Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ali Mushkilkusha


When we observe life we understand that if there is one thing, there is always another thing to overpower that. For example if there is a hard cardboard which I want to cut with great precision ,I would require a sharp-edged cutter to do that. If I try without the cutter, I may hurt my fingers and may not be able to cut the board with precision. So the cutter has the ability to cut the board perfectly. It can overpower hard cardboard.

There are many such examples in our day to day life which compel us to think in this direction. I was listening to a radio station recently, and in the programme the discussion was on ‘safety tips’ in case of fire while working in a kitchen. The announcer advised the listeners to keep a bucket full of sand in the kitchen as a safety measure in case of accidental fire. During the emergency it can be emptied on the fire and fire will get extinguished immediately. The sand has the ability to overpower the menace of fire. Allah (SWT) has thus created a solution to every problem.


Now, when I generally ask someone about his life, most of the time I would get the answer that life is difficult and full of problems. So let us first find out why life is so difficult? What is the reason behind all problems and hardships which we face? And what is the solution available to all our problems?

In Quran, we are fortunate to have a best guide that can lead us to a better life. So I believe Quran can throw better light on the above issue. Hence, let us search Quran for the reason and May Allah (SWT) make our search successful.

Let us see the following Ayahs from (Surah-e-Hijr, Ayah 39-43):
“Satan ne kaha Ae mere Parvardigar chunke Tu ne mujhe raaste se alag kiya main bhi unke liye duniya main (saazo saaman) ko umda kar dikhaoonga aur un sabko zaroor behkaoonga magar un main se tere nire khare khaas bande ki wo mere behka ne main na aayenge.

“Khuda ne farmaya ke yehi raah sidhi hai ke mujh tak pahonchti hai. Jo mere mukhlees bande hai un per tujhe kissi tarah ki hukumat na hogi magar haan gumraahon main se jo teri pairvi kare usper tera zor chal jaaega aur haan ye bhi yaad rahe ke un sab ke waste aakhri wada buss Jahannum hai.”

Further in the Ayah from Surah-e-Airaf, Allah elaborates on Satan:
…Wo aur uska kunba zaroor tumhain iss tarah dekhta rehta hai tum unhain nahin dekhne paate. Hum ne shaitaan no ko unhi logo ka rafeeq qaraar diya hai jo imaan nahin rakhe….”– (Surah-e-Airaf, Ayah, 27)

 It is clear that the moment we get astray and start following satan our problems start. And if satan has got such a power, how can we fight him? We might feel that how can Allah (SWT) expect us to fight someone who is unseen? How can we be saved from satanic menace?

Since Allah (SWT) has created a solution to every problem, He must have created the solution to fight satan as well. Again Quran will guide us to the right solution. So let us search the Quran further.


Let us focus on the following Quranic Ayahs for this:
•(In Surah-e-Taha Musa (A.S) prays to Allah (SWT))
“Aur mere kunbe walon main se mere bhai Haroon (A.S) ko mera wazir bana de uske zariye se meri pusht mazboot kar de aur mere kaam main usko mera sharik bana na hum dono milkar kasrat se Teri tasbih karein aur kasrat se Teri yaad karein Tu to hamari halat dekh hi raha hai. Farmaya Ae Musa (a.s) tumhari sab darkhwastain manzoor ki gayee.” – (Surah-e-Taha, Ayah 29-36)

So Musa (A.S) prayed to Allah (SWT) to make Haroon (A.S) his successor and help. It was Allah’s help which Musa (A.S) was seeking vide his brother Haroon (A.S). And Allah (SWT) granted all that which Musa (A.S) prayed for.

•(In Surah-e-Airaf, Ayah 142, Musa (A.S) instructs Haroon (A.S))
“Aur Musa (A.S) ne apne bhai Haroon (A.S) se kaha ke tum meri quam main mere jaanashin raho aur unki islaah karna aur fasaad karne walon ke tariqe per na chalna.”

• (In Surah-e-Maryam, Ayah 53, Allah (SWT) says this for Musa (A.S))
“Aur Hum ne unhain apni khaas meharbaani se unke bhai Haroon (A.S) ko unka wazir bana kar inaayat farmaya.”

It seems logical from above that It was not only Musa (A.S)’s wish but even Allah (SWT) wished that Haroon (A.S) be the successor of Musa (A.S). Haroon (A.S) was a great help to Musa (A.S) and he was an appointed guide for Musa (A.S)’s quam (community).

If we relate this with Islamic history we will find that in every holy war fought during the time of Rasool (SAW), Mawla Ali remained steadfast and firm in the battle field. Almost all the commentators who have mentioned wars like Badr, Ohad, Khandaq, Khyber and many more vouch for his commitment and faithfulness towards Rasool (SAW) and Islam.

And that is the reason Rasool (SAW) has said about Mawla Ali that:
“Ali, you are to me as Haroon (A.S) was to Musa (A.S)
(Ref: Jalalu'd-Din Suyuti in Ta'rikhu'l-Khulafa, page 65; Abu Abdullah Bukhari in his Sahih, Volume III, the Book of Ghazawa, Qazwa Tabuk, p. 54, and in his book Bida'u'l-Khalq, p. 180; Muslim bin Hajjaj in his Sahih, vol II, p 236-7, Sawa'iq Muhriqa, P-30,34 and more)

“Ali is your guide and all of you are to come to me at the Hauz-e-Kausar… (Ref: Kanz-ul-Ummal Vol2, p. 350)

 So as Haroon (A.S) was a great help to Musa (A.S) so was Mawla Ali to Rasool (SAW). If Haroon (A.S) was the successor of Musa (A.S) appointed by him and Allah (SWT), Mawla Ali was the successor of Rasool (SAW) appointed by him and Allah. If Haroon (A.S) was a guide for Musa (A.S)’s quam Mawla Ali is a guide for Umah-e-Rasool (SAW). Hence call for “Ya Ali Madad” is seeking refuge under a duly appointed guide to safeguard ourselves from ‘satanic misguidance’.

