Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 4th August, 2023
Sermon 1 : Adl should be established in human traits
Taqwa from Allah is the protection mechanism for security of human life. The fundamental thing is Justice in acquisition of Taqwa. In Shia school Adl is fundamental element but unfortunately it has moved into Justice of Allah exclusively though Allah has ordained Adl for human life and society. The discussion in Quran related to Adl is related to the system of justice which Allah has established for human beings. If we say Adl is from divine attribute then also it is directly related to human beings. This means the decisions, orders, acts of Allah related to humans, universe are based on justice because justice and injustice is seen in the life of human beings.
Here an argument started whether Allah does whatever for human being would be considered as justice or not? Like if Allah punishes righteous human beings and rewards the criminals then would this be justice? Some say if Allah does this then there is no objection because Allah has done this but other scholars like Shia scholars say this is impossible for Allah because it is against Adl of Allah. Thus the divine justice discussion is also related to human being.
In Quran Allah has considered Adl as the basis of human life which is the central point. As per vocabulary Adl means maintaining balance. As Quran says Adl starts from the essence of human life and with the domain of act goes further. If we consider Adl as equality than it does not mean that man has to keep everything equal, like if he has good things then he should have evil things also for equality? Some say that life should be balanced in this perspective which is misguidance and corruption. Like if you have some positive things in life then you should have some negative things as well so that it gets balanced. Practically the common people try to do such kind of balancing and we might also be doing without being attentive. Things that become a part of human society man starts to do that unattentively. As Quran says they are deceiving themselves and they do not possess sense. This crime happens in abundance when we without having sense try to follow everyone. We cannot balance good things by doing equal number of bad things. Evil whether of atom size or in load are both corruption and oppression. Whether you do Haram in little quantity or big both are evil. Whether you speak a small lie with a child or with community both are oppression. When a person is drowned in water it does not matter how deep he has gone inside. In positive things you can go as much forward and there is no restriction. Those affairs which we have given the title of worldly affairs but Allah has not termed them as crime or sins and are religious acts like working for earning means of life. We consider this as world that this person works day and night. The one who gets married, has children, works hard to earn means of life in a right manner as instructed by Allah then is doing religious thing or worldly? And at the same he is also doing worships which are obligatory. It is not that to work hard to earn living or to acquire educated is not world. To gain beneficial knowledge that is necessary for you, life, world, society, nation, generations and hereafter is religion. If man as per divine order runs a government then this is religion. For us a religious person is one who goes to mosque, prays, does fasting and eats pure religious money of charity and does not earn anything. This is world as per our division but for religion he is useless person. In narrations it is mentioned that one who places the burden of his own life on others is an accursed person. Like in house father is earning and young son is sitting on mobile or driving motorcycle. Such person is accursed and disliked by Allah. Take the burden of your life on your own shoulder.
We need to freshly view on these divisions which we have done between religion and world. If someone is studying religion so that he can deliver lectures and earn money, then he is the worse worldly person who sells religion. The others are selling world and not religion which is not supposed to be sold but this person is selling religion. Certain things cannot be sold like women, children, nation, humanity, conscience, duties, values, dignity, etc. There are many other things made by Allah to be sold but not these things.
If we study religion then we will understand these criteria for division. Anything that Allah has made essential for human being restricting those is not Adl. Like to acquire education there is no limit and you acquire as per your ability. Similarly other traits of perfection there is no limit and you cannot acquire maximum possible. The Quran says acquire Taqwa as per your strength, ability and there is no last station where you have to stop. But has Allah kept any limit beyond which man cannot go, then that is also not there. Even one trait is so vast that you cannot find its boundary.
If even an iota of evil comes then you are out of justice (Adl). In goodness , traits as well Adl does not mean that you stop at some point but there is no limit. So what is the meaning of Adl? Man should start from his own personality. As the verse says if you want to acquire Taqwa in your life then establish Adl. If you cannot establish Adl then Taqwa cannot come through other means. The traits, attributes are like seeds kept inside our personality so if it grows it would turn into a big tree. The seeds of Fujoor and Taqwa are both kept inside man and they will both grow whichever you want to grow. One such seed is Adl which has to grow into Taqwa. All those traits which on reaching perfection makes a human being should be made to reach perfection. Like a car is made with various parts and they all get connected through a certain law. At times a small part if that is missing a machine does not work. Allah has also modelled human being like machine and that is done through connecting parts and each part having certain ability. Every cell of human being has a specific function and when they all get connected then human body is formed. Now inside this body the humanity has to come inside and for humanity as well certain things need to be connected. They are all kept inside us as seeds and these seeds should nurture, grow in balanced form and if they are not means, one seed grows and other don’t then Adl is not established. All the abilities should grow in balance and that will happen through education and upbringing. For the seed of plants you need air, sun, soil, water, sand but for human being you need education, upbringing, actions, duties, values and these need to grow. All these seeds need to grow but we have to remember the farm fields have fungus and wild bushes as well. If these grow then the farm will not grow the crops as the farm is not having ability to grow both. It is duty of farmer that while cultivating crops he has to remove all the seeds of fungus. He ploughs the land and tries to ensure that farm is free from such things. Man has to consider that there are thorny bushes, fungus seeds also inside man. He has to grow one seed and others he should control. The Adl is that he has to grow all the seeds of perfection traits should grow together. You have to do a comprehensive nurturing. If man develops few traits but cannot nurture other human traits then he is not a just and balanced person. And Allah will assign responsibilities to Just persons only like leading prayers, giving witness, issuing decisions etc. If you are not having justice inside your personality then you are out of system. The justice is that you have to nurture all the abilities and make all of them reach perfection.
