Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 12th May, 2023
Sermon 1 : Non fulfillment of Covenant (Ahad) makes you traitor
I invite you all, myself and emphasize you to acquire Taqwa in your lives and make your lives in accordance with Taqwa. It is the plan for divine protection from Allah for human life and all its aspects. This security scheme is as vast as human life.
وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَاقَهُ الَّذِي وَاثَقَكُمْ بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ {7}
And remember the favor of Allah on you and His covenant with which He bound you firmly, when you said: We have heard and we obey, and acquire Taqwa of Allah, surely Allah knows what is in the breasts
In this verse there is mention about bounties (Nemat) which are the means ordained by Allah for the purpose of making man reach his purpose of life that is perfection. The Nemat could be materialistic or spiritual. Since man gains comfort with these means they are termed as Nemah. Allah has granted us these bounties but we forsake them from two perspectives. One is we forget that the things we are using, taking benefits are the bounties of Allah. Like we take benefits from the things present inside our existence but are not attentive towards them like health, mind, sight, listening which are all bounties present in our body but we behave like animals who also possess these but they are inattentive towards their purpose. We do not pay attention towards these bounties and all those things affiliated with these bounties. An animal is indifferent to the bounties and man also falls to this level at times. He takes benefits from these bounties but does not become attentive towards these bounties hence thinks, decides to use them as per the desire, wish of the one who has given. This is one dimension of forsaking bounties. Another dimension is that we are attentive that these are bounties but are unaware about the purpose for which this bounty was given to me. The purpose for which these bounties are given are provided in the book of guidance but we forget that purpose.
(Side note guidance during Sermon: If you want to recite Salaat with attention which everyone desires to do but cannot is because we have not practiced attention. By writing man remains attentive, hence whatever you write in lectures even if they are not useful then also it is a practice of becoming attentive. When becomes focused and attentive by writing then even if he stops writing, his attentive remains there. There is no harm in writing so why don’t you try it out. Amirul Momineen (a.s) says that knowledge is wild and you should tame it by writing. Knowledge does not remain in one place and does not come under your control, thus staying away. So by writing you can tie knowledge in yourself by writing, hence we should do this. We are physically present in Salaat, lectures but are not mentally present. If a person has studied for ten years, then his actual study with presence of mind is only 1 year. These sermons are not for gaining Thawab, the Friday sermon is meant for a purpose).
Allah has granted bounties (Nemah) for a purpose. If something is not being used for the purpose then it is not Nemat but instead Nikmat that is a wrath. Like health, mind, intelligence is not used for a purpose then this is Nikmat. The oppressions of man on this earth is how many bounties we have turned into garbage and man is accountable for this. You cook bread , eat little and then throw rest. You are doing oppression by turning this bounty into wrath. We have to use bounties for its purpose and not just pile bounties then it won’t remain bounty. The intellect, insight is Nemat if used towards purpose. One negligence is that we are using these bounties. Man is the trustee of Allah and there should not be a need to be reminded, he should remain attentive. But this issue comes up that we get distanced from bounties and forsake them. Then we are giving reminders whereby the verse says, Remember the bounties of Allah.
To remember something from memory is not what is intended. Memory is that page of mind where if something comes man intends and acts upon it. The bounties should always remain in that part of mind which is our Zakira. Then after giving this admonishment to remember bounties and then we are told to remember Meesaq (Covenant). Like in Orwatul Wuthqa, Urwa means handle and Wuthqa is something strong that does not break. The Meesaq also comes from the same term which means strong and hardness that is unbreakable. Allah is ordering man to strengthen this covenant. After covenant the arrangement which mans does is Meesaq. Like we commit and promise to each other to do certain things and take swear. We also say that I always fulfill my commitment to convince someone on the current pledge he is making. At times the one who is taking a pledge, covenant takes more commitment. Some people at the time of Nikah get some more things written or take witnesses to ensure that the covenant of Nikah gets strengthened.
Allah has also taken covenant from Allah and also has done. Allah has strengthened the covenant with Meesaq and added additional things like witnesses to ensure that man fulfills his covenant. The covenants, commitments are the foundations of religion. There are traditions that say one who has no covenant he has no religion. Another traditions says entire religion is Ahad (covenant). There are various verses in which there is mention of Ahad as something fundamental in guidance. In some verses Quran has guided in context to “Birr” whereby believers want to do good things also as per their own desires and wish. The current era scholars testify what people desire to do. This is not the duty of scholar to testify desires of people. There are verdicts of stamps of scholars present to the extent that they are given permission of not wearing Hijab or shaving beard if people do not desire. Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi in one of his TV interview which I heard myself mentioned that some doctors from Thailand asked question about the fetus of child in the womb that this is very effective for various treatments. They said we have made a bank of fetus cells extracted from fetus before birth. Since Shia Fiqh does not allow abortion of child under any condition. The doctors gave all the benefits on how many lives the cells from fetus can save and how expensive they are sold. If you allow then we can also start this. Ayatullah says that they gave me a commission offer if you pass out a verdict and we can deposit a hefty deposit in advance. He said certain scholars allow such forbidden things which are clear corruption without any conjectures. The people desire that they should select Birr as per their desire. As I said some believers came few years back to serve water to Azadar during Ramadan in Juloos as a good deed and we refused. Quran says this is not Birr that you face East or West. Then Quran mentioned Birr where it mentioned Ahad. The Birr is to do a covenant and make the fulfillment certain. Traitorship in Arabic means one who has broken commitment. Against Ahad is either Wafa or Ghadr. There is no third situation. If you take back your commitment then this is Ghadr.
