Book - IV

The Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad

We return to our study of the Upanishads. We are sure that by now things are far more clear to you about the identity of the devas. We are treating this Upanishad individually considering the importance attached to it as one of the most important of the Upanishads. It forms part of the Satapatha Brahmana. We have already mentioned a part of this Upanishad earlier in this book. Let us study some portion of it again. We start with the fourth Brahmana, which has already been mentioned before. It talks of the creation of the noors of Mohammad and Ali, then of Fatima and their sons, Hasan and Husain. See I.4.3:

He (the original Self) verily, had no delight. Therefore he who is alone has no delight. He desired a second. He became as large as woman and a man in close embrace. He caused that Self to fall into two parts. From that arose husband and wife. Therefore, as Yajnavalkya used to say, this is one half of one self, like one of the two halves of a split pea. Therefore this space is filled by a wife. He became united with her. From that human beings were produced.
We have seen earlier how the Masooms form an inseparable part of our bodies. Without them, there would be no life. The same is described in the aforementioned verse. Also, Yajnavalkyas words are significant and describe that Mohammad, Ali and rest were all alike, like the two halves of a split pea. Moreover, we have already commented on the statement from that arose husband and wife. Since

Fatima was born out of Mohammad, this statement is extremely significant. Mohammad and Ali didnt become husband and wife but from the self of Mohammad and Ali arose husband and wife.

I.4.5: He (God or original self) knew, I indeed am this creation for I produced all this (subsequent selfs like Mohammad, Ali, and succeeding Imams). Therefore he became the creation. He who knows this as such comes to be in that creation of this.
This talks of the deviations that had occured in the Vedic teachings by the time of Yajnavalkya. People knew that the cosmos was created created by the Masooms for the worship of God. But they had forgotten the latter part and had started worshipping the Masooms themselves. Attempt is made here to stress that since Masooms themselves were created by God, God verily is the Creator of all this. See I.4.6:

When they (the people) say sacrifice to him, sacrifice to the other one, all this is His creation and indeed He Himself is all the gods (devas). And now whatever is moist, that he produced from semen, and that is Soma. This whole is just food and the eater of food. Soma is food and fire is the eater of food. This is the highest creation of Brahma, namely that he created the gods (deva) who are superior to him. He, although mortal himself, created the immortals. Therefore, it is the highest creation. Verily, he who knows this becomes in this highest creation.
This also speaks of the deviations that had occurred. People had started given sacrifices to individual devas, when they should have been given to God. They surely are the highest creation of God and are immortal. This

knowledge is so important that one who knows this becomes part of this highest creation.

I.4.7: At that time this was undifferentiated. It became differentiated by name and form (so that it is said) he has such a name, such a shape. Therefore, even today this is differentiated by name and shape (so that it is said) he has such a name, such a shape. He (the self) entered in here even to the tips of the nails, as a razor is (hidden) in the razor-case, or as fire in the fire-source. Him they see not for (as seen) he is incomplete, when breathing he is called the vital force, when speaking voice, when seeing the eye, when hearing the ear, when thinking the mind. These (Divine Personalities) are merely the names of his acts. He who meditates on one or another of them (Divine Personalities) he does not know for he is incomplete, with one or another of these. The self is to be meditated upon for in it all these become one. This self is the first-trace of all this, for by it one knows all this, just as one can find again by footprints (whatever lost). He who knows this finds fame and praise.
This verse indicates that the fourteen are so alike in nature that for a long time they remained without a name. In order to distinguish them certain appellations were given at a later stage. They pervade everything to the tips of the nails, as a razor is hidden in the razorcase, or as fire in the fire-source. All activities and powers, even trifle ones like breathing, seeing, hearing, thinking, etc. emanate from them. Since all are alike and collectively form the Manifested Self of God, it is wrong to meditate on them individually. One who knows this position truly finds fame and praise. Others are destined for ignominy in the long life.

I.4.8: That Self is dearer than a son, is dearer than wealth, is dearer than everything else and is innermost. If one were to say to a person who speaks of anything else than the Self as dear, he will lose what he holds dear, he would very likely do so. One should meditate on the Self alone as dear. He who meditates on the Self alone as dear [and not on their physical forms], what he holds dear, verily, will not perish. I.4.9: They say, since men think that, by the knowledge of Brahman, they become all, what, pray, was it that Brahman knew by which he became all?
We have said earlier Brahman is the name of this Paramatma or the Manifested Self. True knowledge is about recognizing the Non-Manifest Absolute God. Brahman surely knew this and it was this knowledge that made him supreme. Doesnt the tone and subject of these verses reveal that attempt is being made to lead the people, who had taken to worship of devas as gods, back to God? How sad indeed that from that extreme we have now moved to the other extreme when we do not even know the identity of the devas and some of us interpret their appellations of Indra, Agni, Vayu as the material sun, fire and air.

I.4.10: Brahman, indeed was this in the beginning. It knew itself only as I am Brahman. Therefore (after chanting) it became all. [After chanting has been unnecessarily added, and changes the meaning. Brahma was one, then the entire world was created out of it, so it became all.] Whoever among the devas became awakened to this, he indeed became that. It is the same in the case of seers, same in the case of men. Seeing this, indeed, the seer Vama-deva knew, I was Manu and the

Sun too. This is so even now. Whoever knows thus, I am Brahman, becomes this all. Even the devas (divine persons) cannot prevent him becoming thus, for he becomes their self. So whoever worships another divinity thinking that he is one and another, he knows not. He is like an animal to the devas. As many animals serve a man so does each man serve the devas (divine persons). Even if one animal is taken away, it cause displeasure, what should one say of many (animals)? Therefore it is not pleasing to those that men should know this.
Brahman or the Self pervades inside us through the noor of Masooms to such an extent that sages of yore used to say that they were themselves Brahman. Not only the sages, we have even seen the Sufi saints of Middle Ages chanting the same. Unfortunately, we didnt recognize the true essence of their wordings. One who progresses on the spiritual journey through this path attains union with God. Again, in order to correct the views of the people of the time, it is said that even the devas cannot prevent this. Factually the devas would never prevent a person as this indeed is their aim. But in order to drive home the message, Yajnavalkya has used such words. Now we wish you to see verse 1.4.11 of Brhadaranyaka:

I.4.11: Verily, in the beginning this (world) was Brahman, one only. That being one, did not flourish. He created further an excellent form, the Ksatra power, even those who are kshatras (rulers) among the devas, Indra, Varuna, Soma, Rudra, Parjanya, Yama, Mrtyu, Isana. Therefore, there is nothing higher than Ksatra. Therefore at the Rajasuya sacrifice the Brahmana sits below the Ksatriya. On

Ksatrahood alone does he confer this honour. But the Brahmana is nevertheless the source of Ksatra. Therefore, even if the king attains supremacy at the end of it, he resorts to the Brahmana as his source. He becomes more evil as he injures one who is superior.
We have seen that terms Rudra, Indra, Varuna, Soma, etc. have been used for the Masooms in the Vedas. Interestingly, these terms have been used for the origin of Kshatriyahood. It is clear from this that the aforementioned devas created Kshatriyas as fighters against the evils that had got associated with Brahmans. Till that time all were Brahmans. But when attempts were made to rectify the beliefs, those who accepted it were called Kshatriyas and those who remained adherent to earlier beliefs remained Brahmans. Sometime after this cleansing, the Kshatriyas too deviated from the core teachings and another class of Sudras were created. This verse also indicates that there was a time when bitter rivalry existed between Kshatriyas and Brahmans because of their different beliefs and till much later there were certain Kshatriyas who considered injuring of Brahmans permissible, even though by the time this verse was revealed, Kshatriyas themselves had deviated to such an extent that several attempts had been made to cleanse their beliefs. Yajnavalkya has criticized those Kshatriyas, who had started injuring the Brahmans, considering that they were on the right and Brahmans were on the deviated path. It seems self-proclaimed champions of religion have always been misusing Jehadlike tools to further their selfish aims and objectives. This book itself is a manifest proof why armed warfare, unless in self-defense, is unlawful, until we have taken the Divine Consent, that is only possible when a Divine Messenger or Representative says so. In such a case, it becomes obligatory on each of us to abide by what he

says. Otherwise, you have seen how we can be on the wrong, when we have not thought so in our wildest dreams. This shows that the animal inside us is basically violent in nature. True realization of ones self enables a person to pursue peaceful living. Fighting is prohibited unless under the command of a true representative of God. This is so because the representative from God is aware of Gods will, and he, as it is controls our life in all manners. With time, Kshatriyas started fighting for material gains just as the Jehadis of today, who fight for their ego, vanity, material gains, etc. but seldom for God.

I.4.12: Yet he (Ksatriyas) did not flourish. He created the vis (the commonality), these classes of devas who are designated in groups. The Vasus, the Rudras, Adityas, Visvedevas and Maruts.
Ksatriyas too underwent the common ailment. The next class that was created was the Vaishyas. This was followed by the creation Sudras.

I.4.13: He did not flourish. He created the Sudra order, as Pusan. Verily, this is Pusan (the nourisher), for she nourishes everything that is.
When the Self still did not gain the position it ought to have, the Self created the Sudra order, as Pusan (the nourisher) for the Self nourishes everything on earth. Satan again had its way, and the community that the fourth attempt to lead mankind towards the right path too faded with time. So much so that today, even though the Varna system divides our society into rigid classes, none knows of the true reason why these classes were created. Consequently, all the four classes are equally deviated as the rest of mankind, including the Muslims. The injunctions in Manusmriti to confiscate the properties of Sudras or to kill them too must be seen in

this light. Perhaps deviations had occurred to such an extent at some particular time that some representative from God allowed their killing just as Krishna himself participated in a war to kill the highest-ranking Kshatriyas and Brahmans at a later stage. Similarly, Ali waged a war against those who began to call Ali as God. How could he have permitted this deification of his own personality, in his own lifetime, when as deva, all his time had been spent in leading the world to the worship of One Absolute God.

The purpose of these processes of refinement, which led to creation of various castes, is mentioned in I.4.15. Even if one performs a great and holy work, but without knowing this, that work of his is exhausted in the end. One should meditate only on the Self as his world. The work of him who meditates on the Self alone as his world is not exhausted for, out of that very Self he creates whatsoever he desires.
It is evident from this verse that religiosity and religious rituals were still adhered to, but people forgot the real purpose of all religiosity i.e. to meditate on the Self alone as his world but without knowing this, that work of his is exhausted in the end. The same thought is mentioned in Gita again, consequent to which he asks Arjuna to fight the Kauravas, because they, despite being apparently religious, had removed God from their lives. Let us now study the Fifth Brahmana of this Upanishad, which again refers to number seven, and talks of the seven kinds of food produced by the Father of knowledge and austerity. One of his foods was common to all beings, means that the food of his, which is eaten, is that which is common to all (the original self). Two, he assigned to the devas,

three he made for himself, one he gave to the animals.

He who worships that (one) food is not freed from evil for, verily that (food) is mixed with others and is common to all.
Note that in Upanishadic terms we all have been compared to food. The true purpose is to reserve this food for God rather than allowing it to be eaten away by satanic forces, when engaged in acts of evil. Or it can be reference to the fact that all of them would be killed. This can be understood by the following text that talks of a sacrifice or giving oneself up to the animals.

Two, he assigned to the devas, three he made for himself, one he gave to the animals.
No doubt, Husain is described here when it is said that he gave it to animals. If we notice, animals have been described earlier as those who worship deities, other than God (I.4.10). Husain was killed by people who claimed that they followed the same religion as him, yet Satan reigned supreme on their hearts and mind, and other deities like worldly power, lust, material wealth, had subdued their senses. See the verse continuing:

But they also say that they are the new moon and the full-moon sacrifices.
Radhakrishnan says that at first, men and animals live on milk alone. Therefore they make a newborn babe first lick clarified butter or put it to the breast; likewise they speak of a newborn calf as one that does not eat grass. The same calf eats grass at a later stage. Our view is that the difference between Hasans and Husains stand and their consequent sacrifices is being mentioned here. Vedas too, we have seen, deal with the subject in similar manner. Both the sacrifices are surely different due to the needs of time, just as a

calf is fed milk and after a year given grass. Why then they do (the people) not decline when they are being eaten all the time? tells the story of the period after Mohammad, when all type of oppression was being carried out on people by Muawiya and Yazid yet they remained mute witness to all. Upanishad invites all people to decline to live under oppression and injustice. God alone is to be worshipped. When God alone is considered the ruler of our self, people would stop supplicating to imperialistic powers. He who knows this imperishableness stands for the imperishableness of life for the righteous through death. Husain was ready to live a life of a recluse, but when the greatest imperialist power of that period, in the form of Yazids mighty army, wanted him to forsake his religious freedom in front of Yazid, he knowing fully well the imperishable nature of life, decided to sacrifice his entire family, including his own life, but didnt bow down to the wishes of Yazid. Who emerged victorious, Yazid or Husain? No dictionary says that the victor is the person who has killed and looser is the person who got killed. Instead, victory is for the person who is able to attain his objectives, while loss is to the person who is unable to fulfill his objectives. The history proves who attained his objectives, and who failed? Hasans stand has been described as the new moon sacrifice and is akin to the milk that is given to the young calf, which is followed by grass, when the calf grows up. Husain too would have done the same had he been in Hasans shoes. Likewise, Hasan too would have sacrificed himself, had he been in Husains position at Karbala. In I.5.12, Mind has been used for Mohammad, Heaven for Fatima and Sun for Ali. See how breaths meaning Hasan and Husain are said to be a byproduct of union of Sun and Heaven. That Vital Breaths are

Hasan and Husain has been described at several places in the Upanishads and it seems that people of the period were even aware of this.

I.5.12: Now of this mind, heaven is the body and its light-form is that sun. As far as the mind extends so far extends the heaven, so far that Sun. These two entered into union and from that was born breath. He is Indra. He is without a rival. Verily, a second person is a rival. He who knows this has no rival.
It is clear that heaven has been used for Fatima and sun or Aditya is the Ali. As far as mind (Mohammad) extends so far extends the heaven, so far that Sun. Heaven and sun (viz. Fatima and Ali) entered into union and from that the breath viz. Hasan and Husain were born. Terms like Heaven, Sun, and Speech are oft used for the devas. Now we know who is what. The statement He is without a rival. Verily, a second person is rival too cannot be explained without subscribing to our view point. Indra (Mohammad) being the highest of all creations is without a rival. But there is indeed a person named Ali who exactly similar to him, owing their common source of births, and hence is a rival. Thereafter, it is said, He who knows this has no rival.

I.5.13: These are all alike, all endless. Verily, he who meditates on them as finite, wins a finite world. But he who meditates on them as infinite wins an infinite world.
That Mohammad said that all of them were alike is being described in this verse. The verse says that they are finite as well as infinite. How can this be? This surely is not reference to God as more than one is talked about. Unless you believe that this is the mention of devas who, while in heaven are infinite, and on earth are finite, you wont be able to understand this verse.

I.5.17: When a man thinks that he is about to depart, he says to his son, you are Brahman, you are the sacrifice and you are the world. The son answers, I am Brahman, I am the sacrifice, I am the world. Verily, whatever has been learnt, all that taken as one is knowledge. Verily, whatever sacrifices have been made, all those, taken as one are the world. Al this is indeed this much. Being thus the all, let him preserve me from this world, thus. Therefore, they call a son who is instructed world-procuring and therefore they instruct him. When one who knows this departs from this world he enters into his son together with his breaths. Whatever has been done by him, son frees him from it all, therefore he is called a son. By his son a father stands firm in this world. Then into him enter those divine immortal breaths.
We know now with certainty that the big sacrifice being defined here is reference to Husains sacrifice at Karbala. Radhakrishnan says that the word samprattih here means transmission. It is so called because the father in this manner transmits his own duties to his son. Putra: from pur, to fill and tra to deliver, a deliverer who fills the holes left by the father. But what is it that the father was to transmit? It clearly shows that people of the period were waiting for the time when Husain would come so that they could sacrifice themselves along with him. Clearly, the father too considered it his duty to give himself as sacrifice when that need emerged. But since during his lifetime, the time for that grand sacrifice did not come, he passed on the responsibility to his son, who vowed to give himself as sacrifice. It is through the sons act that the father was to stand firm in the next world. This is not the first time that this sacrifice is being

talked about. See I.2.6 He desired: Let me sacrifice again with a greater sacrifice. This is same as a greater sacrifice, which God talked about in Quran, as regards to Husains sacrifice. Initially people were aware that their rituals were to remember these sacrifices. However, at some phase during the long passage of time, this knowledge was lost and what remained was a ritual exercise without a purpose.

I.5.21: In whatever family is a man who knows this, they call that family after him. And whoever strives with one who knows this shrivels away and after shriveling dies in the end.
Such was the importance that was given to sacrifice of Husain. Whoever knew of this was successful and one who was unaware was akin to being dead. Chapter Two further elaborates on this knowledge itself, which has been described here. It starts with describing the conflict between Gargya (a Brahmana) who mediated on the Self and its manifestations, and Ajatasaturu, the Ksatriya, who meditated on the Absolute. In fact, this chapter further talks of the Seven Imperishable Ones, whose names are Rudra, Parjanya, Aditya, Fire, Indra, Earth, Heaven. We need not tell anymore who are the people meant by Rudra, Indra, Earth or Heaven. II.1.20 says:

As a spider moves along the thread, as small sparks come forth from the fire, even so from this Self come forth all worlds, all divinities, all beings. Its secret meaning is the truth of truth. Vital breaths are the truth and their truth is it (that has been told here).
Such was the importance given to seven. Seven vows that the a couple takes in the name of Siva and

Parvati, at the time of marriage, were actually the seven vows in remembrance of these names. In Part-I, we have already mentioned the importance attached to seven. Muslims too value this number a lot. Even Husain is said to have moved forward and backward seven times with the dead body of Ali Asghar in his hands. Perhaps he wanted to show that that his action was what each of the Imams would have committed had they been in his place. Yet individually we may take these Personalities as the Torchbearers of the Path of Truth, we have to treat them as one, and worship only the original Self, from which they were born. Every being in this world, including these selfs were composed from the One Divine Self. The importance of this Self has been told by Yajnavalkya to his wife on his deathbed. See for yourself.

