done unduly and not at the right time. And no one is able to stop you as well because you have power as well. Jurm means he transgresses, usurps the rights or does not accept the rights of other dues to malice and hatred. The malice destroys the heart. We are not attentive towards the faults inside us but are more attentive towards the faults in car. We say that the engine in car is seized then first you have to tow the car to mechanic. Then the mechanic says that engine has burnt and now the car is not useful. The heart is like this only when it gets seized then it becomes worthless.
Sheikh Saadi says that your humanity is your thinking else it is all flesh and bones. We are always trying to snatch away the rights of others. Even the students of Jamea when food is kept in front they try to snatch the meat from others plate. This is Jurm (crime). The Quran says that Shanan of community members should not make you criminals and you leave justice. The enmity has made you dacoits. The dacoits with aggression snatch and usurp things. This looting, snatching is going up now due to inflation in country. This is crime and hatred; malice makes a person criminal. In this situation as well you cannot compromise on justice despite of enmity. You have to give the rights of even your enemies. This is Taqwa.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: No counted virtue is like humility
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.
و وَلاَ حَسَبَ كَالتَّوَاضُعِ
no counted virtue is like humility
There is no Hasab like Tawazo (humility). Nasab in Arabic means relation with something specifically used for ancestral lineage. In era of ignorance the relation through father only was considered Nasab but for mother they would not consider as relations. In reality the relationship through mother is deeper than father. Arabs would keep names like Tribe of Dogs to scare their enemies and not that they considered good. The Arabs would take pride and prestige on Nasab. They would even talk about lineage of camels, horses. This was the only thing they would feel proud about. Nasab has a significance but is not matter of pride. Everything animals, plants have parents but they do not feel proud about it. This is ignorance to make lineages as sacred and feel pride about it. The biggest Nasab they were proud about was Quraish and this continued.
The Quranic criteria for Nasab is Hasab. Hisaab means to count something. The Hasab for man are those things which gets counted in the personality of man other than Nasab . This means is there anything else other than tribe, community, lineage inside you that could be counted. Hasab means those virtues which come under counting. Nasab are ancestral relations and Hasab are the virtues of your personality. The father might only have Nasab but son has crossed father in terms of Hasab.
Amirul Momineen (a) says that best thing that comes under counting (Hasab) inside man is Tawazo, which is humility. It comes from Waz which means throwing down something. We always have desire to go to heights and dominate our personality on others, and should not be seen below others. The beggar should not also feel about you that this person thinks himself above me. Amirul Momineen (a) says that when you go in gatherings find a place where you are not seen as someone with priority. In society some people have superiority over others but if they express this and show off to others, then the social relationship gets destroyed. The one who is more superior should keep himself low. Those who try to dominate others Allah makes them fall and they becomes a lesson for others. You can see this popular (Khan) how he used to show off his superiority. He was never coming down on ground. You should keep yourself humble and balanced which means Tawazo. Muawiya would gather people and call those near ones of Amirul Momineen (a) to condemn Ali(a). Those who got some issues with Ali for some minor reasons, Muawiya would call them and ask them to speak negative about Ali. Some would talk, some would not and some would speak positive about Ali. Once he asked a woman to speak the negative traits of Ali. Then she expressed virtues of Ali which Muawiya did not like. Another person said Ali used to sit with slaves, sit on ground and eat with the servants. He would talk without any reluctance and even smile, joke with them. Muawiya said this was Ali’s weakness. This was the humility of Ali that despite of being on such high status.
