Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 21st June, 2024
Sermon 1: Meaning of Wilayat in Arabic literature and Quran
Sermon 2: Root cause for silence of Ummah on Palestine needs diagnosis
Social life is the actual dimension of human life whether other aspects of human life get nurtured under this. The most prominent field of social life is political life. Treachery and deception are not politics which is currently expected from politics. Politics means management of life, nation, home , economy etc. Since human life has will and choice, he needs a policy to manage his life which is religion on the basis of which Allah has sent the manifesto of guidance.
In social life the system on which entire social systems will get formed is Politics which Allah did not leave it for people to make. The way Allah created creation and gave certain things by default. And same way Allah has ordained the plan, management and politics for the social life. The title of social politics is Wilayat and man has to live his life under Wilayat. The system is Wilayat only if man acquires based on the policies of Allah it would be divine Wilayat else it would be Wilayat of Taghoot. Allah has not given Wilayat to Taghoot but people acquire it. When people select Wali, they select Taghoot but when Allah selects Wali it is as per Wilayat.
There is lot said, written about Wilayat but no one knows about the meaning of Wilayat. In this system of Wilayat Allah has talked about Taqwa which means you have to acquire Taqwa in Wilayat. If you acquire Taqwa in the field of social and political life then entire life in all fields will become secure.
In Surah Maida, verse no 57
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ {57}
O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers
Do not make Wali a certain category expressed above and acquire Taqwa if you are believers. If you do not acquire Taqwa in Wilayat then you are not believers. Human life becomes secure through the system of Wilayat.
In Verse 54 of Surah Maida
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ {54}
O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in Allah’s way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer; this is Allah’s Face, He gives it to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.
If you believers leave the system of Allah and go towards non-divine system then you will be allowed to leave but Allah will replace you with another community who loves Allah and Allah loves them. The second quality of theirs is they will be stern towards unbelievers and soft with believers. The third quality is they will struggle in the way of Allah means spend all their abilities in the way of Allah. It is not that they will spend their wealth for fun and personal entertainment. The abilities given by Allah they will spend in the way of Allah. The fourth quality of this community would be that they won’t be afraid of critics and taunting. This is a big trait because at times man can bear physical torture but cannot bear psychological torture. This is Allah’s grace granted to whom Allah wishes. These four qualities are not given to those who deny or turn back from divine systems, but present in those who come in their place.
In next verse , the Wilayat is given to these people who comes in the place of Murtad. They possess the qualities to acquire Wilayat.
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ {55}
Only Allah is your Vali and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow
The special system of Wilayat has been kept for specific people only those who qualify with these four traits. After mentioning these four traits in verse 54 and then in verse 55 Wilayat is mentioned as associated with these four qualities. We have listened to Wilayat from orators which is as per their taste and has resulted into distancing of Shias from this actual Wilayat.
In this verse the reference is made to Imam Ali (a) who paid Zakat in state of bowing in Salaat. This means Imam Hassan (a), Imam Hussain (a) and others did not do this , so are they are not Wali? How will you prove their Wilayat? This verse is presenting a policy. That Wali is Allah, his messenger , the believers who establish Salaat and pay Zakat in the state of Ruku as per Quranic term. This includes all Imams. This part needs further elaboration which we might do later in our Tafsir lectures.
In verse 56
وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ {56}
And whoever takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant
The one who accepts Wilayat are Hezbollah. The Hezbollah as per Quran are those who possess the four traits mentioned in verse 54. Along with four traits they accept the divine Wilayat and Hezbollah are triumphant and dominating.
In verse 57 the order of Taqwa comes up
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ {57}
O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers
The verse says whom you should not take as Wali. They are those who made mockery of your religion , playground whether they are from the followers of prior books or present and unbelievers. This is where you are ordered to acquire Taqwa. If you acquire Taqwa in Wilayat that is accepting divine Wilayat system only then your entire life and all aspects become secure.
What is Wilayat? All groups have discussed in details about Wilayat and the books present on this topic of Wilayat are so many that you need more than hundred years of life to study all books. But what is this Wilayat in Quran? Quran has used the normal Arabic language to express its meanings, but does not acquire the language of any specific sciences present at that time or coming in future. This means we should not try to understand Quranic terminologies through other sciences like Tasawwuf etc. Theology , Fiqh, Gnosticism are the sciences that came later stemming out from Quran hence they cannot become source of understanding Quranic terminologies. Quran has used the Arabic that was present before the descend of Quran. Hence to understand the word Wilayat , Wali we have to see the meaning in Arabic language and then see if Quran has used in the same context. When we read Quran translation, we should be careful as the translations are also done based on sectarianism. They try to extract sect from the Quran or introduce the sect in Quran. Like Taqwa is translated by everyone as being afraid from Allah or do abstinence. For Wilayat it is translated as friends or those near to Allah.
Wilayat is an Arabic word and there is always a root word Wa La Ya. The actual origin meaning is neither proximity, friendship or guardianship. The terminologies got born in Arabic culture and way of living. When Arabs place a linter on Camel or saddle on horse it hurts the back of horse. The horse and camel are worthy animals for Arabs. The backs of camel and horse specifically in summer get wounded due to the saddle. Hence, they keep a soft cloth between the saddle and back of animal. This cloth is termed by Arab as Walaya. It means you should not directly keep the saddle on the back of camel but instead keep this cloth. There is nothing that comes between the back and saddle. Walaya is that cloth which is directly kept on the back of animal without anything in between. From this the word Walaya got started to be used for other things as well.