II.4.6: The Brahmana ignores one who knows him as different from the Self. The Kshatriya ignores one who knows him as different from the Self. The devas ignore one who know them as different from the Self. The beings ignore one who knows them as different from the Self. All ignores one who knows it as different from the Self. This Brahmana, this Kshatriya, these worlds, these devas, these beings, and this all are this Self.
The fact that Upanishads hold a divine secret can only be understood by reflecting on the verses. This is mentioned in II.4.4, which ask everybody to reflect. Sayana compares those who recite Vedas without brains to lifeless pillars which bear the weight of the roof. The same has also been said in Gita:

Just as a donkey bearing the weight of sandalwood knows its weight but not its fragrance, so also is a Brahmana who knows the text of the Vedas and scripture but not their significance.

However, the purpose of creation of all these Selfs was to lead us to the worship of the Original Self, manifested form of the Almighty God. This is the knowledge that is the secret of all Vedas and Upanishads, and this was something that was passed on by the righteous to the righteous-minded people, when they were about to die. See what Yajnavalkya (perhaps a saint or a Prophet of his time), when he was about to leave the present state (i.e. body), said to Maitreyee, who asked Yajnavalkya to pass on what he knew before he departed. Yajnavalkya asks Maitreyee to reflect on what he was about to say. Let us also try to reflect while reading II.4.5:

II.4.5: Then he (Yajnavalkya) said: Verily, not for the sake of the husband is the husband dear but a husband is dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of the wife is the wife dear but a wife is dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of the sons are the sons dear, but the sons are dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of wealth is wealth dear, but wealth is dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of Brahminhood is brahminhood dear but brahminhood is dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of Ksatriyahood is Ksatriyahood dear but Ksatriyahood is dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of the worlds are the worlds dear but the worlds are dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of the devas are the devas dear but the devas are dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of the beings are the beings dear, but the beings are dear for the sake of the Self. Verily, not for the sake of all is all dear but all is dear fro the sake of the Self. Verily, O Maitreyee, it is the Self that

should be seen, heard of, reflected on and meditated upon. Verily, by the seeing of, by the hearing of, by the thinking of, by the understanding of the Self, all this is known.
After this, he told this verse that we have already mentioned before.

II.4.6: The Brahmana ignores one who knows him as different from the Self. The Kshatriya ignores one who knows him as different from the Self. The worlds ignore one who knows them as different from the Self. The devas ignore one who knows them as different from the Self. The beings ignore one who knows them as different from the Self. All ignores one who knows it as different from the Self. This Brahmana, this Kshatriya, these worlds, these devas, these beings and this all are this Self.
Sure Self is the purpose of this world; this is what is being communicated here. Even the Vedas, the Upanishads, the sciences are due to this Self indeed. How much we know of this Self is known to you already!

II.4.10: As from a lighted fire laid with damp fuel, various smoke issue forth, even so my dear, the Rg Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, Atharvangirasa, history, ancient lore, sciences, Upanishads, verses, aphorisms, explanations and commentaries. From this, indeed, are all these breathed forth. II.4.11: As the ocean is the one goal of all waters, as the skin is the one goal of all kinds of truth, as the nostrils are the one goal of all smells, as the tongue is the one goal of all tastes, as the eye is the one goal of all forms, as the ear is the one goal of all sounds, as the mind is the one goal of all determinations, as the heart is one goal of all

forms of knowledge, as the hands are the one goal of all acts, as the organ of generation is the one goal of all kinds of enjoyment, as the excretory organ is the one goal of all evacuations, as the feet are the one goal of all movements, as speech is the one goal of all Vedas.
One goal of the entire Universe should be the identification and unity of Self. This is what Yajnavalkya talks about here.

II.4.12: As a lump of salt thrown in water becomes dissolved in water and there would not be any of it to seize forth as it were, but wherever one may take it as salty indeed, so verily, this great being, infinite, limitless, consists of nothing but knowledge. Arising from out these elements one vanishes away into them. When he has departed there is no more knowledge. This is what I say, my dear: so said Yajnavalkya.
This verse brings the surprise about which the need for reflection has been mentioned. Please note that this is no ordinary sentence, there is sure going to be a great secret in it. Yajnavalkya is about to die, and Maittreyee asks him to pass on the knowledge. But what knowledge is this? Self pervades universe as salt gets mixed with water. But if Self is God, how can Self depart, departure of which will mean no knowledge? Naturally, Maittreyee is unable to comprehend and Yajnavalkya explains:

II.4.13: Then said Maittreye: In this, indeed, you have bewildered me, venerable sir, by saying that, when he has departed there is no more knowledge. Yajnavalkya said: Certainly I am not saying anything bewildering. This is enough for knowledge.

Did you understand? Jesus foretold of the time when the Divine Spirit would come on earth. We have mentioned before that Mohammad alone was not that Divine Spirit. But when all the fourteen components of that Spirit descended on earth, the Spirit had come. Yajnavalkya is referring to that alone. All 14 devas originate in the Self. All together comprise the Self. That Self alone is to be worshipped. Naturally Maittreyee was perplexed when Yajnavalkya said that even that Self would depart that pervades the universe like salt in water. When the last of the portion of God (Baqiatullah) would depart from earth, there would be no knowledge. Once there would be no knowledge, there would be no world that would survive. Certainly I am not saying anything bewildering, said Yajnavalkya. This is enough knowledge.

II.4.14: For where there is duality as it were, there one smells another, there one sees another, there one hears another, there one speaks to another, there one things of another, there one understands another. Where, verily, everything has become the Self, then by what and whom should one smell, then by what and whom should one see, then by what and whom should one hear, then by what and to whom should one speak, then by what and on whom should one think, then what and whom should one understand? By what should one know that by which all this is known? By what, my dear, should one know the knower?
It is unfortunate indeed that despite Upanishads trying so laboriously to make us understand a few vital points, we have been unable to do so. Yajnavalkya explicitly says that he talked of duality to express the point. If no duality would have been brought in, we would have never understood that devas would come to earth at a

certain time.

When he (Self) has departed there is no more knowledge. And one should understand the God through this Self indeed.
This duality has previously been talked about at other places in this Upanishad, as in II.3.1.

II.3.1: Verily, there are two forms of Brahman, the formed and the formless, the mortal and the immortal, the unmoving and the moving, the actual and the true.
This is reference to Non-Manifested and Manifested God with a Self through whom God created and controls the universe. III.8.2 is another example that proves that those who aspired for true knowledge were killed or punished.

She (Gargi) said, As a warrior son of the Kasis or the Videhas might rise against you, having strung his unstrung bow and having taken in his hand two pointed foe-piercing arrows, even so, O Yajnavalkya, do I face you with two questions. Answer me these.
Janaka in Chapter III performs a sacrifice where many presents were offered to the priests. Brahmanas of the Kurus and the Panchalas were gathered together there. Janaka offered to give 1000 cows to the most learned of Brahmans. To the horns (of each cow) were fastened ten coins (of gold). None of the Brahmans dared to come forward but Yajnavalkya drove the cows away. Asvala, the hotr priest of Janaka of Videha, asked Yajnavalkya whether he was indeed the wisest among all priest there. Yajnavalkya said,

We bow to the wisest Brahmana but we just wish to have these cows.

This is not a general sentence, but tells the entire social situation of the time. Religion of the court was the religion of the masses. The priests of the Kuru and Panchalas were there for the cows and the accompanying gold coins. How could austerity and real religious beliefs prevail in such a situation? The questions asked by the priests clearly indicate that the sacrifices were common but they didnt know for whom were they meant. Moreover, the questions that were asked by the supposedly religious heads were not about God but about worldly things. And it was Yajnavalkya who led the answers towards God. Even the scriptures were talked about as the scriptures of sacrifices (II.7.1). Irony indeed, that those who had studied the scriptures of sacrifices didnt know what were these sacrifices for and for whom. This explains why Krishna had to fight the war with the most religious priests of the time. Krishna himself says at numerous occasions that this war has become imminent because these people have removed God from their lives and most of their time is spent in entertainment or pursuing worldly objectives; even the rituals were performed for the love of heaven and not for God. Neither were these people open to reason, to which Krishna devotes an entire chapter in Gita. However, there were men like Yajnavalkya even then who continued on their mission to impart the true teachings about Self. Verse III.5.1 explains how degradation had come in the Brahmans. Note this verse also indicates that Brahmans were initially adherents of a particular way of life (you may call religion).

Now Kahola Kausitakeya asked him, Yajnavalkya, said he, explain to me the Brahman that is immediately present and directly perceived, that is the self in all things. This is your self which is

in all things. Which is within all things, Yajnavalkya. It is that which transcends hunger and thirst, sorrow and delusion, old age and death. The Brahmans, having known that self, having overcome the desire for sons, the desire for wealth, the desire for worlds, live the life of mendicants. That which is the desire for sons is the desire for wealth, that which is the desire for wealth is the desire for the worlds for both these are but desire, therefore let a Brahmana, after he has done with learning, desire to live as a child. When he has done (both) with the state of childhood and with learning, then he becomes silent meditator. Having done with (both) the nonmeditative and the meditative states, then he becomes a Brahmana (a knower of Brahman). How does a Brahmana behave? Howsoever he may behave, he is such indeed. Everything else is of evil. Thereupon Kahola Kausitakeya kept silent.
In verse III.8.9, the views of Yajnavalkya are summed up.

Verily, at the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, the sun and the moon stand in their respective positions. At the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, heaven and earth stand in their respective positions. At the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, what are called moments, hours, days and nights, half-month, months, seasons, years stand in their respective positions. At the command of the Imperishable, O Gargi, some rivers flow to the east from the white, mountains, others to the West in whatever direction each flows. By the command of that Imperishable, O Gargi, men praise those who give, the devas (are desirous of) the sacrificer and the

fathers are desirous of the darvi offering. III.8.10: Whoever, O Gargi, in this world, without knowing this Imperishable performs sacrifices, worships, performs austerities for a thousand years, his work will have no end; whosoever O Gargi, without knowledge of this Imperishable departs from this world, is pitiable. But, O Gargi, he who knowing the Imperishable departs from this world is a Brahmana.
We leave it to you to decide whether our devotion or worship to God has been accepted till now or not! The aforementioned verse again tells that it was possible for anybody to depart as Brahmana from this world and those who assigned Brahminhood to a particular group of people were on the wrong.

III.8.11: Verily, that Imperishable, O Gargi, is unseen but is the seer, is unheard but is the hearer, unthought but is the thinker, unknown but is the knower. There is no other seer but this, there is no other hearer but this, there is no other thinker but his, there is no other knower but his. But this Imperishable, O Gargi, is pace woven like warped woof.
In the end, Yajnavalkya, who was being asked questions till that time, asks a question, but no body is able to give the answer to this. See III.9.28:

1. As is a mighty tree so, indeed, is a man; his hairs are leaves and his skin is its outer bark. 2. From his skin blood flows forth and sap from the skin (of the tree). Therefore when a man is wounded blood flows as sap from a tree that is struck. 3. His flesh is its inner bark, his nerves are tough like inner fibres. His bones are the wood within

and the marrow is made resembling the pith. 4. A tree when it is felled springs up from its root in a newer form; from what root does man sprung forth when he is cut off by death? 5. Do not say from the semen for that is produced from that is alive. A tree springs also from the seed. After it is dead it certainly springs again. 6. When born, he is not born (again) for who should create him again? Brahman who is knowledge, bliss is the final goal of him who offers gifts as well as of him who stands firm and knows.
Even a person can offer himself as gift; this person who offers himself as gift is one who stands firm and who knows (the true nature of God). Verse IV.1.1 onward is a chain of verses that, in the end, give an altogether different reason why the true names of Masooms were not mentioned in advance. This also tells that the name of one of these persons as Indra. We have explained earlier that the Divine Personalities mentioned took birth as humans, and it is not possible to accept the generally acceptable meaning that says that god Indra is being mentioned. Also we have derived that Indra is none other than Mohammad. Now see the chain of verses yourself. Yajnavalkya is in the court of Janaka (king) of Videha. Yajnavalkya talks of the abode of the support of self. Initially, as if to hide what he is to say, he tells several incomprehensible explanations but ends them by saying that My father thought that one should not accept gifts without having instructed. He leaves this as an indicator that he has not instructed anything in that verse (IV.1.2). Also, this was said as a lesson to all those priests present in the court who merely fooled the kings and didnt pass the true knowledge to them.

In IV.2.1, Janaka says that he is willing to be instructed. It is evident from conversation that Janaka is well equipped with the teachings of the Upanishads, and had studied the Vedas. Yajnavalkya asks him, Where will you go when you are released (from this body)? and Tells him of the Person to whom he will go.

IV.2.2: Indha by name is this person who is in the right eye. Him, verily, who is that. Indha people call Indra, indirectly, for the devas are fond of the indirect, as it were, they dislike the direct.
The fact that people had doubts about the identity of these people can be known from the Rg Veda, which says of Indra:

Of whom they ask, where is he? Of him indeed they also say, he is not. In another hymn, the priests are invited to offer a song of praise to Indra, a true one, if in truth he is, for many say, There is no Indra, who has ever seen him? To whom are we to direct the song of praise?
This shows that Indra had not come till the time of Rig Veda. No body had seen him by then. Yet Rig Veda goes on to talk of Indra at innumerable places. The verse saying that no body has ever seen him, even when the same Vedas are replete with his name is proof that all myths about Indra meeting people or Indra producing children were product of fictitious thinking. A verse here shows that people who understood Brahman the way he ought to be understood were called Brahmana. Gradually this became a hereditary thing rather than concerned with a certain thought process. This verse also explains the relation of Brahman to Self. The following verses talk about death and says that those who become one without duality, at the time of death, attain the highest goal.

IV.3.19: As a falcon or any other bird having flown around in the sky becomes weary, folds its wings and is borne down to its next, even so this person (after moving along both the states the state of dream and the state of waking and having seen good and evil) hastens to that state where he desires no desires and sees no dream. Such a person becomes like water, one, the seer without duality. (IV.3.32). This is the world of Brahma. This is his highest goal; this is his highest treasure; this is his highest world; this is his greatest bliss. On a particle of this very bliss other creatures live.
Again, both the states are being described here. One when the devas are part of the Self and reside perhaps in the heaven and the other when they come down to earth. One who recognizes both the states is left with no wish, as all his wishes are granted. IV.4.1 says that even when a person is about to die, the breaths gather round him. Since he is becoming one, he neither sees, nor smells nor tastes, nor hears, nor thinks, nor touches. When Self departs, life departs after him. When life departs the vital breaths depart after him. He becomes one with intelligence. Intelligence departs from him, or is left in the brain. Then, his knowledge, and his work take hold of him as also his past experience. This again refers to the breaths gathering round a person about to depart. What are these breaths? Truly, they are the breaths that were discussed earlier, progeny of heaven and sun. They are Masooms. They gather around every one about to depart. Shias are of the belief that Ali and the rest of the Masooms come to the bedside of the righteous to relieve the person from the pain of

death. Note that Yajnavalkya has again used words that clearly reveal that certain superhuman beings are talked about, who are not God, as they are plural. How cleverly has Yajnavalkya ensured that the information he wishes to give reaches the intended people!

IV.4.4: And as a goldsmith; taking a piece of gold turns it into another, newer and more beautiful shape, even so does this prana, after having thrown away this body and dispelled its ignorance, make unto himself another, newer and more beautiful shape like that of the fathers or of the gandharas, or of the Devas or of Praja-pati or of Brahma or of other beings. On this there is the following verse: When all the desires that dwell in the heart are cast away, then does the mortal become immortal, then he attains Brahman here (in this very body). Just as the slough of a snake lies on an anthill, dead, cast off, even so lies this body. But this disembodied, immortal life is Brahman only, is light indeed, Your Majesty. IV.4.14: Verily, while we are here we may know this: if not we would be ignorant, great is the destruction. Those who know this become immortal while others go only to sorry. IV.4.19: Only by the mind is it (self) to be perceived. In it there is no diversity. He goes from death to death, who sees in it, as it were diversity.

Knowledge of the Self Core of Upanishadic Teaching

Most Upanishads are replete with mention of the Self and the seven names or fourteen bodies as its constituents. Verse 1.2:4 of Mundaka Upanishad talks of the seven and does not fail to state that one of them is a devi. We have seen earlier how Puranas state that of the 14 Manus, one is a devi. Even in case of Manus, number seven was used at times, indicating that Manus and devas are one and the same. We fail to understand how commentators failed to notice even this.

I.2.4: The seven moving tongues of fire are the black, the terrific, the swift as mind, the very red, the very smoky-coloured, the spark blazing, the all-shaped (or all-tasting) goddess (translated for devi).
Next verse tells clearly that there would be a time when these seven tongues, of whom one is a devi, would come shine on this earth, like the various rays of the sun. It is stated that this would happen at an appropriate time. Our view is that by performing work and making offerings when they would shine, the same view is expressed that was told in Brhad-aranyaka, as per which people used to tell to their sons to sacrifice themselves for the devas, when they would come. See I.2.5:

Whosoever performs works, makes offerings, when these are shining and at the proper time, these in the form of the rays of the sun lead him to that where the one lord of the gods (read devas) abide.
Verse 1.2.6 again shows clearly that the devas had not come by then and through ritual offerings, aim

was to invite them to come. This is the translation of Radhakrishnan where a sacrificer is praying to them so that they come and carry him along. See I.2.6.

