Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 17th February, 2023
Sermon 1: Imamat – The abandoned subject
Allah has established Taqwa for protection of human life as a divine plan from creator of human beings for every segment of life where there is specific Taqwa. Allah after giving life to human being has made religion as the manifesto of life for guidance. The way Allah has sent Prophets and heavenly books for guidance of human life. The same way Allah for the protection of human life has established the plan of Taqwa. For the same purpose Allah has ordained the system of Prophets and Messengership. Whatever Allah has to sent was accomplished with Quran as the last book which had the final manifesto. Then Allah with the seal of Prophethood has told whatever the Prophets have got is completed. But Imamat started from Prophets and did not end anywhere and no verse of Quran is a proof that it has ended.
Imamat is the fundamental need of human being irrespective of whether the Prophets are present, heavenly books are being descended and even when Prophethood ends the Imamat will continue. A continuous source of guidance from Allah is present in Imamat. In the purpose of Imamat there are these two things; one is guidance and second is protection. For guidance to preach and implement religion and for protection execute, train and abide human beings to practically possess Taqwa in their lives. Imamat has been presented as a gift to human being to be implemented. The system is not Prophethood it is Imamat. The system that has been made by Allah, if the Prophets have to implement the system of Allah then they will have to implement Imamat. The Prophets would guide and supervise the human being. The way Allah has mentioned about Prophets that we have assigned to them along with Prophethood the status of Imamat.
The same Imamat after the demise of Holy Prophet (s) continued. Generally a non-precise interpretation is being done that after the Prophet passed away Allah started Imamat. This is not something researched because Imamat was present with Holy Prophet (s) and Prophets before him and continues after him and not that it started after him. Imamat is the only system under which man has to live his life.
But today is the day of martyrdom of Imam Moosa Kazim (a) who is the seventh Imam after the Prophet from his progeny. The actual subject is Imamat which we have transformed to Imam. From Imam also we have acquainted the subject on incidents. Thus both Imamat and imam got abandoned. We need to turn this discussion towards its actual subject that is Imamat which Allah has ordained for guidance of humanity. The authorized person appointed directly or through certain criteria’s set by Allah to acquire the position of Imamat is Imam. The Imam goes through various incidents and issues throughout their lives.
The first personality whom Quran discussed by name and other Prophets was Prophet Ibrahim (a) also before him Allah says we have given them Imamat. The way Allah made arrangement to announce Imamat of Prophet Ibrahim (a) the other Prophets are not mentioned that way. Allah says we got Ibrahim into trials and he accomplished those successful and Allah said we are making you Imam of humanity. Allah does not say that Imam of any specific tribe or generation or sect. Imam is also of humanity and not for geography like Iran, Iraq or middle east. Man wherever he is would be related to his Imam. Since Allah has made Imam and one who is associated with Rububiyat of Allah is related to Imam as well. Hence this Imamat is for guidance of humanity. Then we see when Allah appointed the position of Imamat to Prophet Ibrahim (a) and after Imamat as well he passed through various tough tribulations.
We need to precisely ponder over here as to what is the actual subject in the view of Allah. Were those incidents which Ibrahim passed through were the actual subject and we forget the Imam? Should we end all the discussions on the incidents? He passed through tough incidents and despite of these incidents Allah said this is training for being prepared for Imamat. This is because Imamat is the toughest position for humanity. There is hardship in messengerhip, prophethood but the most difficulties are in Imamat. The Holy Prophet (s) and other Prophets all faced hardship. The Quran has taken up the subject as Imamat. We forsake Imamat and got all the discussions around Imam and that too incidents and stories related to them and never came forward. We should not forget those incidents, but remembering those incidents is not Imamat. Those incidents have wisdom for both Imam and Ummah. The reality which we have to reach through these incidents is the argument on Imamat.
The Holy Imam Musa Kazim (a) in history is that personality who passed through the maximum hardships and torture. Then those incidents became history which are repeated in the Ummah as well. The era in which Imam (a) passed his life needs serious pondering by us. We only discuss the incidents, hardships, trials and sufferings considering them as replacement of Imam and Imamat. All these hardships passed on Imam during the delivery of their Imamat. The hardship, tribulation which Ummah has to keep in mind for this reason is that the bounty of Imamat has not reached us so easily. There has been sacrifices, hardships, tribulations then this grant of Allah came to us so that we appreciate Imamat more. It should not be that we listen to incidents, tribulations, calamities to the extent that we forget the actual subject of Imamat.
There were other big personalities of both Shia, Sunni, Banu Hashim present during the era of Imam Moosa Kazim (a). There were some who stood against Imam (a) and were quite manifested because we don’t study history in authentic way we don’t know all these. We listen to orators who only arouse our passions, they have no research and just relay to us hear say things. All the issues which were before Imam Kazim (a) continued in his era, specifically those that were present during the era of 6th Imam.