Our society is disturbed and distorted because there is no Just person sitting on any seat. There is no just person on seat of governance, political seats, courts, pulpits, positions and nowhere you will see just persons. The officers in governments are not just and from these an unjust and imbalance society will come into existence. This has to change from human self. This starts from Adl. The basis of Taqwa is Adl and anything which is not having balance is not secure.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: Mashwara (Consultation) is not voting or democracy
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.
وَلاَ مُظَاهَرَةَ أَوْثَقُ مِن مُشَاوَرَةٍ
no support is more reliable than consultation.
Muzahara means support, backing, help which is required by human being. Ali (a) says that there is no support better than consultation (Mushawara). This strengthens the back of man. When man goes out for something in field he has some companions, supporters who are at his back because he is in front leading the project. Zaheer means supporting the back. When the crusaders go out for battle their supply line is at the back.
The most reliable and best support for back is consultation as Ali says. He (a) has done this and when he needed the most he had no one for consultation. But in the regime of Khalifa’s the best consultation was given by Ali (a) despite of having differences. This is excellence in personality and openness which Ali (a) had and we wish the followers of Ali also possess this. When man has an esteemed high purpose he becomes a consultant to his opponents. When Ali (a) was asked why these issues are coming in your governance whereas before it was not there. He replied that I was their consultant and you are mine. Ali had the experience of providing consultation.
Mushawara is the Quranic verse, where Allah orders the Prophet (s) to make them your consultants and counselling. People developed serious misunderstanding from these verses. People thought that the system of Prophet (s) will run through democracy in context of these verses. They say people should give consultation in form of votes to members of parliament and then parliament members should consult and make laws. This misunderstanding in today’s generation has given devastating damage. In the past it was not there, but from the time the Muslims has Islamized democracy it has become an alternative to divine governance. The issue was how to prove that we have taken rights of governance from Allah and placed people on it, and they proved through these verses that Allah is asking to consult people.
You should ask these scholars first what is the meaning of Mashwara? Do you know from which root word in Arabic this originated? Have you ever referred to vocabulary and what you are extracting? In Urdu we do the translation of Mashwara as giving opinion and taking decision.
Mashwara as per Arabic language rules they come from root word “Shawr”. Arab used this word related to honeybee. The honeybee sucks the nectar from the flowers and processes it using the enzymes present inside the body. The flowers does not contain honey, it has raw material. And the entire family of bees in abundance collects the nectar , converts to honey and places in the honey web. Now man brings the entire honeycomb which has wax as well which is not for eating. Man has this skill to extract honey finely from honeycomb and this Arab term as “Shawr”. Man is doing Shawr, bee is making comb with honey and now man is extracting. And everyone does not know how to extract, some just try to squeeze and only experts extract the honey out of the comb. This is not exclusive to the comb but instead for anything which is valuable that is covert, hidden then to find that and bring that out from its hidden place in Arabic is known as “Shawr”. When ancient Arabs go to market to buy horses. To find the attributes of the horse is not something easy, for this there are experts who do the assessment like one thing they do is to ride the horse on a pitch in the market. To assess horse and find the horse breed is also “Shawr”. There are some people who are beautiful physically or spiritually, then if someone extracts that out this also Arab term as Shawr. Anything that is good but hidden, to discover and bring it out in Arabic is “Shawr”.
So now Mashwara is not giving opinion or vote or counselling. It means to bring out the hidden aspects of something. Like if I want to do something, like buy a car but not many things are known to me, so I take an expert and he brings out hidden things , this is Mashwara. Like Ishara is also same, means to point towards something which was not easily visible but you pointed towards that hidden thing or something not in the eyes of something or not attentive. To discover the hidden dimensions of something is Mashwara.
Quran has given guidance that do Mashwara means consult to find out the hidden aspects of something. And this is something you do like when you are buying mobile, and when you come to know the good and bad things. To cast vote in no vocabulary is termed as consultation.
Wa Amrohum shura bainahum. There is distortion over distortion, they say governance should be through votes. So Amr means governance in every verse? You need to confine yourself through some laws and science. So is Allah saying that I am revealing Wahy and you go and consult people to resolve issues? This would be denial of Wahy and religion.