The radiant offerings invite him with the words, come, come, and carry the sacrificer by the rays of the sun, honouring him and saluting him with pleasing words: This is your holy world of Brahma won through good deeds.
Calling this world as your holy world of Brahma won through good deeds is reference to the point that God created the universe when pleased with the worship of devas. Verse 8 tells clearly that those who consider themselves as wise but are ignorant of this knowledge are blind.

I.2.8: Abiding in the midst of ignorance, wise in their own esteem, thinking themselves to be learned, fools, afflicted with troubles, go about like blind men led by one who is himself blind. I.2.9. The immature, living manifoldly in ignorance, think we have accomplished our aim. Since those who perform rituals do not understand (these 7 moving tongues of fire) because of attachment, therefore they sink down, wretched when their worlds (i.e. the fruits of their merits) are exhausted.
Isnt the aforementioned verse again states that it is not possible to accomplish ones spiritual aim without recognizing these seven devas? People who are not able to recognize these seven moving tongues of fire are described as wretched, immature and ignorant. Are our knowledgeable scholars aware of any explanation about the identity of the seven?

I.2.10. These deluded men, regarding sacrifices

and works of merits as most important, do not know any other good. Having enjoyed in the high place of heaven won by good deeds, they enter again this world or a still lower one.
Those who perform righteous acts without the knowledge of Self may get temporary rewards but eventually has to come back to earth, more likely in a lower state. Salvation is attained only through recognizing the Self in its two states, as has been mentioned before. We move ahead to give you still more examples. In Svetasvatara Upanishad, sage Svetasvatara gives the cause of our creation as something else than the Brahman (God). Clearly Brahman created the devatmasakti (the power of the combined soul of devatas), as mentioned by none else than Radhakrishnan, and then the mankind was created out of this Divine Atma (Self), when Brahman (God) was pleased with their worship. The fourteen devas who were created out of this One Self or devatma sakti govern our bodies. It can henceforth be inferred that the cause of creation through the atma of the devatas was to worship the Brahman. Svetasvatara Upanishad refers to this devatma-sakti (self-power) as the cause of this universe, and goes on to say in verse I.4 that the rope of this devatma sakti is manifold (as it comprises of 14 devatas, each a ruler of the 14 spheres, and also the rulers of our organs of senses and action. See Paingala Upanishad). In this Upanishad, Sage Svetasvatara is asked the question, What is the cause? Brahman? Whence are we born? By what do we live? And on what are we established? Svetasvatara replies that the cause is the devatma-sakti, which is presided by the Brahman (God). He says:

O ye who know Brahman, presided over by whom do we live our different conditions in pleasures

and other than pleasures (pains).

Now see the succeeding verses in succession:

I.2. Time, inherent nature, necessity, chance, the (five) elements, the womb or the person be considered as the cause? It cannot be a combination of these because of the existence of the soul. Even the soul is powerless in respect of the cause of pleasure and pain. I.3. Those who followed after meditation and contemplation saw the (devatma-sakti) self-power of the Divine hidden in its own qualities. He is the one who rules over all these causes from time to the soul. I.4. Him (the self-power), whose one rope is manifold.
See how clearly this Upanishad states that the selfpower created by God divided into manifold self, all bearing the same characteristic. In the next verse, this rope is compared to a river of five streams, which together comprise the Life (Prana). We have already quoted a similar verse in Book-I, where Life is described. Just as a rope comprises of several ropes, each of which has similar attributes and may have further sub-ropes, similarly, five devas comprise the five streams, and from them emanate the 9 sub-streams. This make us come to a very important observation. We have seen that on countless occasions it is stated that one who cognizes the Imperishable devas is Brahmana. For instance, Brhad-aranyaka says:

II.4.6: The Brahmana ignores one who knows him as different from the Self.
And at another place, it is said:

III.8.10: Whoever, O Gargi, in this world, without

knowing this Imperishable performs sacrifices, worships, performs austerities for a thousand years, his work will have no end; whosoever O Gargi, without knowledge of this Imperishable departs from this world, is pitiable. But, O Gargi, he who knowing the Imperishable departs from this world is a Brahmana.
Here it is said that the devatma shakti or self-power is manifold. This brings us to the conclusion that the sacred thread that Brahmans began to tie on their bodies was in remembrance of this rope. It was expected to remind them time and again of their purpose in life. Unfortunately, they continued to tie the thread, yet forgot the purpose.

I.5. We meditate on him as a river of five streams, from five sources, fierce and crooked, whose waves are the five vital breaths, whose original source is the five-fold perception, with five whirlpools, an impetuous flood of five pains, divided into fifty kinds with five branches. I.6. In this vast Brahma-wheel, which enlivens all things in which all rest, the soul flutters about thinking that the Self in him and the Mover are different. Then, when blessed by him, he gains life eternal.
Clearly, the five rivers are not the five elements. Whoever the rivers are, they are capable of blessing us, which can only be done by an eminent sage. Blessing by these persons are of such a nature, that one who gets blessed attains life eternal, that means to say that the person becomes one with God and attains salvation. Therefore, it is emphatically made clear that we should not get confused when we see them taking birth in human form. The soul flutters about thinking that the Self in

him and the Mover are different. When these five entities who comprise Prana or Life (the One Self is the Prana or Life) bless a person who recognizes their true worth and gets to know the relationship between his individual self with them and their relationship with Brahman (the God), then the person attains salvation. Gita too confirms this when it says that only such a person attains to wisdom, and becomes one with God. The same is being said in the verse that follows:

I.7. This has been sung as the supreme Brahman and in it is the triad. It is the firm support, the imperishable. The knowers of Brahman by knowing what is the rein become merged in Brahman, intent thereon and freed from birth. I.8. The Lord supports all this which is a combination of the mutable and the immutable, the manifest and the unmanifest. And the soul, not being the Lord, is bound because of his being an enjoyer. By knowing God is freed from all fetters.
This explicitly says that all animate and non-animate beings are supported by a combination of the manifest and the unmanifest, mutable and the immutable. Clearly, non-Manifest and Manifest are references to the Absolute God. Mutable and Immutable refers to devas taking birth in this earth and devas created from the Self. Manifest state of God is actually the Immutable state of devas. The three together comprise the triad. This triad is the firm support, the imperishable. The knowers of this truth become merged in Brahman, and get freed from birth.

I.9. There are two unborn ones, the knowing and the unknowing, the all-powerful, the other powerless. Indeed there is one who is unborn, connected with the enjoyer and the objects of enjoyment. And there is the infinite self, of universal

form, non-active. When one finds out this triad, that is Brahman.
The same thing described above is described here in another manner. Two unborn ones comprise the Manifested Self in the form of devas in heaven and they taking birth as human forms. The Self may have been created by the God but not in this Manvantara. We have mentioned from a Purana in Part-I that this is the 994 th world in which the same devas continue to dwell. It is said that this would continue till the 1000 th . From this, it is clear that the Manifested Self too is unborn. This Self is all knowing and all-powerful. However, when the devas take birth as human forms, they are unknowing and powerless. One can imagine what kind of knowledge and power has been bestowed upon them by God when, even in the state which is described as unknowing and powerless, Ali goes around saying Ask whatever you wish, before I leave and the Masooms showed such amazing miracles that confounds our rational thinking. Apart from these two, there is the infinite Self, the God, who is essentially non-active after creating the Manifested Self. One attains unity with the God only when one gets to know this Triad. It is this triad that has led people like Ramanuja to suggest the doctrine of triune unity. It is this that the Christians believe. However, neither Ramanuja nor the Christians could have understood what the unborn ones mean. Muslim scholars have criticized the Christian concept of triad, but the fact is that the triad does exist even though it had been misunderstood till now.

I.10. What is perishable is the pradhana. What is immortal and imperishable is Hara. Over both the perishable and the soul the one God rules. By meditating on Him, by uniting with Him, by reflecting on His being more and more, there is complete

cessation from the illusion of the world.

When they would come to live on this earth, that is the perishable form, termed as pradhana. Their soul is immortal and imperishable, termed as Hara. The God rules over the perishable form of theirs when they would come to live at a secret place in this earth and also on their soul. This is the only route to get united with the God, by reflecting on this more and more, one gets complete cessation from the illusion of the world. When such is the affect on us, then these Divine Beings, when they would come to live in this earth, must be totally aloof from the illusion of the world. You already know now that when they came to live here, how they were totally united with God in worship, how they were totally removed from this world and yet, how they cared for all the beings living in this world.

I.11. By knowing God there is a falling off all fetters; when the sufferings are destroyed, there is cessation of birth and death. By meditating on Him, there is the third state; on the dissolution of the body, universal lordship; being alone, his desire is fulfilled.
The purpose of these devas is to lead us to God. Since various Upanishads like Paingala Upanishad confirm that the devas were created from the pure (sattvik) essence of Vishnu, the soul in a human body at the time of birth is in pure state, it being directly related to the devatmasakti. The purpose of creation of the world was that it would worship the God. However, when the man didnt do this, the soul became impure and when such a person dies, the soul is not in a position to reunite with the Divine Soul from which it had come and henceforth, continues to take rebirth in different wombs, depending on the state of the soul. Gita confirms this as well. The devas ceaselessly try to lead us to God and wont be satisfied until all the souls get united with the God. This

is the desire that devas are ceaselessly trying to fulfill. In order to fulfill this desire, they even took birth in human form, lived a life of hardship and even gave sacrifices of their happiness as well as life, but continue working to achieve their objective. The one who is referred to as Kalki Avatar in Vishnu Purana and elsewhere, or the last of the 14 devas, would surely achieve that goal. Presently, it is our duty that we live the life in such a manner that we give these devas reason to be pleased with us. From this, we conclude that the various Prophets and Messengers who were sent on this earth were appointed by the Manifested form of God, which is known as Paramatma. All Messengers reiterated the same teachings, albeit in more refined form than the predecessor. Even the Buddha said that his teaching was only a restatement of the four ancient truths, cat vari arya-satyani . (See Dhammapada, Introduction) In a subsequent work of ours, we will also see how Krishna, contrary to popular belief, only confirmed what Rama had said before, and they both confirmed what was present in the Vedas. Similarly messengers were sent to other parts of the world as well, that is why we find reference of these devatas in ancient Greek, Roman scriptures and even those of the Red Indians of America. This process of restating, that has been described by Buddha, continued all through history till when these devatas themselves decided to take birth as humans.

I.12. That Eternal which rests in the self should be known Truly. There is nothing beyond this to be known by knowing the enjoyer, the object of enjoyment and the mover; everything has been said. This is the Threefold Brahman.
This also says that the ultimate aim is to know the Eternal God. Devatma-Sakti as referred by Radhakrishnan

ceaselessly works to attain that objective, whether in deva state or present on earth as human beings. Everything has been said and there is nothing that is to be said apart from this relationship of ours with the Absolute Brahman, through the path shown by the devas when they come to live on earth and through the help of Divine Self (the devatma-sakti). This alone is the Threefold Brahman.

I.13. As the form of fire when latent in its source is not seen and yet its seed is not destroyed, but may be seized again and again in its source by means of the drill, so it is in both cases. The self has to be seized in the body by means of the syllable Aum.
The Eternal is very much present in the self inside our body but it cannot be truly known without the means of the syllable Aum. That merely uttering a word lead us to such a state; it would be nave to think so! Salvation cannot be attained unless we know the meaning of Aum truly. We have seen how Aum too is related to the flight towards attaining unity with God, but through a bird composed of fourteen devas, one of whom is a devi. The vowels of Aum signify the five devas, who were created from the One Self called Life or Prana, and the ardh-matra signifying the 9 devatas, also part of the Prana or Life. We are sure you are already aware of the names of these 14 devas and their inter-relationship by now.

I.14. As oil in sesamum seeds, as butter in cream, as water in riverbeds, as fire in friction sticks, so is the Self seized in ones own soul if one looks for Him with truthfulness and austerity.
If we look for the Self through the help of Aum, signifying the fourteen devas, we will know that this is present in our souls itself. But truthfulness and austerity

are pre-requisite, without which it is not possible to realize ones self and attain unity with the God.

I.16. The Self which pervades all things as butter is contained in milk, which is the root of selfknowledge and austerity, that is the Brahman, the highest mystic doctrine. That is the highest mystic doctrine.
The Self may have 14 constituents, but when they all are united, that is Brahman, It is Brahman alone who is present in all of us as butter is so uniformly present in milk, through the devas. Verse 14 of Chapter II describes further the condition of one attaining unity with the Self. It says:

Even as a mirror stained by dust shines brightly when it has been cleaned, so the embodied one when he has seen the nature of the self becomes integrated, of fulfilled purpose and freed from sorrow. II.15. When by means of the nature of his self he sees as by a lamp here the nature of Brahman, by knowing God who is unborn, steadfast, free from all natures, he is released from all fetters. II.16. He indeed, is the God who pervades all regions, He is the first-born and he is within the womb. He has been born and he will be born. He stands opposite all persons, having his face in all directions. II.17. The God who is in fire, who is in water, who has entered into the whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees, to that God be adoration, yea, be adoration.
After talking about the God, the subject again returns to devas in the third chapter of Svetasvatara Upanishad. We have seen in Vedas that Rudra has been used for

Ali. Here it is explicitly stated that Rudra is the great seer, and source and origin of all the devas, the one who gave birth to the golden germ. It is he who rules all these words with his ruling powers, he is the protector, and it is he who after creating all worlds withdraws them at the end of time. See what III.1-2 says:

The one who spreads the net, who rules with his ruling powers, who rules all the world with his ruling powers, who remains one, while arise and continue to exist, they who know that become immortal. Truly Rudra is one, there is no place for a second, who rules all these worlds, with his ruling powers. He stands opposite creatures. He, the protector, after creating all worlds, withdraws them at the end of time.
Thereafter, all the devas or Masooms are described, who are compared to tree, established in heaven, from whom the whole universe is filled. These, described as Person, or one entity, is beyond this world, are without form and without suffering. Those who know that become immortal, but others go only to sorrow, it is said. See III.4:

He who is the source and origin of devas (powers), the ruler of all, Rudra, the great seer, who of old gave birth to the golden germ. (Hiranya-garbha), may he endow us with clear understanding.
Prayer to Ali is being made. It is he who is the great seer. (Remember the seven great seers of Gita). It is through him that all the devas and consequently all the beings originated. It is expressly stated time and again that through meditation on these devas, cognizing their true identity and complete knowledge about them and the path shown

by them, is the only path to immortality. Verse 3 of Jabala Upanishad too confirms this. Once students of sacred knowledge asked (Yajnavalkya): Can we gain life eternal by the repetition of formulas (mantras)? Yajnavalkya said (in reply) By (meditation on) saturudriya which are the names of eternal life, one becomes immortal. [Saturudriya again refers to the seven.] And see how the prayer to Ali (Rudra) is made in the following verses:

III.5: Rudra, your body which is auspicious, unterrifying, showing no evil with that most benign body, O dweller in the high places, look upon us.
Looking with the body shows that the prayer is being made to come on earth. Only then would Rudra attain human body. It is unfortunate that we, not even the Shia Muslims, know the greatness of Ali.

III.6: O Dweller among the highest, make auspicious the arrow which thou holdest in thy hand to throw. O Protector of the Highest, injure not man or beast.
The prayer continues till it reaches the mention of nine devas in the progeny of Alis son, Husain. See III.18:

The embodied soul in the city of nine gates sports in the outside, the controller of the whole world, of the stationary and the moving.
Isnt it the mention of a soul who would open up 9 gates to reach the city? Take note that Mohammad said:

I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door.

After bringing the readers till this stage, Chapter IV of Svetasvatara Upanishad proceeds with describing the appellations of these devas, as they are used in the Vedas. See for yourself:

IV.I. He who is one, without any colour, by the manifold exercise of his power distributes many colours in his hidden purpose and into whom in the beginning and at the end the universe is gathered. May He endow us with a clear understanding.
The One Self from whom the fourteen were born is responsible for the beginning and end of this universe. Those who wrote this Upanishad also knew that they were deliberately not giving the names of these devas. That is why the prayer to endow us with a clear understanding has been made, when the relationship of the devas with the One Self or the Manifested Form of God is to be described in the succeeding verses. Also, this is done to indicate that certain hidden meanings are there, which can be unfolded by a bit of investigation and hard work. We must, however, commend the far-sightedness of those sages who wrote these Upanishads. The entire literature survived various turbulent periods in history only because the names were cleverly hidden. Unless they had hidden the identity of the devas cleverly, it would not have been possible for us to unearth the mystery regarding their true identity.

IV.2. That indeed is Agni, that is Aditya, that is Vayu and that is the moon. That indeed is the pure. That is Brahma. That is the waters. That is Prajapati.
Here, it said that the One Manifested Self represents all the seven devas. Agni, Aditya, Vayu, moon, Brahma, waters, Prajapati are appellations given to the seven devas. They all have emanated from the one Manifested Self alone. Seven names are being described here. It is these seven names that form the fourteen devas. We already

know them from our study of Rig Veda and Yajur Veda. Next verse will indicate that both sexes can be found in the seven names, thereby confirming again the inevitable presence of Fatima among the seven names as well as the fourteen devas. The Self constitutes all.

