Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 1st March, 2024
Sermon 1: Amn, Adl, Khisb – Three essential needs of every society
Sermon 2: Everyone’s survival is dependent on system of Imamat
Allah has established Adl as the foundation of Taqwa. As per Quran, guidance of Holy Prophet (s) and teachings of Ahlulbayt (a), Adl is the foundation of universe, religion and Taqwa. The arrangement of Adl made by Allah as per Surah Hadid and other verses Allah has sent messengers with Bayyanat, books, Scale (Meezan) and then Iron that is power which are all meant to establish Adl. Everything else are the secondary branches of Adl like worship, religious laws and fruits of Adl are esteemed values and virtues. Adl in Quran means balance whereby everything is in its appropriate place and proportion.
Imam Jafar Sadiq (a) has a tradition in Tuhful Uqool, wherein he says three things are essential for every human being as they are basic needs of man. There are other needs of man as well, some are fundamental needs and some secondary needs. Even if we need secondary things then also, we need fundamental needs to be fulfilled. Like if you need treatment for disease then you need to fulfill fundamental needs like Doctor, Medicines, Hospital.
Imam Sadiq (a) says, every human being needs three essential things on which entire humanity is dependent. Amn, Adl and Khisb.
Amn means safety which is a state in which everything of human being is secure and man is contented that it is all secure and the means through which this arrangement of safety is done is all trustworthy which means certain security.
Adl means the social balance and individual balance which has been explained before.
Khisb comes from origin as that date tree which gives more fruits and remains for long time without being stale. This means prosperity. As per hadith the means of life are prosperous and not strained. There are some people who have means of life as per their needs and some are those who do not have means of life as per their needs. Like if someone is not having house, bare minimum food and other essentials of life means his economy is strained. If the necessities of life are fulfilled then man becomes more prepared for achieving purpose of life.
We are living in an imbalance society where means have become objectives, and objectives have become means. The design of human life is based on a purpose which should be the mission of life and always in front. All the means, facilities in life are given to achieve this purpose. There is one thing that is associated with life before life and other is after life. Take an example of life as a car which has to reach some purpose that would be some city. The direction of the car is in the direction of that city and will reach there. But for the car to move, it needs certain means like driver, petrol and other essentials. These things are need for car so that it can move but the purpose of the car is not petrol instead the city which is in front. Means will drive the car and car will make man reach its purpose. The life is also like this where by certain things are means and there is a purpose. Allah has not made sports car which are for show off, race. Allah has not created any human being for the purpose of fun and play. Every human being has been created for a purpose of creation and to reach that purpose Allah has given life. In this life there is security, means, relations on which life will move and reach the purpose. Today the means of life have turned into purpose due to imbalanced society. The acquisition of these means has become actual purpose. The direction of life has changed. The means should have been at the back but they have come in front and purpose has gone behind back. Like the purpose of car is not to fill petrol, then do a race, then again fill petrol and spend entire life which would be Abad (waste). Quran says that worldly life is Lahw and Lahb which we have explained several times. Lahw means those things which takes away from purpose of life. It could be education, business, family all can take man away from purpose. Quran says that should your children and wealth should not divert. In Surah Munafiqoon verse 9 it is presented what is meant by the life of Lahw
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ {9}
O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers.
Ilha (Tulhequm), means those things which occupies someone to that extent that he forgets the purpose. The cricket is not the biggest Lahw, it is wealth, assets. Then the second Lahw are your children. Today on Friday what is our occupancy? Friday is the greatest day which Allah has ordained for us and is mentioned by Ahlulbayt (a). On the same Friday we are busy and don’t have time to deliver the duties of this day. Who distances us from remembrance of Allah (a)? It is wealth and children. We don’t have time because either we have office, business or children. These are two Lahw which distances man from purpose. It is not that Lahw is only gambling, sporting, entertaining which also are at a specific time. But wealth and children are full time Lahw which goes on for entire Lahw. We should assess our lives and see what has occupied our mind most; it is children, wealth and both for each other. Entire life is spent between home and shop. The entire life gets spent but did not move a step towards the purpose. Allah has filled the land with the means of life and man has been given the sense to acquire the means so that he can spend the life for its purpose. If the means are not there then human life will get distanced from purpose. It is in tradition that Fakr takes man to the extent of Kufr. There are some who are oriented towards wealth. Imam Ali (a) prays to Allah that do not make me like those who due to excessive bounties become lavish and do not make like those who due to lack of bounties become accursed. Khisb means prosperity and having a comfortable life whereby man is not having tension of basic needs of life that is food, clothing, shelter, bills, medicines, etc.
