Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 1st September, 2023
Sermon 1 : Establishment of Adl in society starts before formation of society
In Surah Hadid, verse 25; Allah (s) has ordered believers to establish Adl.
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ {25}
Certainly We sent Our messengers with clear arguments, and sent down with them the Book and the balance that men may conduct themselves with equity; and We have made the iron, wherein is great violence and advantages to men, and that Allah may know who helps Him and His messengers in the secret; surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
The verse says we have given Bayyanah (clear non arguable knowledge) to Prophets and sent them. And have also given book which means a compiled constitution where things are bonded together in such a way that they cannot be separated. We have given to Prophets Meezan, which are scales, criteria on which they have to develop human beings and on the basis of which they have to issue orders. And these have been done so that people should rise for establishing Kist with Adl. We have also descended iron which has benefits in it so that Allah should know who helps Prophets and Allah is powerful and dominant over everything.
One argument in this verse are those things which Allah has given to Prophets for guidance of human being, that is Bayyanah, Book and Meezan so that people should rise on Kist. It is not mentioned that Prophets should rise for establishing Kist. The Prophets have got these things so that people should rise for establishing Kist and Justice. The verse is addressing “Naas” which means every human being which is also not at individual level, but instead the social system that has to be made should be on the basis of Kist and Adl. In the laps of society there are other human affairs which gets nurtured. The base and foundation of human society is establishment of Kist and Adl, which the researchers generally term as Social Justice. We use Adalat for judiciary in our culture which means to take decision in disputes. In judiciary there is a condition of justice but there is a difference between Adl and Justice.
Adl is the need for entire life and not just in court rooms for judiciary decision. Man’s entire life should get nurtured in the laps of Adl and for this the base is social Adl. The first stage of social Adl is to form a society. It is not that you form the society on whichever basis but when disturbance starts then you look for Adl in society. When a society is being formed its basis should be on Adl and Taqwa. Adl takes precedence over Taqwa because Taqwa gets established on Adl. As Quran says the one who establishes their foundation on Taqwa then that society is not like those who have established the society on Fisk, fujoor and other things.
Pakistani community is a unique society because no other society got this opportunity to establish an Islamic society. We can say that it was only Jews who got the opportunity to establish their state as Israel and they did not fall back and leave any shortcomings, and now entire Muslim world wants to destroy them but they are still firm. At the same time a new society came into existence which was Pakistan. The other nations are running on their past systems. Like China was a society from past, same for Iran there was society and changes came in the same society and not forming a new society. In this era two communities only got this opportunity. Pakistan was the unique society who got this opportunity to build everything fresh and new. It is like getting a new plot where everything has to be built on your own choice and there are no restrictions from government as well. When the act of forming Pakistan started they just continued voluntarily on the systems that were going on before independence. They took the same Indian culture and continued that. We got a big gift from Allah seventy-six years ago but our ancestors were very sincere in not leaving anything from India, British and all that they were following blindly. Allama Iqbal gave this plan in Javed Nama in which he has expressed the system of entire Islamic society.
When Pakistani society was made there were some local Nawabs and some barristers who were educated from English system. They both kept the foundations of this Islamic society and they forgot that how Quran is guiding us on the foundations of society. This formation of society from zero point has only happened twice in history, one was with Holy Prophet (s) and second was Pakistan. The Holy Prophet (s) completely abandoned everything ,system of Jahiliya and everything he made was on the basis of Quran. Even the Prophet (s) was confined to form the society on the orders of Allah , revelations and not anything on his own. The second time opportunity came was for Pakistan. The other Muslim states got inheritance Islam like in Turkey, Malaysia and even in India it was Muslim rulers who invaded India and made people recite Kalema, though the society, culture and everything remained same. They just made people recite Kalema to become Muslims without forming society. We are from the same generation of Muslims. This is easy Islam where you continue with all the past systems and just recite Kalema. The Prophet did not do this that you can continue your Jahiliya and just recite Kalema so that your acts of ignorance also becomes Halal. The Egyptians, Iranians became Muslims by just reciting Kalema. The Iranians still possess the Iranian nationalism and even they preserved their Persian language. In India the Kalema became Indian. This opportunity got wasted by us. But this can happen at any time where we can stop the journey of ignorance and start the transformation.
Some civil engineers asked me whether Quran is giving any guidance on building homes, societies and towns. Today we consider building minarets and tombs as Islamic culture. This is incorrect. The first house of Muslims is Kaaba which has neither tomb nor minaret, and there are no beautifications inside it. It is a cubical structure made on the orders of Allah. These minarets, tombs which are sanctimonious, we should research from where they have come? You can see in Moscow , there are tombs and minarets. In UK you can see minarets. These are all western things. The artwork inside mosques are also not Islam, it came from Iranian culture. You can see the pyramids of Egypt which are unique construction masterpieces made thousands of years before. Today by making a tomb we make a building as Muslim. The arch has become an Islamic logo whereby this is also not an Islamic architecture. The Mehrab word used in Quran as well is not translated as arch. Whether Quran is giving us any foundation for construction, like we are making all societies today rapidly. Is there any guidance from religion and Allah? Or we have been given freedom to do whatever you want to do and construct anything? You can see the Sikh temples and mosques they look similar in construction.
This guidance was present when Pakistan was being made. You continued the Hindu society and filled it with color of English. Now we have to understand the basis of forming society. The Surah Hadid verse 25 is one such basis.