Let us move further in Quran and see whether we can find more proof to above claim. For this purpose let us contemplate on the following Ayahs from Surah-e-Maida:
“Ae Imaandaro tumhare malik sarparast to buss yehi hai Khuda aur uss ka Rasool (SAW) aur wo momineen jo pabandi se namaz adaa karte hai aur haalat-e-ruku main zakat dete hai…” – (Surah-e-Maida, Ayah 55)

All the commentators and researchers are unanimous in their opinion that this refers to Mawla Ali when he gave his ring to a beggar while bowing down in the ‘ruku’. (Ref: Imam Nasai in Saheeh-e-Nasai, Aljam’a Bain-ul-Sihah-ul-Sittah, Sa’labi)

So Allah (SWT) with this ayah appoints Mawla Ali, alongwith Himself and Rasool (SAW) as leader & guide to the Muslim world. Allah further says in the subsequent ayah…

“Aur jisne Khuda aur Rasool (SAW) aur unhi Imaadaro ko apna sarparast banaya to Khuda ke lashkar main aagaya aur issme shak nahin ke Khuda hi ka lashkar ghalib rehta hai.” – (Surah-e-Maida, Ayah 56)

 Life is getting simpler now, accepting Mawla Ali as our ‘malik’ and ‘sarparast’ along with Allah (SWT) and Rasool (SAW) we are amongst the army of Allah which is never defeated. And once in His army our every step is a “Jihad” in Allah’s path. Even when we follow our day to day routine it is a Jihad. Hence call for “Ya Ali Madad” is to be a soldier in Allah’s army which is the greatest honour ever. And no satan can ever create problems for us then.

Now our life is secured as we are in Allah’s army but what happens when we leave this world? We will focus on the following ayahs and contemplate on them:

•“Aur jo log Khuda ki Raah main mare gaye unhain kabhi murda na kehna, balki wo log zinda hai magar tum unki zindagi ki haqeeqat ka kuch bhi shaoor nahin rakhte.” – (Surah-e-Baqra, ayah 154)

•“Aur jo log Khuda ki Raah main shaheed kiye gaye hai unhain hargiz murda na samjhna balki wo log jeete jaagte maujood hai, apne Parvardigar ki taraf se tarah tarah ki rozi paate hai.” – (Surah-e-Aale Imran, ayah 169)


From the ayahs of Surah-e-Maida, which we discussed in above section, we understood that accepting Mawla Ali as our leader along with Allah (SWT) and Rasool (SAW), we are part of Allah’s army till the time we are alive and our every step then is in His path. While the above two ayahs say that if a person dies in Allah’s path he is shaheed, he is alive. I believe that is why Mawla Ali has said this in Nah-jul-balagha that:


“Aur jo log Khuda aur us ke Rasool (SAW) aur unki Ahl-ul-bait ke haq ko pehchante hue bister per bhi dum tode wo shaheed marta hai..”
-( Nah-jul-Balagha, Khutba, 188)

 Call for “Ya Ali Madad” gives us entry in Allah’s army till we live. Our life is a jihad in Allah’s path and when we leave this world we are shaheed.

In the beginning of this article we had seen the ayahs from Surah-e-Taha, where Musa (A.S) has prayed for Haroon (A.S), now let us see what are Rasool (SAW)’s prayers for Mawla Ali and his ‘mohib’:

“O our Lord! Love those who love Ali, despise those who will despise Ali; support those who will support Ali, reject those who will reject Ali.” -- (These words were spoken by Rasool (SAW) after the declaration at Ghadir-e-Khum)

He also prayed : “ O Allah! Befriend that one who befriends Ali and be inimical to that who bears ill-will to Ali”- (Ref: Kanzul Ummal Vol 2. P 350)

And Allah (SWT) has said this in Quran:
Us din yeh (gunehgaar) log sifaarish per bhi qadir naa honge magar haan jis shakhs ne Khuda se sifaarish ka iqraar le liya ho.” – (Surah-e-Maryam, ayah 87)

The above ayah mentions that during the day of judgment, along with gunehgaar there will be certain people who have taken promise from Allah (SWT) and their ‘sifaarish’ will be accepted. Now most of the commentators have written that the word ‘ Iqraar le liya’ or ‘taken promise’ is the promise of loving and following Imams. (Ref: Tafseer Dhur Mansoor, Vol 4, Sawaiq-e-Mohriqa and many more)

We just saw in the above hadees, that Rasool (SAW) prayed to Allah to befriend those who befriend Ali and Allah (SWT) has mentioned in the above ayah that those who have taken promise will be able to seek favours (sifaarish) from Him. Seeking favours is to love and be a friend of Imam. And Imamate started with Mawla Ali. He is Imam-e-Muttaqin. He is Ameer-ul-momineen. Thus loving him gives us privilege to seek favours from Allah (SWT). What an honour!

 Our research has been successful. Quran has given the final verdict. A bucket full of love for ‘Abu Turab’ (Mawla Ali) will save us from the ‘fire’ of Satan. He is the solution to all satanic problems. If we love and accept him as our Mawla and leader from the bottom of the heart, we are guided. We are in the Allah (SWT)’s invincible army, our life is a ‘jihad’ and we die as martyr even if we die on a bed. We become Allah’s friend who can seek favours and whose ’sifaarish’ will be accepted by Him. That is why he is “Mushkil Kusha”. So why not we all together say “YA ALI MADAD”!

1 comment:

Manzur..ALI said...

Ya Ali Madad, nice explaination