We are divided into these two categories and both don’t have time. Those who do not have bounties they cry more that whether we should earn means of life or struggle for purpose. Three things are required by everyone. Amn, Adl, Khisb. These are the fundamentals of society which Imam Sadiq (a) has expressed. It is a social guidance whereby a human society needs these three fundamental things. These three things are not purpose. Establishing these paves the way towards purpose. In an imbalanced society you cannot make your life comfortable. This is because since Adl is not there the distribution of means is not in a fair, just manner. Some have excessive wealth and some have nothing. Our society is hybrid, where we have religion, evils, Hindu cultural rites, desires, ancestral rituals and there is a synthesis of several things. In an imbalanced society nothing is at its place and position. If you see the purpose of education is also to get job thus acquire means of life. Since the actual crisis is of means today and this has happened to due to lack of Adl. Due to this there is hoarding of means in one place and other category is deprived. It is true to say that hardly few percent have piles of means of life, that is wealth, luxuries, assets, properties for the several generations. The natural resources present in Pakistan are enough for the country provided they are distributed with Adl. After Pakistan was made certain wealth was inherited from the feuds and then there is a group of capitalists who with their hard work earned capital. In this current era the wealth is not with capitalists and feudal lords. The capitalists used to think that they are the ones who possess everything and run the country. Today entire assets of the country are with establishment directly or indirectly. In this situation the majority will remain deprive from means and needs of life. Today the majority do not even get two full meals every day. They cannot afford two pair of clothes in a year. Majority do not have their own comfortable homes. Khisb is not there since Adl is not there.
Amn is also not there in Pakistan neither for rich nor poor. This is because Adl is not there due to which power is not distributed fairly. This has made the entire society imbalanced. Hence Adl is the foundation of everything. But still Amn, Adl and Khisb are not purpose but means to reach the purpose of life. I have mentioned the purpose of life several times because this is not part of our curriculum whereby the purpose of life is taught. The syllabus taught in Madrassa’s are coming to no use in our practical lives. We are taught a religious curriculum which does not unknots anything in our practical life. The medical student study things by which they treat and solve problems of millions and their knowledge is coming to use in society even though for commercial purpose. But the religious scholars who study do not help them in their practical lives and for society. Imam Sadiq (a) says that three things are fundamental needs and these should be elaborated in our syllabus. These are foundations of society. We go and ask IMF how the society should improve. Why don’t you ask Imam Sadiq (a) how to solve the problems of our society? He will reply these three things and if these three things come up then would our society would be Muflehoon society? This is because this Amn, Adl, Khisb are present in other societies but it has become their purpose and they have forgotten the actual purpose. All these create environment and under its laps the society will grow. The welfare activities done are environment in which we have to do something else.
As an example, the weather is changing now, the spring is coming whereby you plant new trees. The actual purpose is to grow the tree from the seed so that it can bear fruits or give you shadow. But to nurture these plants, then you need wet soil. Then you need air, sunlight and everything together creates an environment for the plant to grow. The society is like this only. These three things which Imam Sadiq (a) has mentioned; Amn, Adl, Khisb are required for what? These are required for nurturing human life and man should reach the purpose of creation. We can see in the world the generation today should be assessed? Today we can see the barbaric human generation.
