Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 3rd February, 2023
Sermon 1: Taqwa for humanity
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. Along with this ordained Taqwa as the protection plan for human being whose expanse is also till the range of human life. Man becomes careless about both guidance and protection. The first domain of human life is humanity, then second is belief and then third is Taqwa. The Taqwa in general is for every field of life and the most vast field of human life is humanity and Taqwa is also kept for humanity
In Surah Nisa verse 1
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا {1}
O people! Acquire Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and acquire Taqwa of Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you.
In this verse twice the mention of Taqwa has come and in this verse the uniqueness is that the believers are not addressed in this. The Naas that is humanity is addressed to acquire your Lord as Taqwa, and he is that Lord who has created you from single essence and then from the same essence made a mate for you and then from both of these Allah has extended and spread human generation whereby there are abundant men and women. Then again the order is given to acquire Taqwa of that Allah through which you question each other.
The Quranic religion is vaster than the sectarian religion. In this verse if we see all humans are targeted to acquire Taqwa. As per explanations given before Taqwa is to arrange means of protection through Allah. You have been informed about the dangers and the means through which you have to protect yourself. The threats which can cause perdition you have to protect yourself through your Lord. The verse says to make your Lord as Waqaya that is a shield for protection. That is to make the limits, arrangements made by your Lord should be adopted by you. The recognition of Lord has been done as one who has created you from one single spirit. When humanity is being addressed the Lordship is mentioned. This is because in the system of Uloohiyat of Allah the most felt, sensed attribute of Allah is Rububiyat. Any person even if they do not understand Allah in other aspects they grasp the lordship of Allah. The lordship is general to every creation but man can feel the Lordship. The first attire man takes from Allah is their existence. To grant existence is creation. After coming to existence the second thing which man needs is Lordship for nurturing. Then inside Lordship there are various other needs of man like sustainer. The beginning of man is from creation and with Lordship man is nurtured. All the materialistic creations come into existence as capability and potential. The beginning is from this seed whereby this potential nurtures into a full form. Human being also comes into existence as seed then the human form gets completed through Lordship. The way the gardener plants a seed and then the gardener nurtures the plant and this is what is Lordship. Allah nurtures all creations like this only. Tarbiyat stems out from Rububiyat only whereas Tarbiyat is that part handed over to man whereby he has to make his potential reach completion.
All humans who do not possess sense are termed as quadrupeds and animals. The one who has sense is aware that he has to get nurtured to completion and for this he needs everything. Man considers nurturing as essential but when he ponders to find who is my Lord possessing all the means of nurturing he gets misguided and considers someone else as Lord. Sometimes Firon, idols, some leader or even animals get considered as Lord. When man finds the source which provides the means of nurturing he considers that source as Lord. If he finds that his needs are fulfilled by cow then in his imagination Cow becomes lord or even a stone. If he finds a government as the one fulfilling your needs then that government becomes your Lord. This is where the misguidance starts for man. In creation man is contented that he has been created by Allah and not by cow, horse, stars or stones. Man knows what he has made and does not get into illusion that these things have created me. This would be a thinking of a crazy, insane person. The mistake of man starts from the point that whatever I need for my nurturing is provided by someone else. Like we know that we need certain essential things for survival like food, housing, clothing which comes from money. Who will give that money? It is with government or some capitalists. If the rights of ownership in our thinking is assumed to be someone else then we consider them as Lord. Firon used to say that I am the owner of everything. This land, water, place, fields, crops, mines are all owned by me. I am the Ilaah and your Lord. If man accepts what Firon is saying , or at times they don’t see but people accept them. Like Prophet Isa never considered himself as Lord, but people did. Like Ali (a) does not say I am your Lord or Allah but ignorant says. Anyone who establishes a fact that all my needs of Allah are controlled by someone else other than Allah who may be individual, group or governance. The maximum misguidance is here only. In surah Yusuf it is mentioned that majority of believers have Shirk in them. This Shirk is in what belongs to Allah or in acts of Allah they associate others in place of Allah.