IV.3. You are woman. You are man. You are the youth and the maiden too. You, as an old man, otter along with a staff. Being born you become facing in every direction. IV. 5. The One Unborn, red, white and black, who produces manifold offspring similar in form (to himself), there lies the one unborn delighting. Another unborn gives her up, having had his enjoyment.
This verse again states the process described in Paingala and Brhad-aranyaka. How manifold offsprings were produced from the One Unborn Ali, to the delight of the other unborn, Mohammad, who had given Fatima in marriage to Ali, having lived with the devi during the initial years of her childhood and till adolescence. Mohammad and Ali were described in verse IV.5. It was said that one gave his daughter in marriage to the other Ali. Verse IV.6 calls them both companions who are always united, who both cling to the self-same tree. Again the reference of tree is made, through which we can understand the fig tree mentioned in Gita. This has confused the commentators of Gita and they have given wild meanings. Had they seen this Upanishad they would have known that this is reference to the emanation of devas from One Self. The fact that one became two, who became five and then they became 9 is similar to the branches of the tree. Another thing that we would like to stress is in regard to the reaction of Arjuna in Gita. Arjuna was asking

questions from Krishna, even when he was unable to understand a trifle point. When Krishna referred to this tree, Arjuna didnt react, which confirms our view that at least till the time of Krishna people were fully aware of the identity of these devas, but forgot it during the succeeding period. Further it is said that of the two, one ate the sweet fruit, while the other looked on without eating.

IV.6. Two birds, companions (who are) always united, cling to the self-same tree. (Of these two) the one eats the sweet fruit, and the other looks on without eating.
Upanishads have maintained that Mohammad and Ali, and in that aspect all the devas, were exactly similar. Not that Mohammad didnt say this when he said that Ali and he were the divisions of the same noor or said that all of them were Mohammad. This verse too says that they are identical but goes on to say that while one ate the sweet fruit, i.e. one became the Prophet of the Muslims and hence is seen reverentially by the world, the other i.e. Ali had to look on without eating as Caliphate was denied to him. This explains why Mohammad was extremely worried during his last few days, as he feared that Alis position would be usurped. The subject of Mohammad and Ali continues in IV.7:

IV.7. On the self-same tree, a person immersed (in the sorrows of the world) is deluded and grieves on account of his helplessness. When he sees the other, the Lord who is worshipped and His greatness, he becomes freed from sorrow.
Next verse still confirms the correlation between this deva mentioned here and the Rig Veda when it says:

IV.8. For him who does not know that indestructible

being of the Rig Veda, where on in the highest heaven all the devas reside, of what avail is the Rig Veda to him? They, indeed, who know that rest fulfilled.
You have seen how the Vedas are replete with the mention of the devas. It seems that during those times as well, there were people who didnt know the true content of the Vedas. Upanishad says clearly that the Vedas were of no use for such a person. On the other hand, one who is aware of the true content of the Vedas rests fulfilled. See how so much stress is given in verse after verse and Upanishad after Upanishad about this knowledge. This is a clear indication of how serious is the issue of forgetting the identity of these devas.

IV.9. The Vedas, the sacrifices, the rituals, the observances, the past, the future and what the Vedas declare, all this the maker sends forth out of this, in this the other is confined by maya.
This verse further tells the importance of these devas in our lives, whose identity we have forgotten with time. It tells clearly that the God sent the Vedas, and created sacrifices, rituals, observances, the past, the future and what the Vedas declare, only through these Masooms or devas. Doesnt it confirm the view held by several Upanishads that all animate and inanimate beings are related to God through the Masooms? God has confined all things in the Masooms, through his maya. This also confirms that these devas are the controller of the whole world, of the stationary and the moving. And they alone are the subject of discussion in the Vedas, which have been created by God to reveal the identity of either one or all of them.

The first verse of the first Chapter of KausitakiBrahmana Upanishad, also called Kausitaki Upanishad, too refers to the Vedas as fuel, which used to give answers to all the hidden questions that people had. (See verse I.I). Moreover, this Chapter of the Upanishad also deals with the important subject of our death and its relationship to these devas. Apparently, some question is asked after death, and the souls inability to answer those questions, brings this soul back to earth, thereby leading to rebirth. In case the soul answers the question, it goes to the heavens and gets free from rebirth. See verse I.2.

Those who verily, depart from this world, they all, in truth, go to the moon. The moon, verily, is the door of the world of heaven. Whoever answers it (properly), him it sets free. But whoever answers it not, him having become rain, it rains down here.
What are the questions asked from a soul upon its death that are so important that on their answer depends whether we would go to heaven or whether we would have to take rebirth in this world. The tremendous stress given in each of the Upanishads regarding the identity of the devas make us believe that the question would be pertaining to these devas alone, and their relationship with the God. They have already been described at various places as the controller of the whole world, the Vedas have been described to be created because of them, and those who know the devas are said to be the ones who rest fulfilled. There are innumerable similar attributes described. Even in the Gita, Krishna mentions that knowledge of the self is the highest science and says that those who get to know the relationship between our souls with the self attain union with the God. You will be glad to know that the Shia Muslims have an answer even to this. They maintain that after the death of a person, the question is asked from the

soul regarding the God, the Prophet and the Imams. If the person is able to tell that he believe in One God and Mohammad is His Prophet and narrates the names of Mohammads rightful successors, he goes to heaven. Isnt it a proof that salvation is obtained upon successfully answering the questions? What the Muslims arent aware is that upon souls inability to reply correctly, it is sent back to earth as rebirth. After talking of the question to be asked from the soul, the Kausitaki-Brahmana Upanishad itself narrates the names of the 14 Masooms (devas) one by one, in Chapter IV, thereby giving the answer for those unaware. All this is work of God and it is He alone who is to be known. We have mentioned time and again that people from the time of the Vedas and till the time of Krishna knew the identity of the devas well. They used to meditate on them to reach God. It was believed that the fourteen devatas resided somewhere in the heavens and would take birth sometime in the future. As time progressed people deviated from the path. Devas began to be worshipped for material and worldly gains and even for the purpose of magic, etc. so as to harm others. The One God, creator of these Devas, was forgotten. The name of the devas was used by priests to accumulate wealth, to control their hold on the kings and also to help the kings spread their domains. While the Upanishads of the earlier period and those which are part of the Vedas are seen to be explaining the identity of the devas in various ways, the Upanishads of period closer to the Mahabharata are seen doing the reverse. In fact, they confirm the importance of these devatas time and again but actually try to lead people back to their true worship and to the worship of One God, who had been totally forgotten. We have proved in this book how Mahabharata was actually a fight between these two groups. On one

side were the Bhishma, the Dronas and Kauravas who blindly worshipped the devas as gods and had digressed to such an extent that even the worship of devas had become only ritualistic and was accompanied by all the sins that they used to commit in the name of these devas. On the other side was the true Apostle - Krishna - who continuously reiterated the importance of these devas, all through Gita. At one point, he even says that it is not possible to reach the One God without knowing them, but laboured hard to introduce God, who had been forgotten by the people. Gita says that even the worship of these devas is permissible but that is the unorthodox way and the right path is to worship God while meditating on them and understanding their role in our lives. Arjuna too was an ardent worshipper of devatas, as all the rest of the people of his time, but eventually recognized the truth about the Absolute God and the purpose of creation of these devatas by Him, through reasoning, and came to Krishnas side. It is extremely unfortunate that we took to worship Rama and Krishna themselves, who came down to tell us that the devas are not to be worshipped and their importance is that they should be known and the path shown by them adopted so that we could reach the Absolute God. Consequently we forgot both the devas and the God. Kausitaki Upanishad is one of those Upanishads that confirms the importance of devas and leads us back to God. See these verses from Chapter IV. IV.3: Then Balaki said, The person who is in the sun, on him indeed do I meditate! To him, then Ajatsatru said, Do not make me to converse on him. I meditate on him who is the deva, clad in white raiment, the supreme, the head of all beings. He who meditates on

him thus becomes indeed supreme, the head of all beings.

IV.4. Then Balaki said: The person who is in the moon, on him indeed do I meditate! To him, then, Ajatsatru said, Do not make me to converse on him. I meditate on him as the self of food. He who meditates on him Thus becomes indeed, the self of food. IV.5. Then Balaki said, The person who is in the lightning on him, indeed, do I meditate. To him then Ajatsatru said, Do not make me to converse on him. I meditate on him as the self of truth. He who meditates on him thus becomes, indeed, the self of truth! IV.6. Then Balaki said, The person who is in the thunder, on him, indeed, do I meditate. To him then Ajatsatru said, Do not make me to converse on him. I meditate on him as the self of sound. He who meditates on him thus becomes, indeed, the self of sound.
Thereafter, the person who is in the air, space, fire, water, mirror, shadow, echo, sound, body, right eye, left eye are mentioned. In the end Ajatsatru said:

He, verily, O Balaki, who is the maker of these persons (whom you have mentioned in succession), he of whom this is the work, he alone is to be known.
See how intellectual debates too were common as regard to the identity of the devas and their relation to the One God. Unfortunately, at a later time, certain priests instigated others to raise an army in order to suppress the true teachings of Krishna. Consequently, the great fight of Mahabharata took place.

It is now as clear as daylight that there are fourteen devas, who were created from the One Self, which divided to become two, then the two became five and the five became fourteen. And surely, there is no doubt that Mohammad and his progeny comprise the 14 on earth. This alone is the subject of the fourth Chapter of Kausitaki Upanishad. One Self from whom all these devas were created and who is responsible for the creation of the entire world is known as Prajapati or Visva. Even this One Self (Prajapati or Visva) is not God, but the Manifested form of the God who is Non-Manifest in nature. That he is called Prajapati or Visva is evident in verse II.5 of Maitri Upanishad or Maitrayaniya Upanishad belonging to the Maitrayaniya Sakha or branch of the Black Yajur Veda. In response to the question about what things makes this body intelligent, the Upanishad says in Chapter II.

II.4. He, who is reputed as standing aloof amidst qualities, like those of vigorous chastity, he indeed is pure, clean, void, tranquil, breathless, mindless, endless, undecaying, steadfast, eternal, unborn, independent. He abides in his own greatness. By him this body is set up as possessing intelligence or in other words, this one verily is the driver. Then they said, How Revered Sir, by this kind of desireless being is this sort of thing set up as possessing intelligence, or in other words, how is this one its mover? The he said to them.
It is clear from this verse that God is not the subject of mention here. This is a person, who would later be described as Prajapati and Visva. His attributes are described in detail and it is said that intelligence in us is because of this person. It is to be noted that while describing the varied qualities of this person, there are two seemingly negative

virtues, viz., mindless and breathless. This is courtesy the mindless translation by the commentators. This is perhaps because they wanted it to rhyme with desireless, one who does not have desires. What we feel is that he is the person who is not prone to the wavering of the mind or a person who acts only as per the Gods wish. Prophet Muhammad is described as a person who did not uttered a word, without the consent of God. As regards to breathless, it is used to indicate that they were not living like us human beings who are reliant on breathing for survival, when in heavens. See even this person is unborn. Prophet Muhammad is said to have said that I was the Prophet even when Adam was in the process of creation. At another stage, somebody asked Ali what was there prior to Adam, and he said Adam. When asked prior to this Adam, he said, Adam. He kept repeating the same 70 times, thereby implying that the worlds have been wound up several times over, only to commence again. This is a subject that even Puranas like Vishnu Purana and Matsya Purana confirms and even goes on to tell the names of these devas in various worlds. Verse II.5 of Maitri Upanishad states:

Verily, that subtle, ungraspable, invisible one, called the person, dwells here (in this world) with a part (of himself), with previous awareness (volition) even as the man who is fast asleep awakes by his own awareness (volition). Now, assuredly that part of him, which is entirely intelligent in every person is the spirit which has the marks of conception, determination and self-love, Prajapati called Visva. By him as intelligence is his body set up as possessed of intelligence, or in other words this very one is its mover. Then they said, Revered Sir, if by this kind of desireless being this sort of thing is set up

as possessed of intelligence, still, how is this one its mover? Then he said to them.
If you remember, Isa had predicted of a time when the spirit would come. We had quoted that in Book-II. That the spirit would come in fourteen parts, we never knew! The same is being referred to here in the aforementioned verse. Also, we know from Yajur Veda that it was Prajapati called Visva who was born as Indra or Mohammad. His virtues are being described in all these succeeding verses. It is this Prajapati called Visva through whom we are to gain wisdom. Krishna too in Gita says that the knowledge of the self only is wisdom. And we know that the self is none but the Ahlebayts together, from whom our selfs were created, which is being described in the next verse II.6, which again gives the process of creation of five and then many.

Verily, in the beginning Prajapati stood alone. He had no happiness, being alone. Then, meditating on himself, he created numerous offspring. He saw them to be like a stone, without understanding, without life, standing like a post. He had no happiness. He then thought to himself, Let me enter within in order to awaken them. He made himself like wind and sought to enter into him. Being one, he could not do it. He divided himself five fold and is called prana, apana, samana, udana, vyana.
This verse confirms that prana, apana, samana, udana, vyana are the names of the five selfs or Panjetans created out of the one self, who are all similar to the first. This is how the God used His maya to create all beings through the devas or Masooms. Even inside us, the Upanishads have called each of the deva by a certain name. Perhaps, different names were given to them,

so that we get to know that this is the mention of deva inside our body. Likewise, separate names were there for devas in heaven and for devas when they would take birth on earth. This is the reason why these devas are referred to by so many names, thus leading to confusion.

II.7. Verily, this self, the seers declare, wanders here on earth in everybody unaffected, as it seems, by the light or the dark fruits of action. On account of this unmanifestness, subtility, imperceptibility, ungraspability, freedom from self-sense (the self) is unabiding and a doer only in seeming, truly is not a doer, he is abiding. Verily, he is pure, steadfast, unswerving, stainless, unagitated, free from desire, remains fixed like a spectator and abiding in his own self. As an enjoyer of righteous work he covers himself with a veil made of qualities, but he remains fixed, yea, he remains fixed.
Arent all the complexities regarding our karma (actions) and its relation to five devas who are present in the form of the Person in the self, being solved? Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain enjoy far more control over us than even those who were blamed with unnecessarily enhancing their status - the Shias - ever believed. Another proof that the Vedas contain no other information but that of the Self is found in IV.9 of the Paingala Upanishad. This is the proof that the Vedic translation done by us is correct as none of the other translations talk of self and its recognition. On the contrary the existing translations talk of rituals, fire sacrifices, oblations, steam engines, airplanes, but not about the self. Wherever the names of Indra, Agni, Vayu, etc. are mentioned, even they are interpreted as either meaning the material things or talking about steam

engines, airplanes, etc. as has been taken to mean by RDS. Since the purpose of Vedas is to introduce the Divine Selfs to us, and all Vedas are replete with their mention, Vedas are of no importance to one who has perceived the Self, as he has already attained the purpose that the Vedas wanted us to achieve. See IV.9.

What is the use of milk to one satiated with nectar? Even so what is the use of the study of Vedas for one who has perceived the Self?
We must salute sages like Yajnavalkya who did all in their power to keep us on the right path. Not only this, they also undertook the task of giving us lead about the true course of life and the true content of various sacred scriptures. Isnt Yajnavalkyas words confirming to what we are saying? And this knowledge is of such importance that it destroys even the gravest sins committed by man. See IV.24:

He who studies this Upanishad everyday becomes free from the sins of killing a Brahmana, drinking liquor, stealing gold, sharing the bed with the teachers wife and associating with those who have committed these sins!
All those who cite the myths associated with Siva and others about drinking take note. They are clearly the work of mischievous minds, otherwise drinking liquor is among one of the five most serious sins from time immemorial. It is akin to killing of a Brahmana or stealing of gold, or adultery with the teachers wife. Not only drinking, even association with one who does so is a sin.

We know now that from One Self, fourteen devas or selfs were created. However, since there are fourteen devas, there were people who worshipped one or the other. Who is the superior-most of these fourteen? Whom should we worship the most? The same question is asked in Chapter IV of Maitri Upanishad thereby proving our claim that people were worshipping one deva or the other during the period when these Upanishads were written. How unfortunate that we know nothing about the devas, other than what we are telling you at present! See these verses from Maitri Upanishad. Those who still see air, fire, etc. as five elements, please take special note.

IV.5. They said, Revered One, you are the teacher, you are the teacher. What has been said has been duly fixed in mind by us. Now answer a further question. Fire, air, sun, time, whatever it is, breath, food, Brahma, Rudra, Vishnu, some meditate upon one, some upon another. Tell us which one is the best for us! Then he said to them.
Please note that all names are not taken. This is evident from mention of whatever it is in between. It is clear from the question that the questioner wished to ask whose worship was the best, out of all the devas. See the answer in IV.6:

IV.6. These are but the chief forms of the Supreme, the immortal, the bodiless Brahman. To whichever each man is devoted here in this world he rejoices. For it has been said, Verily, this whole world is Brahman. Verily, these, which are its chief forms one meditates upon, worships and discards. For with these one moves higher and higher in the worlds. And when all things perish (in universal resolution), he attains unity of (with) the person, yea, of the person.

