Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 9th June, 2023
Sermon 1 : No consideration of Rights and Limits in our culture
Taqwa is for every segment and field of life. One general field of Taqwa mentioned by Quran is of conflicts and disputes between believers. People get into conflicts related to rights of each other. This is an important field man suffers extreme losses and looses his human status and values.
In today’s system the human upbringing is forsaken, laws are not followed and religion is not practiced. This is where human being is in under threat by his own hands as compared to damages done by others. In commercial conflicts we use various tactics of deception to defeat someone and acquire from him something out of oppression thinking we have gained something. But instead we have done severe losses ourselves. We have wasted esteemed values present in our own self. The way the Quran says to not sell our religion for pennies. When man sells religious values making deals and thinks he has earned so much. Today in commercial affairs, man takes compensation against delivery of responsibilities and feels happy that I have earned so much. Like people who take heavy fees for religious work like oration, singing poems and then take hefty amounts feel happy and proud that they have earned so much. They in reality are doing big damage to themselves in both the world and hereafter. In this world they lose their humanity destroying values which Allah has ordained as ornaments. Like justice, equality, fairness are all basis of the universe which man wastes by his own hands. Similarly covenant, contentment all end by man himself. If you have deceived someone by taking advantage of his sincerity, religious this is unjustified wealth you have earned as you have not delivered anything against that. Quran says such people are filling their bellies with fire. Thus the outwardly material benefits is in reality a loss to human being.
Similarly in daily dealings man tries to get the rights of others also with him. When inheritance gets distributed the one who is clever usurps the rights of other and feels happy. Then in trading man deceives others and earns others feeling happy that I have earned so much. Man is wasting his values and destroying his humanity. When those who take intoxicants are destroying their own body or those who take unhealthy food are destroying their own existence with every such morsel. Same way is the personality and society of human being which gets destroyed by own hands of human being.
In conflicts Quran says when you have dispute with someone then you should not try to get more out of his rights but instead you should try to deliver what rights he has from me. When you do such things your status has fallen down and punishment in hereafter. A single penny also that comes you are accountable for that. In such cases man is victim of oppression. Here Taqwa means to protect the rights, personality, values and not to give up everything for the sake of wealth. In traditions it is mentioned the worse wealth is one for which man loses his dignity and respect. The best wealth for religion is one which man spends to protect his dignity and respect.
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
The believers are asked to become those who stand for the sake of Allah. This rising for the sake of Allah is in various fields and one Misdaq of this rising is to give witness in the cases of justice. And this witnesses could be harmful to you, your relatives, friends or religious brothers. In our current generation the most invaluable things are rights and limits. Human being considers violating rights as something very easy. This has become part of our culture and feels proud if someone violates the rights of others. We do more violation of rights and limits more than anything else. Our personalities have become like this hence we do not even feel these violations. In our routine affairs we can see that we sit without any concern on his place. We pick up book, pen of someone, we will put on the slippers of anyone for going to Wudhu. These things we do not consider as crime. To do aggression on assets of others we consider as rights. When we make noise and pollute the atmosphere with noise is violation of rights.
In education institutes the students have to study’ so do we have the rights to speak louder to disturb other students’ studying or someone sleeping. We are like animals who are not concerned about others. Then you see religious work we close routes for public in passion. If some injustice has been done to you then who has given you the rights to close the road for others. We paralyze entire city because we don’t have Taqwa and rights, limits are not part of our education. In Fiqh , ethics the rights, limits are not taught to us. The real practical on ground ethics are not taught to us whereby we should not violate the rights of others and break limits. We give Azan which generally does not disturb others, but in some country people object. If people are getting disturbed for genuine reasons and not out of enmity with religion then we should take care. Worships become void if you violate the rights of others. If you recite Salat on an usurped place or without permission then this Salat would be thrown on your face. The subjects of lectures should be on rights and limits which Allah has set for human being. We should abide by the rights of others. In Western societies this has been taught to some extent to not violate the rights of others. When I went to West I did not listen to horn of a single car of days. They said it is considered very bad to blow horn and we only do for emergency and not for getting way.
During prayers there would be many things in your pocket which would be rights of others. No religion specifically that of Ahlulbayt (a) allows to waste or usurp the rights of others for community, tribe , family. When the time comes to give witness give witness with justice for the sake of Allah. In Surah Nisa, it is clear if your witness is against your parents, brothers then you give witness. If you have given witness on truth then you have secured your humanity.