If in humanity we guide them towards other names of Allah then they are not close to them. The Rububiyat is very close to testification. When the believers are addressed then various names of Allah are mentioned. But when humanity is targeted Allah referred to them as Rabb and asked them to acquire their Lord as the means of protection. This is a fundamental policy of Quran. Since we are distanced from Quran a lot hence we don’t realize these.
The way Quran has addressed believers which means the Quranic believer whose traits are expressed by believer. In sects the believers are not same but with Quran there is only one category of believers. You can consider anyone anything in sects. But in Quran Allah selects the title. In Quran we consider believer as one who believes in Allah, books, messengers and hereafter. The believers are those who accept these facts, realities and consider them as the foundations. Similarly when Quran says O you people! There is no sect, community or tribe in consideration. O believers! is address to that group amongst Naas (people) who have reached the level of faith. The Naas are in general every person.
O huma beings! Acquire Taqwa
If we take an example from the word we can better understand. We live in Pakistan where we are 240 million people of different people. There are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Shias, Sunnis and then various other sub divisions inside them. Then in Shias there are various sub sects of Shias. We have all types of categories in this country.
The protection here addressed to people also has the danger which man has from his own self. The biggest danger is from your own self. The Infallible Prophets have said that I do not consider my self to be free because my self sends me carnal commands. If you ask Pakistani do you commit mistake? Has anyone confessed mistake? We all say no so we are claiming to be infallible. We commit so many mistakes and see the losses we have caused to ourself. We should do any audit as to how much loss I have incurred to myself after maturity. The danger is more than what is caused by others to me. In misguidance, bad acts, character, corruption, evil acts our own contribution is more. This is where we need protection from our own evils of self. Then we have to protect ourselves from the evils of society. Then we have to protect ourselves from enemies. Is it possible that the 240 million people of Pakistan are not secure but a group of 50 million sitting inside say we are secure? The 220 million Muslims are not secure but a group sitting them says we are secure, this is against wisdom. If the society is not secure you are also not secure. If the country is not secure you are not secure as well. If the captain is not secure then the ship is also not secure you will also get annihilated irrespective of your sect and religion.
Quran is ordering on this basis to secure humanity first. Then if humanity is secure then believers will become secure, else if humanity is insecure then believers cannot remain secure. This is because humanity is a ship and you are sailing in that ship which you have to secure as well.
Now with this explanation again pay attention to this verse of Surah Nisa
Since we all know nurturing you can better understand Rabb and who is that Rabb , the one who created from us from single essence. What is this single essence we will discuss later.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: What is the real meaning of Ujb (self-conceit)
In saying number 113, Imam Ali presents a beautiful system for believers.
113. 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 fear from Allah, 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.
The discussion about Aql is very vast in Quran and teachings of AB. The second sentence is
وَلاَ وَحْدَةَ أَوْحَشُ مِنَ الْعُجْب
no loneliness is more estranging than vanity
Ujb has various meanings and arguments which has created doubts. We generally say self-love but there is a confusion present as regards to its reference. In Fiqh as well there are confusions in the meaning. We will express the meaning so that subject becomes clear to us. The cloudiness should go away. Ujb in general means self-conceit which then gets translated as self-love (hubbun nafs). This self-love is also a subject in traditions which is in Fitrat of human being. The things present in Fitrat are not evils but their crossing limits is an evil. We cannot say what Allah has kept in Fitrat is evil kept by Allah. Like Lust is in Fitrat of man and even in animals. Is this being an evil? If this was evil then why has Allah kept inside man? Lust is not evil but when it gets out of limit, deviates and leaves the system of Aql then it becomes evil. There are many things like abilities kept by Allah in Fitrat which are all good, but this ability can acquire an incorrect direction and use it. The use in incorrect direction is evil.
On this basis self-love is in the Fitrat of man hence it cannot be considered as evil in absolute sense. It is foolishness to say that man does not like good food, clothing, beautiful wife, etc. If he is man then he would definitely like good things which are not deficiencies provided it meets the conditions of being legitimate. Everyone likes good food, home , good cars which is in the Fitrat. The Tarbiyat is not that you make man go against his Fitrat. The one who is going against his Fitrat is adulterated person like a circus animal. A tiger becomes cat in circus. If Tarbiyat is not clear then man starts to go against Fitrat. Whatever you do is due to self-love.