Unable to notice the words like chief forms of the Supreme, and presence of revered names like Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra, Radhakrishnan has wrongly concluded that this is reference to entire humanity. Says he: At the end of this world, at the time of universal dissolution, Hiranya-garbha lapses into the Absolute Brahman. Till then individualities are retained by the souls including the world-soul. Contrary to his view, this Chapter states that despite being distinct individual entities, the devas are all one and the same and it does not matter whom we are meditating upon, to reach the Absolute God. Please note that when they were supposed to be in heavens and had not come to earth, it was only possible to meditate upon them. It was believed that once they would come, they would give us true knowledge and lead us through the best of paths to reach God. Then it would be necessary upon us to study their teachings and follow them. Prajapati or Visva the head of these devas and from whom the fourteen were created - is distinctly described in Chapter VIII (verse 7) of Maitri Upanishad, which states:

And he, verily, is the self within the heart, very subtle, kindled like fire, endowed with all forms of him all this is food. In him are woven creatures here. He is the self which is free from evil, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, free from uncertainty, free from fetters, whose conception is the real, whose desire is the real. He is the supreme Lord, he is the ruler of beings, he is the protector of beings. He is the determining bridge. This self, verily, is the Lord, the beneficent, Creator of all, the golden germ, truth, life, spirit, the ruler, the unshaken, the pervader, Narayana. He who is yonder in the

sun, he is one. To these who art this, endowed with all forms hidden in the real space, adoration.
Please note that this is not the mention of God but of the highest creation of God in the form a self a manifested self or Mohammad. If there is any confusion, we present here two separate verses from Subala Upanishad, which will clarify the distinction between the description of One God and the One Self.

IV.I. In the beginning this was non-existent, uestablished (in anything else), devoid of sound, devoid of touch, devoid of form, devoid of taste, devoid of smell, imperishable, not dense, not prodigious, originless, as ones own self (he), sorrows not. That which is lifeless, mouthless, earless, speechless, mindless, splendourless, devoid of name and clan, headless, devoid of glowing redness (like fire), immeasurable, not short, not long, not gross, not minute, not small, not great, not definable, not obscure, not demonstrable, not manifest, not shrouded, not obscure, not demonstrable, not manifest, not shrouded, without an interior, without an exterior. It does not feed on anything, nor does anything feed on it. One should attain this (Brahman) by recourse to the six means of truthfulness, charity, austerity, fasting, chastity (of mind and body) and complete indifference to worldly objects. One should also attend to the following three, self-control, charity and compassion. The pranas (vital breaths) of this (knower of Brahman) do not go out, even where He is they get merged. He who knows thus, becoming Brahman remains Brahman alone.
Isnt this clearly establishes the relationship between Brahman and the Self, given birth by God prior to the

creation of the universe, which eventually merges with Him. Another verse describes this Self in detail.

V.15. This (self) is all-knowing. This is the Lord of all This is the ruler of all. This is the indwelling spirit. This is the source of all. This, that is resorted to by all forms of happiness, does not stand in need of happiness of any kind. This, that is adored by all the Vedic texts and scriptures does not stand in need of Vedic texts and scriptures. Whose food is all this but who (himself) does not become the food of any. For that very reason (it is) the most excellent, the supreme director of all. Consisting of food (it is) the self of (all) gross objects; consisting of life (it is) the self of (all) sense organs; consisting of bliss, (it is) the self of dissolution, when there is not Oneness whence (can arise) duality? When there is not mortality, whence (can arise) immortality? (It is) not (endowed) with internal knowledge; nor with external knowledge; nor with both these kinds of knowledge, not a mass of knowledge, not knowledge, nor not-knowledge, not (previously) known or capable of being known. This is the doctrine relating to liberation. This is the doctrine of Veda. This is the doctrine of the Veda.
Notice the emphasis on the knowledge contained in the Vedas. Several times over, it is stated in this verse and elsewhere that the doctrine of all Vedas talks of the knowledge of Self, which is also the doctrine that leads us to liberation. The commentaries and translations of Vedas do not seem to be talking about this subject. Why this discrepancy? Are all these verses talking about the real content of Vedas are wrong? Or is it that we have understood the Vedas wrong? You already know the answer!

The Devi is Fatima

We know that Fatima was the daughter of Mohammad, wife of Ali and mother of Hasan and Husain. Lets see how many accounts available confirm that relationship. In Chapter XIII of Matsya Purana, the Devi Satis various names are mentioned by which she was known at different places.

Visalaksi in Kasi; Lingadharini in Naimisaranya; Lalita in Prayaga; Kamaksi in Gandhamadana hills; Kumuda at the Manasa lake; Visvakaya in Ambara; Gomati in Gomanta; Kamacharini at the Mandar Hills; Madoktata in the Chaitraratha forest; Jayanti in Hastinapura; Gauri in Kanyakubja; Rambha on the Mount Malaya; Kirtiwati in Ekambhaka; Visva in Visvesvara; Puruhuta in Puskara; Margadayini in Kedar; Nanda in the Himalayas; Bhadrakarnika in Gokarna; Bhavani in Sthanesvara; Bilvapatrika in Bilval; Madhavi in Srisaila; Bhadra in Bhadresvara; Jaya in Varahaksetra; Kamala in Kamalalaya; Rudrani in Rudrakoti; Kali in Kalanjar hills; Kapila in Mahalinga; Mukutesvari in Markota; Mahadevi on the banks of the Salagrami river; Jalapriya in Sivalinga; Kumari in Mayapuri; Lalita in Santana; Utpalaksi in Sahasraksa; Mahotpala in Kamalaksa; Mangala in Gangatirtha; Vimala in Purushottam; Amoghaksi on the banks of the Vipasa river; Patala in Pundvardhana; Narayani in Suparsva; Bhadrasundari in Vikuta; Vipula in Vipula; Kalyani in Malayachala; Kotavi in Kotitirtha; Sugandha in Madhavavana; Trisandhya in Godasrama; Ratipriya in Gangotri; Sivananda in

Sivakunda; Nandini on the banks of the Devika river; Rukmini in Dwarika; Radha in Vrindavana; Devaki in Mathura; Paramesvari in Patala; Sita in Chitrakuta; Vinduvasini in Vindhyachala; Ekavira in Sahyadiri; Chandrika in Harischandra; Ramana in Ramatirtha; Mrigavati on the banks of the river Yamuna; Mahalakshmi in Karavira; Umadevi in Vinayaka; Aroga in Vaidyanathan; Mahesvari in Mahakala; Abhaya in Usnatirtha; Amrita in the caves of Vindhyachala; Mandavi in Mandvaya; Svaha in Mahesvara; Prachanda in Chagalanda; Chandika in Amarakantaka; Vararoha in Somesvara; Pushkaravati in Prabhasa; Devamata on the banks Paravara of the Sarasvati river; Mahabhaga in Mahalaya; Pingalesvari in Payosni; Sinhika in Krita Saucha; Yasaskari in Kartikeya; Lola in Utpalavarta; Subhadra at the confluence of the Ganges and the Sone; Mata in Siddhapura; Laksmirangana in Bharatasrama; Visvmukhi in Jalandhara; Tara in Kiskindha; Pusti in Devadaruvna; Medha in Kashmir; Bhima in Himalaya; Pusti in Visvesvar; Sudhi in Kapalamochana; Mata in Kayavarahana; Dhvani in Sankhodhar; Dhriti in Pindaraka; Kala on the banks of the river Chandrabhag; Sivakarini on the Achodaka tank; Amrita in Vena; Urvasi in Badarinarayana; Ausadhi in Uttarakuru; Kusodka in Kusadvipa; Manmatha in Hemkuta; Satyavadini in Mukuta; Vandaniya in Asvatha; Nidhi in the town of Kuvera; Gayatri in the Vedas; Parvati in Kailasa; Indrani in Devaloka; Saraswati in the mouth of Brahma; Prabha in the disc of the Sun; Vaisnavi in the Matrikshetra; Arundhati among the Pativratas; Tillottama among women; and Brahmakala in the mind; and Sakti in all bodies.

The Chandi-mahatmya, which celebrates the victories of this goddess over the Asuras, speaks of her under the following names:

1. Durga, when she received the messengers of the Asuras. 2. Dasa-bhuja. Ten-armed, when she destroyed part of their army. 3. Sinha-vahini. Riding on a lion, when she fought with the Asura general Rakta-vija. 4. Mahisha-mardini. Destroyer of Mahisha, an Asura in the form of a buffalo. 5. jagad-dhatri. Fosterer of the world, when she again defeated the Asura army. 6. Kali. The black. She killed Rakta-vija. 7. Mukta-kesi. With disheveled hair. Again defeats the Asuras. 8. Tara. Star. She killed Sumbha. 9. Chhinna-mastaka. Decapitated, the headless form in which she killed Nisumbha. 10. Jagadgauri. Worlds fair one, as lauded by the gods for her triumphs. The names which Devi obtains from her husband are: - Babhravi (Babhru), Bhagavati, Isani, Iswari, Kalanjari, Kapalini, Kausiki, Kirati, Maheswari, Mrida, Mridani, Rudrani, Sarvani, Siva, Tryambaki. From her origin she is called Adri-ja and Giri-ja, mountain-born [remember Himavat or Daksha is her father; Him signifying mountain); Ku-ja, earth-born; Dakshaja, sprung from Daksha. She is Kanya, the virgin; Kanya-kumari, the youthful virgin; and Ambika, the mother; Avara, the youngest; Ananta and Nitya, the everlasting; Arya, the revered; Vijaya, victorious; Riddhi, the rich; Sati, virtuous; Dakshina, right-handed; Pinga, tawny, dark; Karburi, spotted; Bhramari, the bee; Kotari, the naked; Karna-moti, pearl- eared; Padmalanchhana, distinguished by a lotus; Sarvamangala, always auspicious; Sakam-bhari, nourisher of herbs; Siva-duti, Sivas messenger;

Sinha-rathi, riding on a lion. As addicted to austerities she is Aparna and Katyayani. As Bhutanayaki she is chief or leader of the goblins, and as Gana-nayaki, the leader of the Ganas. She is Kamakshi, wanton-eyed; and Kamakhya, called by the name of Kama, desire. Other names, most of them applicable to her terrible forms, are Bhadrakali, Bhima-devi, Chamunda, Maha-kali, Mahamari, Mahasuri, Matangi, Rajasi, the fierce; and Rakta-danti, red or bloody toothed.
The one devi was referred to by so many names. We are not concerned much about the legends attributed to her as we have seen that various legends have emanated from peoples inability to understand the true sense that was being conveyed. Our aim is to see whether this devi (who is the only female among the 14) maintains the same relationship (with Indra, Vayu (also Marut, Rudra or Siva) and the two Aswins) that existed between Fatima and Mohammad (her father), Ali (her husband) and Hasan and Husain (her sons). You already know that we maintain that Indra or Brahma is Mohammad, Vayu or Rudra or Siva is Ali, Agni or Kumara is Husain and Vasu is Hasan. This exercise will also facilitate us in identifying the various names by which Mohammad, Ali, Hasan and Husain have been addressed in Vedas and the Upanishads. Just as this Devi is known by various names, the devas too are referred to by several names, all of whom are not known to us at the moment. To cite an example, Himavat, Daksha, Dyaus, Visvadeva, Brahma and Indra are the various names of one person only viz. Mohammad, but we have continued to regard them as different persons. As we progress, some of the names of these devas will become clear to you. Just imagine, so many names have been given to

Devi in India alone. We are of the opinion that these devas were introduced around the same time in all the major civilizations of the world. What would be the number of names, if we were to find them on international basis? The fact that she is the same female devi among the fourteen can be known from the very nature of names above. That one of her names is devi itself proves it. Then she is called Mahadevi, which shows her relationship with Mahadeva, which is another name for Siva or Rudra or Vayu, used for Ali, just as Saraswati, Parvati, etc. have been used for Fatima in the Vedas. She is also Rudrani, which confirms her relationship with Rudra or Ali. She is also Devayani, also shows her relationship with Deva. She is Daksha- Ja (sprung from Daksha) and Indrayani (daughter of Indra), which confirms that Indra and Daksha are same, and Indra is undoubtedly Mohammad in the Vedas. The devi is said to be the mother of eleven devas having been married to the first of the Adityas, hence she is called Lingadharini in Naimisaranya. She is one of the fourteen who were responsible for creation of this world; hence she is known as Visvakaya in Ambara. All fame is to her; hence she is called Kirtiwati in Ekambhaka. Her father is known as Visvadeva and she is called Visva in Visvesvara. She is the wife of Rudra and hence is called Rudrani in Rudrakoti. No devi matches her stature so she is known as Mahadevi on the banks of the Salagrami river. It is through her that it is possible to reach God; hence she is referred to as Narayani in Suparsva. She is one Devi among the 13 devas, and hence is called Devaki in Mathura. She was the chief of the creations created by God, hence is called Paramesvari in Patala. And that is why she is called Mahesvari in Mahakala. She gave so many sacrifices in life and hence is called Svaha in Mahesvara. She was the mother of eleven devas hence is called Devamata

on the banks of Paravara of the Saraswati river and Mata in Siddha pura and Kayavardhana. All the things in world are due to her hence she is called Visvamukhi in Jalandhara. She is one of the five who constitute Life in our body and hence is called Dhvani in Sankhidhar. It is she who is referred to as Gayatri in the Vedas. Owing to being the daughter of Indra, she is called Indrani in Devaloka and Sakti in all bodies. All other names given to her too confirm one or other of other virtues. She is also known as Fatima by Muslims, daughter of Mohammad. John Dowson in A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature writes that Arundhati meaning the morning star is described as the wife of Rishi Vasishtha, and a model of conjugal excellence. Bharati too is a name of Arundhati. Dowson lists Bhawani as one of the names of the wife of Siva. The account from Matsya Purana too gives Bhavani as the name of the Devi in Sthanesvara and since Arundhati too is there in the aforementioned list, we are prompted to conclude that Rishi Vasishtha and Siva may be the names of the same person. Now see how Dowson has described this Devi. The goddess, or Maha-devi, the great goddess, wife of the god Siva, and daughter of Himavat, i.e. the Himalaya mMountains [This confirms that Himavat, Daksha, Indra are the same]. She is mentioned in the Mahabharata under a variety of names, and with several of her peculiar characteristics, but she owes her great distinction to the Puranas and later works. As the Sakti or female energy or Siva she has two characters, one mild, the other fierce; and it is under the latter that she is especially worshipped. She has a great variety of names, referable to her various forms, attributes, and actions, but these names are not always used accurately and distinctively. In her milder form she is Uma, light, and a type of

beauty; Gauri, the yellow or brilliant; Parvati, the mountaineer; and Haimavati, from her parentage; Jagan-mata, the mother of the world; and Bhavani. In her terrible form she is Durga, the inaccessible; Kali and Syama, the black; Chandi and Chandika, the fierce; and Bhairavi, the terrible. It is in this character that bloody sacrifices are offered to her, that the barbarities of the Durga-puja and Charak-puja are perpetrated in her honour, and that the indecent orgies of the Tantrikas are held to propitiate her favours and celebrate her powers. She has ten arms, and in most of her hands there are weapons. As Durga she is beautiful yellow woman, riding on a tiger in a fierce and menacing attitude. As Kali or Kalika, the black, she is represented with a black skin, a hideous and terrible countenance, dripping with blood, encircled with snakes, hung round with skulls and human heads, and in all respects resembling a fury rather than a goddess. As Vindhyavasini, the dweller in the Vindhyas, she is worshipped at a place of that name where the Vindhyas approach the Ganges, near Mirzapur, and it is said that there the blood before her image is never allowed to get dry. As Maha-maya she is the great illusion. See how peoples inability to understand the content of Vedas led to creation of myths. We have already said that our concern is not with these as they are product of an ignorants attempt in defining his religion. Jagad-dhatri (dhata) sustainer of the world too is an epithet given to both Saraswati and Durga, as per Dowson. What Dowson is unaware is that both are the names of the same person. Jayanti, who is more commonly known as daughter of Indra and whose other names are Deva-sena and Tavishi too is included in the list of names of Devi in Matsya Purana. [This proves that Indra too is the name of the father of devi. That Indra is Mohammad, we already know]. Sraddha (devi

of faith) too seems to be one of her names, who is said to be mother of Kama, married to Dharma (the deva of justice), who is none but Ali. This proves that Dharma, the Lord of Justice is same as Rudra or Ali and Kama is either Hasan or Husain, one of her two sons. Now we come to the name Savitri. Dowson describes it in the following manner: The holy verse of the Veda, commonly called Gayatri. 2. A name of Satarupa, the daughter and wife of Brahma, who is sometimes regarded as a personification of the holy verse. And Satarupa is described in the following manner: The hundred-formed. The first woman. According to one account she was the daughter of Brahma, and from their incestuous intercourse the first Manu, named Swayambhuva, was born. Another account makes her the wife, not the mother, of Manu. The account given by Manu is that Brahma divided himself into two parts, male and female, and from them sprang Manu. She is also called Savitri. Why she is called wife of Brahma is clear from Dowsons description of Satarupa and we need not explain it. Owing to peoples inability to understand the process of creation, she has been described as wife of Vishnu as well as Brahma, which is not correct. But, it is said that she is daughter of Brahma, which confirms that Brahma is Mohammad and she was married to first Manu Swayambhuva, thus confirming that Manu Swayambhuva is Ali. Since we have shown above that Daksha is Mohammad and Aditi is described as daughter of Daksha, we have reasons to believe that Aditi is another name of devi. Most interestingly, just as Satarupa was called daughter and wife of Brahma, Aditi is called the daughter and wife of Daksha, thereby confirming the common

origin of the legend. Note in the description her names like Deva-matri meaning mother of the devas, which too confirm that she is Fatima. She is addressed as the supporter of the sky, sustainer of the earth, which confirms her to be the same as the devi in 14. She is the mother of the Adityas, which also confirms her to be Fatima as there are 12 Adityas or Imams. She is wife of Kasyapa and daughter of Daksha, which shows that Kasyapa too is the name of Ali. She is also compared with heaven and earth. See the description of Aditi by Dowson: Free, unbounded. Infinity; the boundless heaven as compared with the finite earth; or, according to M. Muller, the visible infinite, visible by the naked eye; the endless expanse beyond the earth, beyond the clouds, beyond the sky. In the Rig-veda she is frequently implored for blessings on children and cattle, for protection and for forgiveness. Aditi is called Deva-matri, mother of the gods, and is represented as being the mother of Daksha and the daughter of Daksha. On this statement Yaska remarks in the Nirukta: - How can this be possible? They may have had the same origin; or, according to the nature of the gods, they may have been born from each other, have derived their substance form one another. Eight sons were born from the body of Aditi; she approached the gods with seven but cast away the eighth, Marttanda (the sun). These seven were the Adityas. In the Yajur-veda, Aditi is addressed as Supporter of the sky, sustainer of the earth, sovereign of this world, wife of Vishnu; but in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as in the Puranas, Vishnu is called the son of Aditi. In the Vishnu Purana, she is said to be daughter of Daksha and wife of Kasyapa, by whom she was mother of Vishnu, in his dwarf incarnation (wherefore he is sometimes called Aditya), and also of Indra, and she is called the mother of the gods and

the mother of the world. Indra acknowledged her as mother, and Vishnu, after receiving the adoration of Aditi, addressed her in these words: Mother, goddess, do thou show favour unto me and grant me thy blessing. Aditi is also called Dakshayani, because of being daughter of Daksha. If you see the list of appellations of Aditi, you will find that one of them is Indrayani, thereby suggesting that Daksha and Indra are one and the same person. And Indra was the chief of the devas or devatas. Deva is described by Dowson as a divine being or god. The name Devatas includes the gods in general, or, as most frequently used, the whole body of inferior gods. It is Indras heaven, also referred to in the Gita, that is described as the Swarga or the world of the devas. She is clearly the first of the womens light ever created, the devi who is responsible for the birth of all women on this earth. In that way, she is the mother of the world. Also, she is the mother of the 11 devas. Curiously, she is also described by Dowson as the wife of Vishnu, which would mean either that Vishnu is another name given to Ali or this is because of the same confusion which has prompted people to call her the wife of Brahma. However, she is also the mother of Vishnu and Indra. The names of the 12 Adityas are given at various places, which include Indra and Vishnu. Since we have said that 7 names were repeated among the 14 devas, one of which was this devi. Therefore, 6 names were repeated in the 13 devas. Of these one was her father, one was her husband, and the remaining 11 were her sons or grandsons. Her father was Indra (or Daksha or Mohammad) but one of the grandsons too has been called Indra. Likewise, another is called Vishnu for the sake of identification. And her husband was Kasyapa (or Vayu or Ali), who was the first of the 12 Adityas (Imams). And 11 of her sons (or grandsons) too were