One big issue that came was the change of regime, whereby the governance changed from Banu Umayyah to Banu Abbas. The governance was with one community of Umayyah and now moved to Abbas community, the children of Prophets’ uncle. After this regime change the thing that played a fundamental role was the order of Imamat.
Banu Umayyah oppressed the Imams specifically in Karbala and after that. Some took up Karbala as an issue of revenge and did uprising. The people like Abu Muslim Khorasani, Abu Salama, who were Generals, who gathered forces and defeated Banu Umayyah in the name of Ahlulbayt (a) and Karbala. They took the power and gave to Banu Abbas. The Banu Umayyah did not even remain in opposition and the new community of Banu Abbas did more oppression to retain the power. The generals of Banu Abbas were from Shias who were raising flags of Imamat and using it as tool. They never put any efforts to bring Imams into power. They crushed Banu Umayyah in a disgusting manner and disgraced them breaking their backs.
When the new community of Banu Abbas came into power their threat was not from Banu Umayyah but from Imamat, the progeny of Prophet (s). Hence from the beginning itself they started torturing the Imams more severely. As they knew that the movement of Banu Abbas was in the name of these Imams. People know that Imams are the real inheritors. The Banu Abbas triggered a discussion that who would be the progeny of Prophet, one is from daughter and second from his uncle Abbas. They would say that anyone’s progeny does not start from daughters as this was the norm in Arabs. The Arab ignorant would say that the sons of daughters are not considered as their children. The Banu Abbas made a common manifesto and started to educate the children of daughters are not progeny. Since our relationship with Prophet is through man and Imam Sadiq (a) is the son of daughter of Prophets, hence he cannot be the inheritor. They triggered this discussion. Before coming to power they would say that imams are the progeny but after coming to power they changed their stance and said we are the progeny. In Friday prayers and various other occasions they would say that Banu Abbas is the actual progeny. The threat they had on their power was from Ahlulbayt. Today also this is happening to give sanctity to enemies of Ahlulbayt and followers of Banu Umayyah. The Nasibi’s are giving protection to the enemies of Ahlulbayt (a). The Banu Abbas did the same thing. One thing did was to create doubts in people about who is the progeny.
The second thing was since they know we started the movement in the names of Ahlulbayt (a), whereby the slogans were raised by Khorasani was about Imams but got power for someone else hence they did more torture, they targeted the big personalities. Since Shias and Sunnis were separated already. The Banu Umayyah had done the engineering of religion. They had distorted and made everything related to a fabricated Islam. Now Banu Abbas had to tune it to their own purpose. They tried to bring big personalities from the progeny of Prophet in front of Ahlulbayt (a). The situation that was created in the era of Imam Sadiq (a) was that they got personality against him. I have said this before that Imam Sadiq (a) was called to do allegiance of his own uncle’s son. Imam counselled them and predicted certain things which got proven later. The person whose allegiance they were seeking Imam said he will be killed by your own group by pointing towards Saffah that he would kill him and the same turned out.
After the martyrdom of Imam Sadiq (a) a big division took place in Shiite. After every Imam the Shias got divided due to several elements of personal interest, ignorance and the government also played a big role. They would pick selected personalities and bring them in front of Imams. One clear division that took place after Imam Sadiq (a), was that his most elderly son Ismail passed way during the life of Imam Sadiq (A) whom he himself buried. One group stood up that Ismail did not die but went into occultation. Due to this a big division happened and majority went into this pragmatism. Then one group stood up and said that Ismail had passed away and the Imamat was announced of Mohammad ibn Ismail. Some considered Ismail as Imam and some considered Mohammad as his inheritor. Then some other persons from the children of Imam Sadiq (a) were got forwarded as actual inheritors against Imam Moosa Kazim. This was one big problem Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) faced in the beginning of his Imamat.
What you hear that he passed 14 years in prison, this was not in one go. Every Banu Abbas leader in their era would place him in prison and then release him. The children of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) was 34 or 37 , he had 18 sons and 19 daughters. Such abundant children are not born in prison. Every governor coming to power would keep an eye and spy on Imams. One big period of prison was due to false confession of his own brother, the son of Imam Sadiq (a). He presented a fabricated report to the ruler that he is abusing the system due to which Imam was arrested. This went on and many other people who were from the same family were made to give false statements.