We need the system of Imamat for this purpose. Imamat is not the mayor or administrator of state. The function of Imam is to make human being, rest all are the environment. If these three things are not available then man cannot reach the purpose of life. Hence the status of Adl is fundamental and Adl does not get established alone unless Amn, Khisb (prosperous life) is not mentioned. They all need to be established together. We will explain this further that Adl is not purpose but means for human being to achieve the purpose of life. The Imam is the gardener of this plant. Today the Muslims are without Imam and even beasts get ashamed from them. The sects are made without Imams. Even the Shias are getting nurtured without Imam and we can see their state. Those who get fostered in the laps of Imamat are like Abuzar Ghaffari, Ammar Yasirs are marvels of humanity. We are not formed under the laps of Imamat, we have formed ourselves just by name of Imam. Anyone who is formed, fostered by Imam does not worship Taghoot, he straight away reaches Allah.
Sermon 2
Man is not human without Taqwa and whenever human generation has grown up without Taqwa it has damaged the most humanity only. Today’s generation is presenting this proof that how dangerous man would be for humanity without Taqwa. Man cannot damage Allah but can only destroy human beings, his own end, hereafter. Man in history has also done this and even if mention about them as that won’t benefit us in terms of punishment and rewards for their deeds. Every man makes his own end himself and even Allah does not do it. Allah has given guidance, give the principles on which man can make his end. There is no intervention in this from anyone. Hence, we should be concerned about ourselves. We have an opportunity and it will go away anytime. We should make our hereafter with our own hands. The proof of which current humanity has presented itself by dividing into various categories.
The current tragedy is of Gaza which is the biggest even though there are many tragedies going on in terms of oppression, corruption going on with the current generation. The most painful is of Gaza whereby since several months Gaza is victim of barbarism. There is one group of Zionists, American, West and certain allies like Arabs is this group. Biden has announced that very soon Saudi will do an unconditional alliance with Israel. Similarly other nations like Egypt, Turkey are cooperating. Rest all others are silent. As per the divine custom, oppressing, supporting oppressors and remaining silent on oppression are all counted as oppression.
Imam Sadiq (a) says that least of Adl is to speak out, support on the calls of oppressed and in condemnation of oppressor. Even if this is not there in you then you are transgressors, corruption. Since last two weeks the tyranny has stepped into new phase. First, they were targeting cities like Rafah, Gaza, Khan Younis, then they targeted the refugee camps. Yesterday these starving refugees were standing in queue for getting food and they were bombed and hundred Palestinians were martyred in that queue. We can see which country has done what in 24 hrs.? The scholars, rulers are all silent. Then there are people who have hatred, malice in their hearts like Nasibis’, Takfirists who even condemn those who support these oppressed. Since Iran and Shias are supporting these oppressed, they condemn Shias and not Israel. This means you should help Israel so that they can kill everyone and you get peace of heart. This is the humanity today. If a tree of human being grows without Imam, then you can see what comes out. The time which is being spent without Imam we do not assess what destruction is happening. Imam’s role is not fixing bills and rates of electricity which can be done by anyone. Without Imam man cannot become human they turn into beasts which can be seen. We can see one group has become beasts, others their supporters, one group silent spectators and one group is condemning those who are supporting the oppressed. What is the first thing we should be doing. If Allah at this moment gives us power, opportunity to do something then even before Friday prayers we should first establish the system of Imamat. When the system of Imamat gets established then world will see peace and man will become human with human conscience. Those who get fostered under Banu Umayyah they dislike those who supported oppressed of Palestine. You do not have choice; it is established that you have to live your life under Imamat. There is survival of earth, life in the system of Imamat. There was one glimpse of Imamat seen during Imam Ali (a) era. When an anklet of non-Muslim women gets snatched, Imam says to Muslims you should die of shame. Now even if 30,000 children have died in Gaza no one is concerned and criticizing those who are supporting oppressed. We do not have options to stay under Taghoot or Imamat.
This tragedy of Gaza has exposed many things and categories of people as to who is human, who is beast. We cannot be counted as human if we do not take this parameter of Gaza and assess ourselves.