Adityas. These 12 Adityas, Indra and herself, comprise the 14 devas (Masooms) or the 14 guardians of the 14 quarters. It is this devi (Fatima) who is the supporter of the sky, sustainer of the earth, sovereign of the world. Coming back to the description of Arundhati, we have already seen that she is wife of Rishi Vasishtha, thereby confirming that Rishi Vasishtha too is Ali. She is model of conjugal excellence. Why would she not be seen in this manner, when she is the wife of Mahadeva and mother of 11 devas. Further, Tara is described by Dowson as the wife of Brhaspati and since Tara is the name of the devi as per Matsya Purana, we have concluded that Brhaspati or Brahmanaspati, is also the name of Vayu or Ali. Brhaspati is called at one place the father of the gods (devas), which can only be understood through our explanation. John Dowson has this to say about Brihaspati: In the Rig-veda the names Brhaspati and Brahmanaspati alternate, and are equivalent to each other. They are names of a deity in whom the action of the worshipper upon the gods (devas) is personified. He is the suppliant, the sacrificer, the priest, who intercedes with gods on behalf of men and protects mankind against the wicked. Hence he appears as the prototype of the priests and priestly order; and is also designated as the Purohita (family priest) of the divine community. He is called in one place the father of the gods, and a widely extended creative power is ascribed to him. He is also designated as the shining and the gold-coloured, and as having the thunder for his voice. The description confirms with that of Ali, who is also the father of devas, which is true. Durga too is in the aforementioned list from Purana, who is otherwise described as wife of Siva, and hence this also confirms our viewpoint. Now see description of Eka-Parna, Ekapatala as

described by Dowson in his dictionary. He says that they too are perhaps names of Aparna who are called sisters of Aparna. It is said, these (Eka-parna, Eka-patala), with their sister Aparna were, according to the Harivansa, daughters of Himavat and Mena. They performed austerities surpassing the powers of gods and Danavas, and alarmed both worlds. Eka-parna took only one leaf for food, and Eka-patal only one patala (Bigaonia). Aparna took no sustenance at all and lived a-parna, without a leaf. [Myth seems to have emanated from certain description of days in Sheb-e-Abu Talib, where Mohammad and his family members had to survive on little food for three years.] Her mother being distressed at her abstinence, exclaimed in her anxiety, Uma O dont. Through this she became manifest as the lovely goddess Uma, the wife of Siva. [Note, Uma and Aparna are both mentioned in the list of names of Saraswati/Parvati. Another name being Ganga, who too is called the sister of Uma, and daughter of Himavat and Mena. Uma is described as wife of Siva which again confirms that Uma, Eka-parna, Ekapatala, etc are all names of Fatima. Mena is Fatimas mother and Mohammads wife, Khadija and Himavat is another name for Mohammad] Kumari is another name for Fatima, who is described by Dowson as an epithet of Sita, also of Durga. Now we come to the name Lakshmi. This word too occurs in Rig-Veda for Fatima. See how Dowson describes Lakshmi: The word occurs in the Rig-veda with the sense of good fortune, and in the Atharva-veda the idea has become personified in females both of a lucky and unlucky character. The Taittiriya Sanhita, as explained by the commentator, makes Lakshmi and Sri to be two wives of Aditya, and the Satapatha Brahmana describes Sri as issuing forth from Prajapati.

This description proves that Prajapati is another name for Mohammad and Aditya is reference to Ali. Both these names, viz. Prajapati and Aditya are often used in Upanishads and Vedas for the same two personalities. She is also called wife of Vishnu in another description of Satarupa that we have given before, which confirms our view, along with the fact that she is the mother of Kama. Earlier, we have seen that Jagad-dhatri (dhata) sustainer of the world and devi, two more names of Fatima, were described as mother of Kama. That she is described in legends as springing like Aphrodite from the froth of the ocean shows her relationship with the God Vishnu, who is often represented as vast expanse of water. She is also daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati, which again seem to be appellations for Mohammad. See how Dowson further describes Lakshmi or Sri. Lakshmi or Sri in later times is the goddess of fortune, wife of Vishnu, and mother of Kama. The origin ascribed to her by the Ramayana is the one commonly believed. According to this legend she sprang, like Aphrodite, from the froth of the ocean, in full beauty with a lotus in her hand, when it was churned by the gods and the Asuras. Another legend represents her as floating on the flower of a lotus at the creation. With reference to this origin, one of her names is Kshirabdhi-tanaya, daughter of the sea of milk. From her connection with the lotus she is called Padma. According to the Puranas, she was the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati. The Vishnu Purana says, Her first birth was the daughter of Bhrigu by Khyati. It was at a subsequent period that she was produced from the sea at the churning of the ocean. Lakshmi is said to have four arms, but she is the type of beauty, and is generally depicted as having only two. In one hand she holds a lotus. She has no temples, but being goddess of abundance and fortune, she continues to be assiduously courted, and is not likely to

fall into neglect. Other names of Lakshmi are Hira, Indira, Jaladhija, ocean born; Chanchala or Lola, the fickle, as goddess of fortune; Loka-mata, mother of the world. In Vedas, there is no doubt that she is used for Fatima. You will see this as you progress. As per Dowsons description, she is described as springing from froth (we know that Vishnu is associated with water). See how Dowson has given names of several energies of the great gods while describing the term Matris. He says Matris means Mothers. The divine mothers. These appear to have been originally the female energies of the great gods, as Brahmani of Brahma, Maheswari of Siva, Vaishnavi of Vishnu, Indrani or Aindri of Indra, & c. The number of them was seven or eight or sixteen, but in the later mythology they have increased out of number. They are connected with the Tantra worship, and are represented as worshipping Siva and attending upon his son Kartikeya. Truth is that they are all names of the one and only female energy. The list of devi in the Matsya Purana cites Indrani and Maheswari as two of her names, thereby showing a relationship between Siva and Indra as well. Though Siva is her husband and Indra her father. What is important to note is that Kartikeya is her son, thus we can say that Kartikeya is either Hasan or Husain. Dowson has described Prisni as follows: In the Vedas and Puranas, the earth, the mother of the Maruts. The name is used in the Vedas also for a cow. There were several females of this name, and one of them is said to have been a new birth of Devaki. Since Devaki too is mentioned in the aforementioned list, we take Prisni as one her names. From being Fatima, she is definitely the mother of Maruts (Imams). And once it is proved that Prisni is the devi, there is no denying that

the earth in the list of five, considered as five elements by scholars till now, is this devi. Another name of devi is Riddhi. See how Dowson describes her. Riddhi means Prosperity. The wife of Kuvera, god of wealth. The name is also used for Parvati, the wife of Siva. It is evident from this that Kuvera the Lord of wealth and prosperity, is another name of Siva or Ali. Now see the description of Sandhya by Dowson. Word means Twilight. It is personified as the daughter of Brahma and wife of Siva. Again the same relationship is being described, Siva or Ali being her husband and Mohammad or Brahma being her father. Another oft-repeated name of Fatima in Vedas is Saraswati. See Dowsons description: Watery, elegant. In the Vedas, Saraswati is primarily a river, but is celebrated in the hymns both as a river and a deity. [Fact is that Saraswati is not celebrated as river in the Vedas but only as a deity.] The Saraswati River was one boundary of Brahmavartta, the home of the early Aryans, and was to them, in all likelihood, a sacred river, as the Ganges has long been to their descendants. As a river goddess, Saraswati is alluded for the fertilizing and purifying powers of her waters, and as the bestower of fertility, fatness, and wealth. Her position as Vach, the goddess of speech, finds no mention in the Rig-veda, but is recognized by the Brahmanas and the Mahabharata. Dr. Muir endeavours to account for her acquisition of this character. He say, When once the river has acquired a divine character, it was quite natural that she should be regarded as the patroness of the ceremonies which were celebrated on the margin of her holy waters, and that her direction and blessing should be invoked as essential to their proper performance and success. The connection into which she was thus brought with sacred rites may have led to the further step of imagining her

to have an influence on the composition of the hymns which formed so important a part of the proceedings, and of identifying her with Vach, the goddess of speech. In later times Saraswati is the wife of Brahma, the goddess of speech and learning, inventress of the Sanskrit language and Deva-nagari letters, and patroness of the arts and sciences. She is represented as of a white colour, without any superfluity of limbs, and not unfrequently of a graceful figure, wearing a slender crescent on her brow and sitting on a lotus. -Wilson. The same authority states that the Vaishnavas of Bengal have a popular legend that she was the wife of Vishnu, as were also Lakshmi and Ganga. The ladies disagreed; Saraswati, like the other prototype of learned ladies, Minerva, being something of a termagant, and Vishnu finding that one wife was as much as he could manage, transferred Saraswati to Brahma and Ganga to Siva, and contended himself with Lakshmi alone. (see Vach.) Other names of Saraswati are Bharati, Brahmi, Putkari, Sarada, and Vagiswari. The river is now called Sarsuti. It falls from the Himalayas and is lost in the sands of the desert. In ancient times it flowed on to the sea. A passage in the Rig-veda says of it, She who goes on pure from the mountains as far as the sea. Max Muller, Veda, 45. According to the Mahabharata it was dried up by the curse of the sage Utathya (q.v.). See Sapta-sindhava. [Sapta meaning seven.] This narration itself confirms why the same devi, with different names was assigned to various deities. The same devi in her various names has been assigned to Minerva, Brahma and Vishnu. We have already shown the reason for this. Sati too is a daughter of Daksha (who is Mohammad) and wife of Rudra (Siva or Ali); thereby confirming that Sati too is one of the names of the devi. She is also described as daughter of Himavat and Mena, which we

have shown above as the name of Mohammad and Khadija, when we were talking of Uma, Aparna, Ekaparna and Eka-patala. That Bhava married her shows that Bhava is the name of Ali. Sati is described by Dowson as A daughter of Daksha and wife of Rudra, i.e., Siva. The Vishnu Purana states that she abandoned her body in consequence of the anger of Daksha. She then became the daughter of Himavat and Mena; and the divine Bhava again married Uma, who was identical with his (Sivas) former spouse. The authorities generally agree that she died or killed herself in consequence of the quarrel between her husband and father; and the Kasi Khanda, a modern work, represents that she entered the fire and became a Sati. Next comes Savaran, we believe that she too is Fatima, as she is described as daughter of the ocean. who is the wife of the sun. We know that Ali is known as Aditya that means the sun. She is the wife of Prachinabarhis as well as Vivaswat, thus these too are names of Ali. Surely, she is mother of several Imams, who are referred as Prachetasas. See Dowsons description: Wife of the sun. The female of like appearance, whom Saranyu, wife of Vivaswat, substituted for herself when she fled. Manu was the offspring of Savarna. This is the version given in the Nirukta. In the Vishnu Purana, Savarana is daughter of the ocean, wife of Prachinabarhis, and mother of the ten Prachetasas. Another name of the devi Fatima is Sinhika who is described as A daughter of Daksha and wife of Kasyapa; also a daughter of Kasyapa and wife of Viprachitti. It is understood how she is daughter of Daksha and wife of Kasyapa, but she is also daughter of Kasyapa and wife of Viprachitti. This is perhaps because a daughter of Fatima and Ali was Fatima Sughra (or the younger Fatima), whose name is mentioned at places that describe departure of Husain from Medina.

Again Sraddha too seems a name of Fatima. She is described as Daughter of the sage Daksha, wife of the god Dharma, and reputed mother of Kama-deva, the god of love, which are all true. Tara or Taraka too is the name of devi above who is described as Wife of Brihaspati. According to the Puranas, Soma, the moon, carried her of, which led to a great war between the gods and the Asuras. Brahma put an end to the war and restored Tara, but she was delivered of a child which she declared to be the son of Soma, and it was named Budha. You have seen in the Vedas that Soma is not a person but is used for martyrdom. Unable to understand this, a full-fledged character named Soma has come into being, along with several myths around the name. The word Soma has been used on countless occasions to describe the death of Ali and Husain; Ali incidentally is also referred to as Yagyapati (the Lord of the sacrificers). This word when used along with the name of devi was interpreted as a personality who carried off the wife of Brahaspati (Ali). This shows how gross errors have been committed in the study of the Vedas. Therefore, there is no truth in the devi being carried off by Soma and Buddha (used of Husain) being the son of Soma. These myths, as we have said, are by-products of an ignorant mind that didnt want to accept his ignorance. It is similar to somebody saying that there were airplanes flying in the sky during the time of Rama, on the basis of RDSs commentary. We can give countless examples to show the link of various myths with the wrong understanding of Vedas, but are not doing so as this would further elongate the subject. One thing that is clear is that Buddha is another name for Husain; Soma has been wrongly used for Ali. Since Uma too is a consort of Siva, and is also identified with Vach or speech, she too is the name of

Fatima, who appears as a mediatrix between Brahma and the other gods, and seems to be identified with Vach. Likewise, Usha too is Fatima as she is not only a devi but also a daughter of sky, Dyaus. Dowson describes her as: She is the daughter of heaven and sister of the Adityas. This is one of the most beautiful myths of the Vedas, and is enveloped in poetry. Ushas is the friend of men, she smiles like a young wife, she is the daughter of the sky, she goes to every house, she thinks of the dwellings of men, she does not despise the small or the great, she brings wealth; she is always the same, immortal, divine, age cannot touch her; she is the young goddess, but she makes men grow old. All this, adds Max Muller, may be simply allegorical language. But the transition from Devi, the bright to Devi, the goddess, is so easy; the daughter of the sky assumes so readily the same personality which is given to the sky, Dyaus, her father, that we can only guess whether, in every passage, the poet is speaking of bright apparition or of a bright goddess, of a natural vision or a visible deity. She is called Ahana and Dyotana, the illumer. [Noor talked about by Mohammad too has similar meaning.] Shows that Dyaus is Mohammad, and he is also the Sky, in the first of the five creations, seen as five elements by scholars. Another name of the Devi is Vinata, as she is again the daughter of Daksha and wife of Kasyapa. That she is mother of Garuda shows that Garuda is either Hasan or Husain or both. The dictionary by Dowson describes Vinata as follows: A daughter of Daksha, one of the wives of Kasyapa, and mother of Garuda. According to the Bhagavata Purana she was the wife of Tarkshya or Garuda. Now we come to another observation. We have shown how the devi, who was created along with 13

devas at the beginning of the creation, was not born as Fatima alone. Since devas had taken the task of leading the world towards God, they tried their best to do so, even if they had to appear on earth in the form of normal human being or a Messenger of God. There are several reasons why we came to this conclusion. Budha is a Prophet and Buddha is also a name of Husain. Krishna is referred to as Vasu and Hasan too is referred to as Vasu. However, more conclusive evidence is Mohammads own who says that it was his noor that was in Adam, Ibrahim, Ishmael and others and then came back to him. Not only he takes the name of various Prophets but also of some people in the progeny of Ishmael. Moreover, verse 33 of al Ahzab when read with verses 77 to 79 of al Waqi-ah reveal that the creator Lord created a group of His chosen representatives, thoroughly purified them, gave them His wisdom, and then commissioned them to guide mankind, in every age and every clime, till eternity. One after another the prophets of Allah came with divine guidance at every stage of development in the human society; and in the end the last messenger of Allah, the Holy Prophet, came with the final message, after which the office of prophethood was terminated. Quran talks of a spirit that entered Isa at the time of his birth. A passage in Vishnu Purana further substantiates this view:

Goddess Yoganidra, the great illusory energy of Vishnu, by whom, as utter ignorance, the whole world is beguilded, was ordered by Vishnu to incarnate her in the eighth conception of Devaki. Then said Vishnu to her: Kansa shall take you and hold you up to dash you against a stone; but you shall escape from his grasp into the sky, where

the hundred eyed Indra shall meet you and do homage to you, through reverence forms, and shall bow before you, and acknowledge you as his sister. Having slain Sumbha, Nisumbha, and numerous other demons, you shall sanctify the earth in many places. Thou art wealth, progeny, fame, patience, heaven and earth, fortitude, modesty, nutrition, dawn, and every other female (form or property). They who address you morning and afternoon with reverence and praise, and all they Arya, Durga, Vedagarbha, Ambika, Bhadra, Bhadrakali, Kshemi or Kshemankari, shall receive from bounty whatever they desire.
Some of these names are the same as those described in the names of Sati. This means that the same devi continued to take avatars in the shape of several illustrious women at various times and finally took birth as Fatima. The fact that her relationship to Indra is described even here, and we know Indra is Muhammad from Rig Veda, shows that not only her, but other devas too were working ceaselessly to lead the world towards One God. And Indra or Muhammad was surely their leader the King of the Devas. Another argument that can be given is this: Shias believe that the world will be destroyed when the last remnant of the spirit of Allah or the last Imam is no more. Hindus believe the same as regard to Kalki avatar. What does this suggest? Clearly, it shows that since they are those for whom this world was created, once they are no more, there would be no reason for sustenance of the world. From Upanishads we have seen that they form an inherent part of our body, and when the last of this spirit is departed, no being would continue to live. We argue that even when their bodies are being killed, their spirit survives. And the sustenance of this

world is related to their spirit or noor and not their bodies, which surely is eternal. Moreover, where was this noor when Mohammad had not taken birth on earth in 570 A.D.; how did the world survive without the presence of this noor? Taking cue from Prophets Mohammads view that his noor was kept in Adam and it kept moving till it reached back to him, we come to conclusion that all the noors were in Adam at that point and from there, they kept moving in different people till it came back to unite with the bodies of Masooms in exactly the same procedure in which they were created. We are sure that the Muslims cannot easily digest this. This is just a hypothesis that needs to be verified through various scriptures, before accepting it as true.