You eat food, you protect yourself from hot and cold weather is because you love yourself. This self-love is necessary for survival else man will die. Ujb is expressed as self-love with a small precision point in it. You are taking guidance because you love yourself. Anyone who stops loving his self will commit suicide. The religion , teaching is arranged as per this self-love only to nurture your needs. The subject of self-love is different but since it is related to Ujb I have mentioned something about it.
Ujb is an Arabic word originating from AJB (Ain Jeem Be). In vocabulary the last point of something where it sends is termed as Ajb by Arabs. It is not every end, but that last point or end which when witnessed astonishes man. Like when we made mosque everyone was confused what is being made, as in the beginning you cannot estimate something. But when it gets done and we look at the final point if that develops astonishment in man. He looks from beginning to end and when reaching the final end it astonishes. The second point is that this should be something odd and not normal. Like you have seen height of man. If the color, height, reality of someone is witnessed by us, we get astonished and find it something not normal. This also means that I have seen something like this for the first time. This witnessing first time something which is out of normal, that feeling which develops inside man Arab terms this as Ajb. The Ajb means that final limit of something which develops astonishment and good feeling inside man. In terminologies Ajb is reality with some happiness inside man. The state that develops is Ajb and the thing that develops this astonishment is Ajeeb. This is in Fitrat present inside every human being as natural instinct. At times you express words of this astonishment as well in your own language like you say wow!. The word Tajjub comes from this to develop the feeling of astonishment. To surprise someone is Tajeeb which makes him feel happy. Tajjub means to develop feeling of astonishment inside your own self and Tajeeb means to surprise others.
From this Ajb the words Ajeeb, Tajjub, Tajeeb has come. Ajb is the name of feeling, the Tajjub means development of the feeling, Tajeeb means to develop feeling in others, Ajeeb is that thing.
Ujb is the same feeling of happiness but by your own work, beauty, family, children, home, car, assets. Then after this getting into astonishment without looking at the real mirror. When we look at ourselves without mirror we develop this feeling that I am an astonishing person, so much beautiful I am. This feeling by looking at your self is Ujb, if you get astonished by a beautiful building and feel happy that is Ajb.
Ujb is not becoming astonished that is Ajb. When man becomes happy due to astonishment man develops another feeling inside which is Ujb. Thus Ujb means to become happy on your own thing with astonishment. The astonishment comes up when you have not seen something like this. Like when you see bricks you do not get astonished because they are all same. You see people but not get astonished, you get astonished only when you see someone not normal or different. When we develop Ujb, then first we look at ourself and develop feeling of happiness along with astonishment. This means what you have seen in yourself is not normal means you are not finding it in others. You get astonished that I am such a big personality and no one like me. The Ujb is not self-love. It means to look at yourself, then get astonished that only I am unique and no one like this. The worship , sincerity, knowledge, speech, suggestions, planning , views, respect I posses it is not there with anyone else. When man develops such feeling then Ali says this person becomes isolated and this isolation he gets is dreadful. This is because this person loves himself, no one else loves him. When he develops this feeling that no one is the way I am, he gets Ujb and others also get frustrated from him. Ujb is not kept just inside, he expresses and convinces that I am the best, I am unique and no one like me. The pride, haughtiness and insulting others is an essential prerequisite but not the meaning. When man develops this feeling that what I have is not with anyone, then this person gets isolated and is dreadful. This feeling goes further and denies others as well. This is annihilation. Ali says live a sincere life and not a false life. Develop the feeling of cognition about yourself. If you are good then know that you are good but others are also better than you. With Maarifat others are not denied but with Ujb he denies others as well.
In one tradition, the Prophet was busy talking, one person came from behind and spoke. The Prophet (s) asked Who? He said “I” , the Prophet replied , I, I , I is what has drowned you. This I which comes is the outcome of Ujb. In recognition of self, you should recognize your realities, which is both good, evil, outward, inward. This is Maarifat.