When it rains in dessert, since dessert is dry the first rain when it falls all water is absorbed by the land. This rain does not come to any use for man. Then the next rain that comes without gap the Arabs would desire and wait, as the water will get filled in wells and other places. The first rain is termed as Wasmiya and second rain whose water becomes useful is termed as Walaya means immediately after Wasmiya. After this the Arabs started to use the term Walaya for anything that comes without any gap after something first and fulfills the needs unfilled by first.
Thus, the fundamental meaning of Walaya was anything that comes and covers, takes over something and fulfills the needs of that thing. Gradually this meaning started to be used for certain people as well. The Wali was that person who would come foremost to fulfill the need of anyone without any time or immediately. Like for small children the one who is care taker without anyone in between, or directly his shadow is on the children like the birds do it. If man does this then he is Walya. The first thing that comes to comprehend something and fulfill the needs.
The word Wali was used before Quran and Quran used this word in the same meaning. Man is living in a society and is in need and dependent in every aspect of life. There is no human being who is independent. The system which Allah has made for this needy creation to fulfill his social, individual, family, inner, outer, spiritual needs of believer without anyone in between, directly is Wilayat. This system is made for the protection of human life where Allah has comprehended human life. This is Wilayat.
First Allah has expressed that he has comprehended you from all around which means Allah has arranged for all the needs of man. This means all authority of human being is with Allah and the same status is being given to the Messengers of Allah. This means without any gap the person who has authority and dominates the society is Messenger. Then those who do Salaat, pay Zakat and do Ruku are also given Wilayat. This comprehension is to help and fulfill the needs. The most distant meaning which is not related to Wilayat is friendship. We have so many friends who do not come for our need or we do something. In Arabic Hubb is used for friendship. The Wali is the one who takes authority of the society and runs it in accordance with divine system thus fulfilling the need. The comprehension and authority are there to fulfill certain needs and given protection. Like the cloth placed on the back of horse is to protect the back from wounds. The same meaning is used by Quran. Wilayat means comprehension of human life which Allah has authority and then to others who Allah has allotted. This Wilayat is not just limited to Infallible. The entire world systems are running on Wilayat like of children ,wife, family, Khums, dead body all have mutawalli.
Wilayat in reality is a system, fortress that comprehends entire life of human being. Here Allah first says who are your Wali and then whom you should not be taken as Wali like those who do mockery of your religion. Here we translate as friendship. It does not mean you should not do hi hello with them. You should have friendship with all humans but you cannot make everyone as Wali. This is Taqwa where you have to demonstrate the sensitivity and protect the system and do not come allow anyone else to become Wali.
This is the week of Wilayat and we will continue this discussion.
SECOND SERMON
The current generation is presenting a direct proof that there is no humanity. Religion without Taqwa gives no benefits and the proof of this is Palestine. One group is doing tyranny, barbarism and rest all are silent. Human Fitrat reacts when it sees such scenes and cruelty even with animals. In animals as well when you see a dog attacks child and cat saves the child. This is animal instinct, but when loses Taqwa he becomes more abased than animals.
In Pakistan previously for an elephant a big international noise was made. Recently in Sindh a leg of live camel was chopped and entire nation is protesting. The governor of Sindh said he will send camel to Dubai for treatment. All this is hypocrisy. You have so much sympathy for a camel but you have no tears for forty thousand people, children, Muslims and on the right path in Palestine. This is beastliness.
Every sanctity has got violated in Gaza. The Muslims have done this most. Imam e Kaaba during Hajj has delivered a sermon to say and he prayed for Palestinians that Allah should give them water and food which looks like a big favor he has done on Palestinians. In this state of being unconcerned it is most necessary to know how these Muslims have become so shameful, insensitivity. Why Hamas is fighting and Israel is killing is known to us, but why Muslims are silent is due to a big disease which needs to be diagnosed. When Imam Hussain (a) started his uprising, many people tried to stop. Mohammad Ibn Hanafiya started from Medina to Mecca to stop Imam , and he held the reigns of camel of Imam Hussain (a) in Mecca not allowing him to proceed. Imam Hussain (a) gave a written testament to Ibn Hanafia. In this he wrote that I am going to do reformation of Ummah which means the corruption was in Ummah. He stayed for four months in Mecca and expressed the situation on daily basis but they did not move and not even a single person added to the numbers. The insensitivity was on peak and hence Imam (a) said that this Ummah needs reformation. If the Ummah becomes corrupt then in every era a tyrant will get born. Israel’s existence , being strengthened, attacking Palestine, destroying Gaza is the sign of corruption in Ummah. We all are responsible and we think that since we cannot do anything we are silent. You have mobile and you can post at least one message everyday on Facebook. Even if they close your page, make another one and their closing means it is effective. You can continue your protest continuously.
We have so much pain for camel, and yesterday one person was burnt for defaming Quran so why you are silent on Palestine. Entire world is waiting as spectators to see Palestine destroyed. The situation has changed and Hezbollah has kept their hands on the neck of Israel now. The war cabinet of Israel fought by hands internally and Netanyahu ended the war cabinet. There are cases in international courts against Israel. The Israel is surviving today due to these Arab rulers. The Arabs think if Hamas remain, they will end. The duty of Ummah is pending which everyone has to deliver.