The Devas
From this study, it is evident that there are so many names by which the devi Fatima is known that it is impossible to narrate all of them together. The most interesting conclusion that we have derived from this study is that scholars had understood the same person for several persons, when they were unable to find any common link between two of the names present in the scriptures or didnt care to find them. We have shown to you how nearly 150 names exist for Fatima, who is the earth of the five elements. Likewise, some of the names by which Vayu deva or Ali is known are Siva, Rudra, Dharma, Manu Swayambhuva, Kasyapa, Brhaspati, Vrihaspati, Brahmanaspati, Aditya, Atri, Marut, Kuvera, Bhava, Prachinabarhis, Marut and perhaps Vivaswat. He is the Vayu of the five elements. Likewise, Mohammad is referred by the names Indra, Himavat, Indra, Prajapati, Bhrigu, Khyati, Dyaus and Daksha and is the Sky or Akash of the five elements.

In the same manner, Husain is also the Kamadeva, Agastya, Karttikeya, Subrahmanya, Vaiswanara, Vibhandaka, Chandra, Indu, Sasi, Nisakara, Nakshatranatha, Sitamarichi, Sitansu, Mriganka, Siva-sekhara, Kumuda-pati, Sweta-vaji, Mangala, Mars, Angaraka, Bhauma, Bhumi-putra, Mahisuta, Siva-gharmaja, Gaganolmuka, Lohita, Navarchi, Chara, Rinantaka, Skanda, Agni-bhu, Ganga-ja, Maha-sena, Sena-pati, Siddha-sena, Yudha-ranga, Kumara, Guha, Sakti-dhara, Gangaputra, Sara-bhu, Taraka-jit, Dwadasa-kara, Dwadasaksha, Rijukaya and Soma. He is the Agni or Fire of the five elements. And Hasan is Ananda-Dundhubi, Vasudeva, and perhaps Varuna. He is one of the two Aswins along with Agni. Aswins together are also called Abdhijau, Pushkarasrajau and Badaveyau. Dasras and Nasatyas, Gadagadau and Swar-vaidyau too are their names; or one was Dasra and the other Nasatya. He is water of the five elements. As this description has already gone into several pages, we give only a few examples to show how the description of various names matches with Mohammad, Ali and Husain. This has confused the scholars so much so that till now they attribute these names to different individuals. So much so that mythologies narrate marriage of several daughters of Daksha to Kasyapa, when in truth the same daughter was being referred to by various names.
Mohammad, Ali, Hasan, Husain

One of the names of Mohammad is Daksha. He is described by Dowson as able, competent and intelligent and this name generally carries with it the idea of a creative power. Daksha is a son of Brahma; he is one of the Prajapatis and is sometimes regarded as their chiefs. In the Satapatha Brahmana, Daksha is identified

with Prajapati, the creator. He is also reckoned among the Viswadevas. He had, according to various statements, twenty-four, fifty, or sixty daughters. [See how various names of one devi are seen as different daughters]. The Ramayana and Mahabharata agree in the large number; and according to Manu and the Mahabharata he gave ten of his daughters to Dharma and thirteen to Kasyapa, who became the mother of gods (devas) and demons, men, birds, serpents, and all living things. [If you have noted, Kasyapa and Dharma are both names of Ali; and Ali is attributed with the creation of the world.] Twenty-seven were given in marriage to Soma, the moon, and these became the twenty-seven Nakshatras or lunar mansions [We have shown earlier that Soma too has been wrongly understood as Ali]. One of the daughters, named Sati, married Siva [also used for Ali], and killed herself in consequence of a quarrel between her husband and father. The Kasi Khanda represents that she became a sati and burnt herself. [She actually died as a consequence of the burning door falling on abdomen and killing her child in the womb. Not knowing this truly, the story of devi burning herself up in fire emanated. Dowson quotes from Wilson in describing Dharma as an ancient sage, sometimes classed among the Prajapatis. He married thirteen (or ten) of the daughters of Daksha (Mohammad), and had a numerous progeny; but all his children are manifestly allegorical, being personifications of intelligences and virtues and religious rites, and being therefore appropriately wedded to the probable authors of the Hindu code of religion and morals, or the equally allegorical representation of that code, Dharma, moral and religious duty. [The children of Daksha or the 11 Imams are described as wedded to the probable authors of the Hindu code of religion and morals, or the equally allegorical representation of that code, Dharma, moral and religious duty. They are

described as personifications of intelligences, virtues and religious rites. Is there any dissimilarity from truth? Why wont they be, since they were all equal in virtues, all being created from the one Self or noor created by God. If Yudhishthira is called Dharma-putra, that was not because of any direct relationship to the Dharma mentioned above. We have described the reason for this elsewhere in this book.] The above description also lead us conclude that Soma too must be the appellation to Ali as he is called the chief of the sacrificers by a section of Muslims. It so happened that since there were so many names of the Devi and even much more appellations of Ali, just as there are several names of Mohammad, the writers of later age confused. They counted each name as a distinct individual. Therefore, thirteen daughters of Daksha were given in marriage to Kasyapa, because of thirteen different names mentioned at various places. Likewise, twentyseven to Soma and ten to Dharma were given in marriage because of twenty-seven and ten names respectively that were seen mentioned. And since the devas born out of their progeny too had various names like Budha, Agni, Vasu, and even Daksha, etc., there is a large account of their children. To give an example, Uma the mountain-goddess is described as the wife of Siva. It is said that Uma was a second birth of Sati, daughter of Daksha. But if we look in the list of various names of Parvati in The Matsya Purana, Umadevi is one of the names of Sati or Parvati. This proves our point further. Also, it is said that this devi was the daughter of Himavat, which goes on to show that Himavat is another of the appellations of Daksha. Legends also tell Siva as the son-in-law of Daksha, which has been missed in the earlier account. Parvati is definitely Fatima in the Rig-veda, and since Daksha is

Mohammad, Siva is one of the appellations of Ali. Another proof of this is Sivas association with phallus and Ali being the father of all the rest of Adityas or Imams and also been responsible for the entire creation. How peoples imagination leads to creation of myths and legends can be understood from the stories associated with Sivas association with phallus. We have said earlier that these devas were not only introduced among the Vedic-Aryans but all over the world. That people the world over were unable to recognize their true worth can be understood from a myth prevalent in ancient Egypt that described a deity with a large-sized phallus in hand. Not only this, there is an ancient Egyptian picture of a female deity, with few children in her arms and the rest peeping from inside the womb. Writing further, Dowson says: In the Hari-vansa Daksha appears in another variety of his character. According to his authority, Vishnu himself became Daksha, and formed numerous creatures, or, in other words, he became the creator. [We have already described the process of creation in our study of the Upanishads.] Daksha, the first of males, by virtue of yoga, himself took the form of a beautiful woman, by whom he had many fair daughters, whom he disposed of in marriage in the manner related by Manu and above stated. God creating the noor of Mohammad is described as Vishnu becoming Daksha. While Mohammad said that the entire creation was made because of him, Daksha is said to have formed numerous creatures, or, in other words, he became the creator. Daksha or Mohammad is the first of males, by the aforementioned accounts, and we have already said how the one daughter (having more than a hundred appellations) given in marriage to Siva or Kasyapa or Dharma or Soma or Ali led to several legends. Another ground for confusion is that since the 14 had seven names and each one of them

had innumerable appellations, the scholars are unable to come to conclusion. We quote further from Dowson. An important event in the life of Daksha, and very frequently referred to, is Dakshas sacrifice, which was violently interrupted and broken up by Siva. The germ of this story is found in the Taittiriya Sanhita, where it is related that the gods, having excluded Rudra from a sacrifice, he pierced the sacrifice with an arrow, and that Pushan, attempting to eat a portion of the oblation, broke his teeth. This story is found with variations in Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. Since Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas all have merely mentioned the myths in circulation without attempting to into the real story, we will have to look at the original source from where this myth evolved. It is likely that just as all the incidents of the Mohammads life, when he took birth on earth, are described in the Vedas, an account of the battle of Ohud too is given somewhere, which has been wrongly interpreted. It so happened that the Muslims had won the battle but due to the mistake of some overzealous Muslims, the enemies attacked from behind and there was a point when nearly all the Muslims, with the exception of Mohammad, Ali and few others, had fled. Mohammad was hit on the face as a consequence of which some of his front teeth were broken. Somebody announced that Mohammad has been killed (see Dakshas sacrifice in the aforementioned description, the broken teeth and Siva violently interrupting the sacrifice). Ali, the bravest of the warriors in the battle, started fighting with a rage and killed or dispersed all those who had surrounded Mohammad. From there on, the tide of the battle reversed and the Muslims emerged victorious. At a later stage, somebody asked Ali the reason for his violent fighting, and he said I thought with Mohammad dead, there was no reason for me to live.

We have seen in our study of Vedas that the sacrifice of life has been interpreted as ritual sacrifices. This apart, Daksha is described as a lawgiver, and is reckoned among the eighteen writers of Dharmashastras. Also, Dowson writes, the name of Daksha was borne by several other persons. We have already shown how the name of Mohammad was repeated four times among the fourteen. The name of the ninth Manu is given as Daksha Savaran, which can be the name of the 9th Imam, Imam Mohammad Taqi. As regards to the name Indra, he is described as the god of the firmament, the personified atmosphere. In the Vedas he stands in the first rank among the gods, but he is not uncreated, and is represented as having a father and mother. [This is so because Indra is the name given by the Vedas to the life of Mohammad when he would be living on earth.] Dowson writes: The soma juice [used for sacrifice] is his especial delight; he takes enormous draughts of it, and, stimulated by its exhilarating qualities, he goes forth to war against his foes, and to perform his other duties. As deity of the atmosphere, he governs the weather and dispenses the rain; he sends forth his lightnings and thunder, and he is continually at war with Vritra or Ahi, the demon of drought and inclement weather, whom he overcomes with his thunderbolts, and compels to pour down the rain. Strabo describes the Indians as worshipping Jupiter Pluvius, no doubt meaning Indra, and he has also been compared to Jupiter Tonans. He is frequently represented as destroying the stone-built cities of the Asuras or atmospheric demons, and of the Dasyus or aborigines of India. In his warfare he is sometimes represented as escorted by troops of Maruts [Marut is Ali], and attended by his comrade Vishnu [God]. More hymns are addressed to Indra than to any other deity in the Vedas, with the exception of Agni

[Husain]. For he was reverenced in his beneficent character as the bestower of rain and the cause of fertility, and he was feared as the awful ruler of the storm and director of the lightning and thunder. In many places of the Rig-veda the highest divine functions and attributes are ascribed to him. Indra is not the object of direct worship, but he receives incidental adoration, and there is a festival kept in his honour called Sakra-dhwajotthana, the raising of the standard of Indra. It is universally acknowledged by Hindus that Indra is the god of the firmament. Also, he enjoys the first rank among gods (devas) in the Vedas, that is the most sacred of Hindu scriptures. It is beyond comprehension why Indra is largely forgotten by those very people who regard Vedas as auspicious, in which his name abounds. It is sad that the soma juice that was the drink of martyrdom or the will to die fighting for the right cause has been misinterpreted as an intoxicating drink. Dowson has written that his devotion to soma juice is dilated upon, though nothing debasing is perceived in his sensuality. Fact is that there could be nothing debasing, when the person remembers God at all times and is willing to die for Him. It is this will to die that he carries to war against his foes, and to perform his other duties. The stone-idols that Mohammad destroyed from Kaaba upon the conquest of Makkah have been called as destroying the stone built cities of the Asuras. Even these descriptions relate Indra with Maruts (Imams), who escorts the troops, and cites Vishnu on his side, who is none but the God. More than half of the hymns of the Vedas are dedicated to Agni, Vayu and Indra. It is unfortunate that the believers of the Vedas knew nothing about Agni or Vayu and only a bit about Indra, prior to this book, and

yet they regarded Vedas as the most sacred of their scriptures. That means that more than 50% of the Vedas that talk about them were never understood. And the rest too talks about the rest of the devas. That they didnt understand is not their fault, the greatest fault is that there was no serious attempt, of late, as if the people had given up on it. Mahabharata and Purana have recorded all those myths where he is shown as obsessed with soma-juice, taken to mean an intoxicating drink. Stories that built around this have been recorded and the later period Hindus, who gave a sanctified status to any scripture that talked of the past, including the Mahabharata written as a poem, regarded them as true, when soma does not mean intoxicating drink at all. This is proof of the fact that all the stories that seem to degrade Indras character are baseless and have been added either willfully or erroneously into the larger content of the so-called Hindu scriptures. All this while the statement of the Vishnu Purana keeps coming to our mind that says that Vyasa sat down to write Mahabharata, after he had completed the Puranas, in order to increase their bulk. In Puranas in particular, many stories are told of Indra, and he appears especially in rivalry with Krishna. This notion must have developed among few because of the war of Mahabharata, which we have proved was between Krishna talking of worship of One God, and yet keeping intact the high position of Indra and other deities versus those who had wrongly begun to worship Indra and other devas as gods. It was presumed that Krishna was against Indra, though we will show in our commentary of Gita how Krishna has only elevated the position of Indra and others, than what it was previously believed to be, yet removed them from the position of god; they being the highest manifested forms of God,

who came to earth as Divine Proofs of His teachings and commands. We have shown how a time had come when people had started conning stories about divine arms, divine intervention and help in order to terrorize the opposing armies. We have also shown from Mahabharata, how stories about Pandavas or Kauravas going to Indras city or receiving armament from them were circulated. There is also a story of Draupadi saying that she was being protected by certain superhuman powers, and the king as well as the rest believed it. No doubt, other kings too were using this ploy in their fights. With approval from the high priests, they were accepted as true and no doubt ever came to their minds that they could be a product of imagination. When such an army got defeated, it was taken as Indras forces being defeated at the hands of the asuras. Krishna never removed the status of Indra and others but only asked these people to apply their reason, something that even we, in this modern age, fail to exercise in religious matters. Coming back to the subject, we find that Mahendra and Makhavat too are the names by which Indra (Mohammad) has been addressed. Even Fadak, the grazing ground belonging to Mohammad, that was confiscated by the first Caliph, upon the death of Mohammad, finds mention. It is referred to as Nandana, the grove of Indra, lying to the north of Meru. However, another description by Dowson names Vaibhraja as the celestial grove, the grove of the gods [devas] on Mount Suparswa, west of Meru. If you remember, we have already expressed a view that Meru seems to be the name of Merwah, the mountain situated at Makkah. Perhaps the first two Caliphs too have found a place in the scriptures, if only for their evil deeds. Puloman,