This means that Imam delivered his duties of Imamat in such a way that the government of Banu Abbas went into panic. The government was not of Imam but the vision of Imamat was present. We need to turn back towards Imamat. If we stop at incidents and not move forward then we will spend out entire lives under Taghoot. We will narrate these incidents under regimes of Taghoot and will never find the path. The actual tyranny on Imams would never go away. If Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) was on position of Imamat and even someone else was governing then also torture goes on Imam. Today the 12th Imam is not on the position of Imamat on which he should have been present. This subject should become one subject of our mind and planning. We need to get Imamat out of abandonment. If Imamat is present then Ummat is also present. Today whatever is happening with Ummah is due to Imamat not present within them. The Ummah is not focusing on actual tragedy but are entangled into the incidents. This day of martyrdom of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) is to ponder over the actual subject of Imamat. We should understand this so that Imam should be present amongst us and the Ummah and entire humanity should get salvation.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: Imam Musa Kazim (a) should be made role model
The Imams are role models (Uswa) of Taqwa. The life of every Prophet and Imam is a role model. The Uswa is that role model who is copied, followed and resemblance is made. The expression of beliefs which we do towards these personalities is in context of Uswa but instead we consider them as Ustara which is something imaginary. An Ustara is an imaginary fictional character made by some story writer, whom we generally term as Hero. The Heroes were not born or do anything and neither can anyone become like them. Since these characters are imaginary they are liked by man. The signs of mature intellect persons he does not like novels, fictional stories, dramas and there is no attraction in that as he knows these are not realities. A literature expert has made this character which is not present anywhere. The children like such characters because they lack intellect and only imagination. The Aql likes realities and imaginations like illusions. Hence many characters which you listen in stories are all fictional imaginary characters. One father in Karachi got his sone to me that he has become disobedient. The son told me to ask my father why he is upset on me. The father said during Majalis my son told that this Zakir is reciting a scene from Punjabi film which is an insult to Majalis. The son said that I have seen that film and the full dialogue is as is from the film. The Zakir took the dialogues from that movie and playing with the feelings of people. The point is true that many of our people present imaginary things in religion. The Uswa is that real character, like Quran presented Ibrahim (a) as role model. He is a real character and what he did is written in Quran and we have to do the same. It is not that we should just mention and talk about what Ibrahim did. We have to repeat what he did. He broke idols, you have to do that same. Ibrahim (a) left his own uncle Azar , you have to dissociate from them even if they are in your house and relatives. When Ibrahim told the polytheists that I am free from your shirk, here Ibrahim is Uswa. The Holy Prophet (s) is the Uswa, and whatever he did we have to adapt that Seerat and make it a manifesto of life. The same way are the Imams and lmam Musa Kazim (a.s) is the Uswa. What Imam did we have to do the same. What Ali did we have to do the same,. What Imam Hassan, Hussain (a) did we have to do that. we should not just sit and cry on what they did? Who has told you this as a duty to only cry on what they did and not do what they did? We have to do exactly and every step what they do. Every stage we have to take the same step which they took. It is not that if Yazid has come, Imam Hussain did Qayam, so we have to do the same.
Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) era is present in our society in Pakistan even today. He lived his personal life as well with 37 children. This means he lived in family and increased his progeny. He is a role model for us in this. So we should just give birth to two child and rest keep on crying? This life was full of trials and tribulations, hardships but he kept on producing children. Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) is titled as Babul Hawaij, the doors of seeking desires. We think that we seek anything he will fulfill. Babul Hawaij means that during his era if anyone had any desire it would get fulfilled by Imam Musa Kazim (a.s). The government would not do this. Anyone who had a need they had only one hope to come on the doors of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s). It was well known that during his time, he always carried small bags of few coins with him. The people would come to him and he would give the needy. Imam would himself go to the doors of needy. Are there no neediest in your relatives, community? How many of those people needs we fulfill? You should as well become babul Hawaij. It is not that all needs are fulfilled with money. Certain needs are fulfilled with counselling. You should become the doors of fulfilling the needs of someone. People should know that if no one fulfills our need then the followers of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) would definitely fulfill our needs. There are many principles in life of Imam. He would invite ignorant and corrupt people to guide them. The incident where music was being played in some home, the maid came out and Imam asked him whether the owner of his house is free or slave. Imam said that he is free that’s why he is doing this, if he was Abd then he would not do this. The owner understood the code and asked his maid whether the person who said this was Imam Musa Kazim (a.s). He ran barefoot and fell in the feet of Imam and said I am not liberal, I am Abd. This is the role mode of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s).
The Imams are role models in hardships, tribulations. Imam would be placed in various prisons. When torture was not satisfactory in one prison, they would move to other prisons. Then eventually he was moved to the prison of Sindi ibn Shaiq where Imam was imprisoned, and was told to do such torture that Imam could not be recognized. The Hakim would check every day and spy would say yes he gets recognized,. Then further torture was made. Haroon made a window from his house to see the courtyard of prison. He asked one day to Sindi that since few days one cloth is lying in the prison, why you don’t pick. Sindi said that this is not cloth, he is your prisoner Musa Kazim (a.s). Then on the order of Haroon the Jailor poisoned Imam, and then Haroon said to place the body on the bridge of Dajala and tell people that Haroon has not killed him. Everyone would come to check if there was any sign of rope, sword on his body, they would say imam was not martyred. No one in that city came to bury him. That city was of Muslims and Muslims do not leave the body like this. These Muslims did not even bury their martyred Imam. This is the hardship of Imamat, the grandson from the progeny of Khaleel who had given a successful test. Today is the test of Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) and even the followers come to see the body and leave. The body is lifted by laborers and he left this world in this state of oppression.