We have sent Prophets for developing society and did not send them empty. We have given them clear knowledge, gave them constitution and with Meezan. The fourth thing was Hadid whereby we gave power, strength , governance so that people can rise for establishing Kist and Adl. This verse makes the basis of Islamic society as Adl being the first element on which the entire building has to be formed. The Islamic revolution gave this opportunity to discuss this topic but that also did not happen.
This is a fundamental topic in Quran to establish society on the basis of Adl. This Adl is not judiciary Adl but it is the Adl before establishing society. On one hand Quran says on the basis of Taqwa and the foundation of Taqwa is on Adl. This subject will continue to the extent it is possible in sermons.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: Reformatory principle of social corruption by Ali (a)
In saying no 114
وَ قَالَ عليه السلام: إِذَا اسْتَوْلَى الصَّلَاحُ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ وَ أَهْلِهِ ثُمَّ أَسَاءَ رَجُلٌ الظَّنَّ بِرَجُلٍ لَمْ تَظْهَرْ مِنْهُ حَوْبَةٌ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ وَ إِذَا اسْتَوْلَى الْفَسَادُ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ وَ أَهْلِهِ فَأَحْسَنَ رَجُلٌ الظَّنَّ بِرَجُلٍ فَقَدْ غَرَّرَ
At a time when virtue is in trend in the world and among people, if a person entertains an evil suspicion about another person from whom nothing evil has ever been seen, then he has been unjust. And at a time when vice is in trend in the world and among people, if a man entertains a good idea about another person he has flung himself in peril.
This saying no 114 is the foundation and guidance for a most important segment of life.
When the era is of corrupt rulers or corruption, transgression in society you should not blindly trust anyone it would be damaging . And if the era is of righteousness then if you have not seen any fault from anyone then suspecting anyone in such era is oppression.
On the day of judgement many such oppressions would be listed in your book of deeds, and man would be shocked to see that he is counted amongst oppressors and this is one such case.
In contrary if you considered believers to be good in corrupt era then you have deceived yourself. This wisdom has been mentioned by Ali (A) so as to guide us socially. The society would be of two types, one it would be corrupt or righteous.
If you are in corrupt society then learn how to live there and how to protect yourself, your generation from corruption. If you are leaving in righteous society then how do you live such societies.
Quran has expressed this situation as a proverb that a time comes when the land and seas all get corrupt. In Surah Rum , verse 41
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ {41}
Corruption has dominated in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return
Zahar means dominance. We consider Zuhoor of Imam as he is coming from behind the curtain. When Imam (a) will return the land would be full of oppression and he will fill the land with Kist and Adl, it will dominate and governance will be of Adl. The verse says that corruption has spread over land and sea, how? It is through the hands of people. Those who have spread this corruption now will have to taste this corruption. Like in Pakistan we have all created corruption and now we are tasting. The inflation in petrol, electricity, insecurity and everything. This verse presents our society. The corruption in our society is due to the hands of these people who are living in Pakistan. This corruption has not from outside. This is the corruption developed by the hands of Pakistani. The corruption in business today is that no shopkeeper speaks truth, they do not sell at right price, they do not convey the right thing. The factory that is producing products are making low quality things and selling at high price. There is corruption in dealing. The corruption in family relations of pre, post marital relationships, disputes. The education institutes have corruption like drugs are given to boys and girls. These are stats from Punjab state. There is corruption in politics, media and everywhere. So now when you are living your life in such corrupt society then Ali (A) then you do not deceive yourself by trusting such a society.
This topic is very important specifically for Pakistan as we are living in such a society. The parents have closed their eyes, the politicians, scholars have all closed their eyes. Their strategy is such that if you close your eyes the issues will get resolve. Ali (a) says you will get destroyed and your world, hereafter will get destroyed.
There are traditions on Fasaad, first to see where are the roots of Fasaad. Ali (a) in one of his sermons says:
“You are free and seen relaxing, but do not come under the flag of Jihad. I know the method of rectifying you but I won’t do your reformation at the cost of myself becoming corrupt. He said I can take a whip; I can bend your necks; I have power and I know the way. I have condemned you a lot but you did not care about it. When you broke the limits of Allah (a) I executed punishments on you. So do you want me now to jump on you with sword? I know how to reform you but I won’t do at the cost of myself becoming corrupt. I won’t corrupt myself for your sake. This means I won’t take stick, whip and try to do whip you, punish you day and night then I won’t do this. I will admonish you and when you violate I will issue divine punishments, but beyond this I won’t go.
This is something Allah does, that by disobeying me, Allah will try to fix you but you won’t care, then other communities will dominate you , then they will do what you expect me to do, they will take my revenge from you.
Same happened , later first Muawiyah came and on the same pulpit he said I have come to bend you and break your arrogance, to humiliate you. Then the same type of sermon Hajjaj ibn Yusuf gave. When Ali (a) I want to reform your corruption, but not at the cost of myself doing something wrong and corruption. I want to remove your corruption through counselling which you do not like. Then later others will come and dominate you.
Then He (a) also says that who are the host of social corruption. There are four groups: Governors (Hukmaran), Scholars (Ulama), downtrodden (fuqara), businessman (Tujjar). These four categories spread corruption and the corruption gets controlled by controlling these only.