Then enmity with any community should not become the basis of you leaving justice. There are some distorted religious people who give verdicts that all assets of your opponents are permissible for you. You can take the rights of theirs. One woman who got divorced from her husband complained that I do not use his money for anything because his earning is Haram even though he is religious person, revolutionary, he hosts Majalis at home. I did not believe so I called her husband to inquire as she has told as well what he does which I cannot mention here. Then I asked him why you do this? He said I have written verdict from the Wakeel of my Marjae that everything of non-Muslim is Halal. He used to do lost baggage fraud by declaring heavy amount for lost baggage in insurance and ask the porters to pick his bags out. When religion becomes like this which is against Quran. The Quran is saying that your enmity not just opposition should not become the basis of doing wrong against them. To protect your parents, brothers, relatives or to trap enemy you cannot give false witness. This is practical religion. We violate all the rights and then think we have become believers. This is the ground religion of Ahlulbayt (a). If you have adopted this religion then you are believer. And justice is the basis of religion and society.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: No belief is like modesty and endurance
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.
وَلاَ إِيمَانَ كَالْحَيَاءِ وَالصَّبْرِ
no belief is like modesty and endurance
There is no faith(Emaan) more than Haya and Sabr. We consider ourselves as full of faith (Emaan) but when we have to express faith then we become dumb. The confusion present in scholars about Emaan is very high. The reality of faith on which religion depends and carries central meaning is highly confused. The word Emaan is from word Amn which means contentment, trust on something about protection of something. To establish that trust, contentment on something for protection is trust. Man needs various things for spending his life and everyone has kept trust on various things in their practical life and this is what is faith on these things. Some people go to such high level in discussion about faith that it goes out of reach to understand. Every human being needs faith and if faith is so difficult to understand by people and even scholars then how can faith become the basis of guidance. Every person should have faith and the meaning of faith is also simple which anyone can understand.
We have trust on various things, like children rely, trust on their parents to live their lives. When you do some job or business for your economic living then you trust that work and this is faith. Emaan means to trust and being contented on something for achieving something. Like when you travel on car, train, flight then you consider that means as trustworthy for you. You have faith on this. Everyone has faith on somethings and there is no one in the world who is not having faith on anything. Everyone is a believer because they are living the lives with trust, contentment on certain means. You won’t find anyone who can say that I have not made any means for my life on which you rely. Like you have trust on some book, teacher, school and this means you have faith on this school. You selected one school as appropriate and this is faith. To trust, rely on some school is faith. And everyone is living their life on this basis only. In terminology faith is this and in Quran also meaning is the same terminological but intention is to rely, trust and acquire those means for living life which Allah has ordained. The first being Allah’s essence himself, prophets, saints of Allah and heavenly books. To rely, trust on the book of Allah and making it a manifesto of life then we have faith on the book. The theological scholars have confused a lot on faith. Since theology is a science of dispute where scholars defend their sect using theological science. To reject the vision of others and prove yours is theology. The elaboration done by this science is such that even jinn cannot understand.
The Quranic explanation of Emaan is very simple. The affairs on which we depend to spend our life is Faith. These are the means on which we depend, rely to live our lives and they are from Allah then we are believers Billlah. We have kept certain things as beliefs in mind but depend on those practically. Like you believe that flight is the best means of travel but I will travel by train or Bus. In your mind flight is esteemed but practically you are traveling in train. You are believer of train and not flight. You have appreciated flight but you are not its believer because practically you have not adopted that. Quran is the book of Allah but for practical life you have not studied the book instead studied Math, physics books. The Eman on book is that which you have studied and living your life in accordance to that. Emaan is practical and not something mentally or in intellect. Since this act starts from mind and heart, then acts. First the trust, contentment starts from heart then man acts practically.
Amirul Momineen (a) expresses faith here that the best Faith is modesty and patience. As per theology we cannot have faith with modesty and patience, because in this science you have to keep faith only in heart that there is Allah then go to tyrants begging for means of life. In heart you have faith that Quran is the book of guidance but practically you act upon something else. There is no faith better than modesty and patience says Ali (a.s). He is not saying Emaan has two elements as Haya and SAbr. He is saying Haya and Sabr are themselves faith. The second name of Haya is faith and vice versa and same for Sabr. This means we have trust , reliance and contentment with Haya and Sabr which will give us protection.
Haya and Hayat both origin from same root which is Hayaya. It means to shrink and this is the reason snake is called Haiya because it shrinks. In every living being this trait of shrinking is present. Since the word of Hayat is used for all creations and even Allah is also Haee. Here it becomes a difficulty that how you differentiate the meaning of Hayat for creation and creator. This is a common problem on how to express common traits between creator and creation.
This shrinking in living beings is due to external factors which would be weather or some danger. There is one more shrinking which is due to sense whereby man develops some feelings due to which he shrinks. This is what is Haya. Man developed sense and feeling which makes man to shrink, like he does not put his hand forward, his eyes fall and this shrinking is due to faith. If man is living his life with the feeling of modesty (Haya) then he is a believer.