The verse is that the covenant which you strengthened, gave guarantee you should remember that which was we listened and obeyed. So live your lives as per that covenant. And this is Taqwa. If you protect your Ahad, Meesaq and not become Ghaddar (Traitor) then this Taqwa. The Quran has done one condemnation in Quran that some people say we are believers but Quran says they are traitors. The ones who did not do Ahad, those who have forgotten and those who did not fulfill are all same who claim to be believers. You do commitments and then break it. The end of such persons are also mentioned that they will become followers of Satan, Allah will extend , push them in the quagmire of bewilderment, confusions and they will spend their generations in that. Those who live a life with Noor but later go towards Naar (fire) are not attentive that all this has happened due to breaking of covenant. When you commit, you should fulfill.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: Zuhd is abstinence from Haram and not life
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 زُهْدَ كَالزُّهْدِ فِي الْحَرَامِ
Best Abstention is to refrain from Haram
Zuhd is the way of life but this enlightened thing has been explained has distanced it from Quran and put on the attire of Sufism (to abandon a normal worldly life). The word Dunya has several meanings. One meaning of world is that life before death and hereafter. One meaning of world are lowly , abased acts which makes man fall from the status of being human. One meaning of world are claims , hypothetical things which man has made up in minds but has no reality. Like the personalities which we have made without any reality that is some have titled as Chaudhary, Feuds, Lords, etc. One meaning are the condemned word.
Someone who fulfills all the demands of worldly life they are considered as worldly people. Those who are doing business they say we have taken care of our world as well, so they consider business as world. Similarly professionals, employees all consider their work as world. This is a secular atmosphere which made the world and religion are different. This working around, earning sustenance is not world but religion if they are delivered on the basis of divine guidance. It is not that Salaat is religion and trading is world. This is incorrect elaboration of religion. The Catholic had this law of celibacy that the priests should not get married which the protestants denied. Martin Luther did cleansing of Christianity. There are three types of Christians; the catholic, protestants and orthodox. The celibacy was that the priests will have to live a normal life, he cannot earn, cannot get married, live in isolation. This was present in other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism as well and is now also. The Hindu Swami, Guru also cannot marry. The Christian priests do not get married but have lust and this has now come out as a big crime with child molestations. The Hindus remove the root as well by eliminating it from body. They finish it from body and spend time in forests.
In Islam this celibacy is not there. You cannot forsake life, economy , business and whatever are the needs of life as necessity you have to deliver . And this also has to be done as religion that is order of Allah, in obedience of Allah. You have to form family, provide them food, sustenance, for this you have to earn in job, business, farming, etc. is also religion and not worldly life. You have religion in your home as well in mosque, in streets and in every segment of life. Wherever man is present the religion is there with guidance. There is no celibacy.
If you read the explanation of religion then you will find this celibacy. One of the term which is highly distorted is Zuhd. Today we consider that person as Zahid who does not do anything. Imam Baqir (a) has cultivated vegetables in his farm and used to do farming himself. The religious people taunted that such an esteemed person can also become worldly. We did not expect this from you. Imam (a) replied that is this world? He Shaked hands with Imam (a) and his hands were rough. Imam (a) said that Allah likes such hard hands only. This person said that you are immersed in world, means Imam should be found always in mosques or giving lectures. One student of imam became sick, imam went to see him. Imam asked him how are you? He said I am very happy during sickness as sickness is from Allah. He was teaching Zuhd to Imam. There were thousands who were students of Imams lectures but the visionary students of Imam Sadiq and Imam Baqir (a) were very few. He was showing off his Zuhd. Imam said we are not like this; we are happy on whatever comes from Allah. We should not set criteria on our own that when we are sick then sickness comes from Allah so we should feel happy on that only. Both sickness and health comes from Allah. If we are unhappy due to our own mistake then we should be displeased. Zuhd has been interpreted as abstinence from life and just be in worship.
Amirul Momineen (a) says that you should practice Zuhd on Haram. Zuhd is against Raghbat which means inclination towards something. Zuhd means to not incline and distance. You should distance from Haram. Quran says who has asked you to stay away from pure things. Like Ali would live on the bare minimum which was on values. This was Iqtesad of Ali which means your economic life should be spent on minimum but production should be maximum. Our Iqtisad is on Israaf now, which means to earn less and spend more and more. You should keep your system of consumption on minimum. But for earning, then earn as much you can. To spend less does not mean to put in bank, it means you spend less so that others can also get. We will express Zuhd further from his other sermon. If we see the life of Amirul Momineen (a) then it is full of Zuhd but his followers are much far away from the Seerat of Ali (a). The Shias are contradictory and standing in opposition, confronting with Ali (a) in terms of Seerat, Values and way of life.