is described as a danava and father of Sachi, wife of Indra. He was killed by Indra when he wished to curse that deity for having ravished his daughter. For those who are unaware, both Abu Bakr and Umar, who later became the first and second caliph respectively, had given their daughters in marriage to Mohammad. That they both were responsible for killing of Fatima too can be known from our account of her in Book-II. Sachi therefore seems to have been used Umars daughter, married to Mohammad. Therefore, the danava Puloman is Umar. However, Umar was not killed in Mohammads lifetime and went on to become the Caliph. What we know for sure is that he was actually killed, if that was because of the curse of Indras daughter (Fatima), we do not know. Nishtigri has been used in the Rig-veda for the mother of Indra. From this it seems that it is the name of Aamina, Mohammads mother. Likewise, Prasuti is a daughter of Manu and wife of Daksha. This is unclear as no wife of Mohammad was daughter of Manu. Pushan too seems to be a name of either Mohammad or Ali. Dowson describes Pushan as follows: A deity frequently mentioned in the Vedas, but he is not of a distinctly defined character. Many hymns are addressed to him. The word comes form the root push , and the primary idea is that of nourisher or Providence. So the Taittiriya Brahmana says, When Prajapati formed living creatures Pushan nourished them. The account given in Bohthink and Roths Dictionary, and adopted by Dr. Muir, is as follows: - Pushan is a protector and multiplier of cattle and of human possessions in general. As a cowherd he carries an ox-goad, and he is drawn by goats. In the character of a solar deity, he beholds the entire universe, and is a guide on roads and journeys and to the other world. He is called the lover of his sister Surya. He aids in the revolution of day and night,

and shares with Soma the guardianship of living creatures. [That is why the revolution was altered twice to make the sun come back to shine, when it was already close to sunset.] He is invoked along with the most various deities, but most frequently with Indra and Bhaga. He is a patron of conjurors, especially of those who discover stolen goods, and he is connected with the marriage ceremonial, being besought to take the brides hand and bless her. (See Muris Texts, V.171) In the Nirukta, and in works of later date, Pushan is identified with the sun. He is also called the brother of Indra, and is enumerated among the twelve Adityas. Pushan is called Aghrini, splendid; Sasra, Dasma, and Dasma-varchas, of wonderful appearance or power, and Kapardin (q.v.). Manu Swayambhu has been used for Brahma the creator - or Mohammad prior to his birth as Indra. Sata-Kratu meaning the deva of a hundred rites too is an epithet of Mohammad. Two other names by which Indra is referred to are Sakra and Sahasraksha meaning the thousand-eyed. Twashtri too is another name of Indra (Mohammad) whose daughter Saranyu [who has been identified with the Greek Erinnys] was married to Vivaswat [Ali]. Saranyu [Fatima] bore the two Aswins [used for Hasan and Husain in the Rig Veda], and when she had done so, she deserted the two twins. [Deserted has been taken as running off and an entire myth as been built around that. Fact is that after giving birth to the two Aswins, she deserted them because of her untimely death.] Yama and Yami are said to be the sons of Saranyu viz. Hasan and Husain. This reveals that Yama too is the name of Husain. Who else but Husain should be called the Lord of Death. Panjetans or the five bodies seem to have been referred to as Vaikayanti, described in dictionary as the necklace of Vishnu, composed of five precious gems,

pearls, ruby, emerald, sapphire and diamond; it is the aggregate of the five elemental rudiments. [That the five elements are none but Mohammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain has already been proved.] Even Siva, who later came to be equated as Rudra or Ali, seems to be the name of five together. This is due to his epithet Panchanana meaning five-faced. Only our viewpoint gives a logical explanation to the name five-faced. Ali is also referred to as Vrihaspati and Brihaspati in the scriptures. Pasupati or Lord of creatures defined by Dowson, as a name of Rudra or of one of his manifestations seems to have been used for Ali, as we know that Rudra has been used for Ali. Pavana meaning wind or Vayu are also his epithets. See this description from Svetasvatara Upanishad:

III.1. The one who spreads the net, who rules with his ruling powers, who rules all the worlds with his ruling powers, who remains one, while arise and continue to exist, they who know that become immortal. III.2. Truly Rudra is one, there is no place for a second, who rules all these worlds with his ruling powers. He stands opposite creatures. He, the protector after creating all worlds, withdraws them at the end of time. III.4. He who is the source and origin of the gods (word used is devanam, meaning my devas), the ruler of all, Rudra, the great seer, who of old gave birth to the golden germ, may He endow us with clear understanding.
No doubt remains that Rudra is not used for god but for a great seer. Since creation and sustenance of the world too was attributed to Rudra, he was regarded

as God. What we didnt know was that God could bestow even the powers of creation and sustenance on some of his creations. It was Rudra or Ali, who married Fatima, to give birth to Hasan and Husain. Consequently, 9 devas were born successively from Husain. He is the protector after creating all worlds, and will withdraw them at the end of time. It is he who rules all these worlds with his ruling powers. In the succeeding verses, this Rudra is further described in detail. It is even stated that he is standing in the battlefield and the writer of the Upanishad is invoking God to help.

III.5. Rudra, your body which is auspicious, unterrifying, showing no evil with that most benign body, O dweller in the high places, look upon us. III.6. O Dweller among the highest, make auspicious the arrow which thou holdest in thy hand to throw. O Protector of the Highest, injure not man or beast.
Dyaus too is perhaps the name of Mohammad. Dowson writes: (It means) the sky, heaven. In the Vedas he is a masculine deity, and is called occasionally Dyauspitri, heavenly father. The earth [Fatima] being regarded as mother. He is father of Ushas, the dawn [also used for Fatima]. Cf. Zeus, Jovis, Ju-piter. Dyava-prithivi, heaven and earth, are represented as the universal parents, not only of men but of gods (devas); but in other places they are spoken of as having been themselves created; and then, again, there are speculations to their origin and priority. In one hymn it is asked, Which of these two was the first and which the last? How have they been produced? Who knows? The Satapatha Brahmana declares in favour of the earth, saying, This earth is the first of created beings. It is clear from this account that it is talking about Mohammad, the heavenly father of Hasan and Husain

through his daughter Fatima and consequently the father of 11 Imams. That is why he is described as the father, not only of men but of devas, he can be called to have been himself created, as there was no creation before him yet speculations to his origin and priority are there on two accounts: 1. Nobody knew the details about their creation, as it was prior to all creation; and secondly, it was a matter of speculation when and where would he take birth on the earth. Likewise, Rishi Vasishtha has been used for Ali. We concluded on this because Arundhati, established as Fatima in our previous account, is said to be his wife. Further, Tara is the wife of Brhaspati and since Tara is also the name of the same devi, we concluded that Brhaspati and Rishi Vasishtha are the same. If you recall, Gita too has talked of the seven rishis (sages). Brhaspati and Brahmanaspait are one and the same. Brhaspati is described at a place as father of the devas, which can only be understood through our explanation. John Dowson has this to say about Brihaspati: In the Rig-veda the names Brhaspati and Brahmanaspati alternate, and are equivalent to each other. They are names of a deity in whom the action of the worshipper upon the gods (devas) is personified. He is the suppliant, the sacrificer, the priest, who intercedes with gods (devas) on behalf of men and protects mankind against the wicked. Hence he appears as the prototype of the priests and priestly order; and is also designated as the Purohita (family priest) of the divine community. He is called in one place the father of the gods, and a widely extended creative power is ascribed to him. He is also designated as the shining and the gold-coloured, and as having the thunder for his voice. The entire description, including that of having the thunder for his voice, matches with that of Ali.

Dowson writes further: In later times he is a Rishi. He is also regent of the planet Jupiter, and the name is commonly used for the planet itself. In this character his car is called Niti-ghosha and is drawn by eight pale horses. He was son of the Rishi Angiras, and he bears the patronymic Angirasa. As preceptor of gods (devas) he is called Animishacharya, Chakshas, Ijya, and Indrejya. His wife, Tara, was carried off by the moon (soma), and this gave rise to war called the Taraka-maya. We have already explained why this myth arose. It is possible to derive at the fictitious nature of several accounts in Mahabharata. For instance, Gandiva, the bow of Arjuna, is said to have been given by Soma to Varuna, by Varuna to Agni, and by Agni to Arjuna. We have shown in our accounts how there is no Soma. In all likelihood, priests like Drona and Bhishma created these legends, when Arjuna was still in their good books. That people accepted these stories blindly can be seen from the Mahabharatas account of Draupadi mentioning to the queen - her employer - that she was being guarded by certain celestial beings. What is most amazing is that the queen as well as all the rest believed it to be true. Such was the blind faith, which was used to best advantage by the priests and kings. We have already seen that Kasyapa and Dharma as well as Siva are all names of Ali. Hara is another of his names. Dowson quotes from Wilson in describing Dharma as an ancient sage, sometimes classed among the Prajapatis. He married thirteen (or ten) of the daughters of Daksha, and had a numerous progeny; but all his children are manifestly allegorical, being personifications of intelligences and virtues and religious rites, and being therefore appropriately wedded to the probable authors of the Hindu code of religion and morals, or the equally allegorical representation of that code, Dharma, moral and religious duty. Why wont they be,

since they were all equal in virtues, all being created from the one Self or noor of God? If Yudhishthira is called Dharma-putra, that was not because of any direct relationship to the Dharma mentioned above. We have described the reason for this elsewhere in this book. Amareshwara too seems to be another epithet for Ali. Meaning Lord of the immortals, it is described by Dowson as, a title of Vishnu, Siva, and Indra. Name of one of the twelve great lingas [12 great lingas, we are ashamed to say, represent the 12 Adityas]. Kedaresa or Kedara-natha is also a name of Siva and is the name of one of the twelve great Lingas. It is a shapeless mass of stone at Kadara-natha in the Himalayas. Another oft-used name for Ali is Atri. See how Dowson describes this term: An eater. A Rishi, and author of many Vedic hymns. A Maharishi or great saint, who in the Vedas occurs especially in the hymns composed for the praise of Agni, Indra, the Aswins, and the Viswa-devas. In the epic period he is considered as one of the ten Prajapatis or lords of creation engendered by Manu for the purpose of creating the universe; at a later period he appears as a mind-born son of Brahma, and as one of the seven Rishis who preside over the reign of Swayambhuva, the first Manu, or, according to others, of Swarochisha, the second, or of Vaivaswata, the seventh. He married Anasuya, daughter of Daksha, and their son was Durvasas. -Goldstucker. In the Ramayana an account is given of the visit paid by Rama and Sita to Atri and Anasuya in their hermitage south of Chitrakuta. In the Puranas he was also father of Soma, the moon, and the ascetic Dattatreya by his wife Anasuya. As a Rishi he is one of the stars of the Great Bear. Marichi is the chief of the Maruts, no doubt Ali. Dowson describes it as follows: Chief of the Maruts. Name of one of the Prajapatis. He is sometimes

represented as springing direct from Brahma. He was father of Kashyapa, and one of the seven great Rishis. The term Marut too has been used for the 12 Imams. We have seen how the devas were described as seven and seven in the Upanishads. Due to wrong translation, commentators have multiplied seven with seven instead of adding the two numbers and concluded that there are 49 Maruts. Dowson says that Maruts hold a very prominent place in the Vedas, and are represented as friends and allies of Indra. Various origins are assigned to them. They are sons of Rudra, sons and brothers of Indra, sons of the heaven, sons of earth. Isnt it another proof that earth, vayu, etc. are not elements? It is said that they are said to have obtained their name from the words ma rodih, weep not, which Indra addressed to them. The second meaning of the term Marut god of the wind, and the regent of the north-west quarter is attributed to Ali and we have seen in the Vedas that through this Ali is meant. The fact that Rudra and Indra too are mentioned in the above description shows their relationship. Marut are sons of Rudra, sons and brothers of Indra. Since Ali and the rest of the Imams are Maruts, and we have also seen that Rudra too is the name of Ali, who was a brother of Mohammad (Indra), Dowsons comment that they are sons of Rudra, sons and brothers of Indra is correct. Being born from the Vishnu, who is said to be reclining on water, and also born at a time when there was nothing but water, they are called sons of the ocean. Since we have also proved that Fatima is also called earth, they are the sons of earth as well. Rudra is also Siva and he is Ali of the Vedas while Parvati, we have shown is none but the name of Fatima. It so happened that when Hasan and Husain were born,

who in all accounts were of like form, like age, and similarly accoutered, Mohammad (Indra) cried. When asked the reason, he told that these sons of Ali (Rudra, Marut, Vayu) and Fatima (Parvati, earth) would be killed, one through poison and the other through swords. This description is very much present in the Vedas and the peoples inability to understand it, has led to the growth of legends. As Dowson says: All these legends have manifestly been invented to explain those passages of the Vedas which make the Maruts the sons of Rudra. This also explains why so many legends came to be built around these personalities. With little or nearly no information other than the content of the Vedas, people created the legends to understand the meanings. In the same manner, Kama-deva seems to have been used for Husain. Dowson and others have compared the account and description of this deva with Eros. He is described as the son of Dharma - the god of justice with Sraddha - the goddess of faith being the mother; but according to Harivansa he is son of Lakshmi. Lakshmi and Sraddha, we have already shown, is Fatima and Dharma is Ali. Another account represents Kama-deva as springing from the heart of Brahma. A fourth view is that he was born from water, wherefore he is called Ira-ja, the water-born. Fact is that all the descriptions match that of Husain, who was one of the first five creations, created from Vishnu - who is shown as reclining on the water. Another account describes him as self-existent, which too matches with our description of Husains noor as one of the fourteen. Like other devas, he is called, Aja, unborn, or Ananyaja, born of no other. He is said to have a daughter Trisha, meaning thirst. This is another perfect example how Vedic scholars have committed gross errors. This also shows why all these myths need to be discarded unless a proper study

is done in light of our discovery. Husain was killed after water had been barred to reach his camp for several days. For three consecutive days, everybody in Husains camp, including the young children, had to live without water. By the morning of 10th Muharram, cries of Thirst! Thirst! could be heard from children in Husains camp. That account of thirst or trishna too has been inferred wrongly and a daughter called Trishna is assigned to him, along with a narration about her. Dont you agree that each and every scripture of ours need to be re-translated? He [Kama or Husain] is described as lord of the Apsaras or heavenly nymphs. He is armed with a bow and arrows: the bow is of sugarcane, the bowstring a line of bees, and each arrow is tipped with a distinct flower. [All these will bear different meanings once fresh studies are undertaken]. He is usually represented as a handsome youth riding on a parrot and attended by nymphs, one of whom bears his banner displaying the Makara, or a fish on a red ground. [Fish on red ground symbolizes the condition of the fish that dies without water; red symbolizes the blood that was spilled.] Another name Kama, described as god of love is Manmatha. Likewise Riddhi meaning prosperity is the wife of Kuvera, god of wealth, already shown to be Ali. Dowson says the name is also used for Parvati, the wife of Siva. We have already shown from Vedas that Parvati is Fatima; also Siva is Ali as per our view. We can go on and on like this, but its time to put an end to this description now. What is clear is that a fresh study of Vedas and Upanishads and a critical analysis of Puranas and poems like Ramayana and Mahabharata are sure to shed a great deal of light on the true relationship between these characters.

False Believes and Misunderstood Traditions

We are sure it cannot be denied anymore that the devas are none but the Masooms. Masooms may have lived and died during a particular period, but their importance in the creation of this universe and their role in leading all beings towards the worship of One God has remained the same right from beginning of the creation. All great religions of the world would not have come into existence without the Masooms. All attempts to lead the mankind towards righteousness and worship could not have emanated without the consciousness generated through them. If we continue to have goodness around, if evil has not enveloped everything, then it is courtesy the Masooms - the Manus or the 14 devas. Now is the time to shed our ignorance. Now is the time to give the devas their rightful place inside our souls. Now is the time to return to the worship of One God alone, from where we all have deviated irrespective of our beliefs, caste and creed. As Mundaka Upanishad says, all devas lead to the One God alone (I.2.13).

Unto him who has approached in due form, whose mind is tranquil and who has attained peace, let the knowing teach in its very truth that knowledge about Brahman by which one knows the imperishable person, the true.
It is a long time since we have blindly followed the religion. Now is the time to open our eyes. Unless and until we explore and inquire, we are not going to reach the truth. All beliefs, all rituals, all actions need to be

verified on the basis of reason and unless there is a specific injunction commending or negating an act, nothing should be accepted as truth and part of religion. Even the Kalki avatar or Mahdi should not be accepted blindly. Lets wait for him, but lets not allow reason to leave us. For there is a chance that imposters would try to fit themselves in the shoes of Mahdi. This likelihood has already been foretold in various narrations. Mahdi, when he would come, would bring along the Divine Signs, through which it wont be difficult to recognize him. But we will have to be on guard, as there have been innumerable occasions already, when devil and his henchmen have collectively befooled the humanity on the whole. India, we have seen, has always remained a favourite place of the devas. This region has given the best of the thinkers, the best of the worshippers, and most righteous of men something that devas always wanted from all of us. It is this region alone that saw huge armies stand up to fight on the side of Prophets of God, who even went on to gain victory in battle. It is symbolic of truth, steadfastness and peace. Some of the sheen may have got lost from these virtues lately, but even now Indians, collectively, continue to remain more simple, more truthful, more hardworking and more God-fearing than people of most other places However, this does not mean that devas have not worked anywhere else. Messengers of God kept coming with the teachings of One God in each and every civilization, in each of the major communities, and regions populated by large masses of people. Moreover, all these messengers kept verifying the teachings of previous messengers and kept identifying the messengers who would follow. All of them enumerated the importance of devas or Masooms. Be it Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece or the Indus Valley Civilization all these major world

cultures were foretold the importance of the devas, but all of them deified them and started worshipping them, thereby getting digressed from their objective. As digression grew, more messengers were sent to rectify the teachings. Then came a time when there was no Messenger on earth for several hundred years. The entire world went in darkness. All previous teachings got corrupted. Then came the Spirit itself - in the form of Mohammad and rest of the Ahlebayts - to rectify the mistakes and bring the people back to the right path. His teachings were for all. However, it is evident that people digressed from his teachings as well. Today, 1400 years have passed since Mohammad is no more on this earth. Those who embraced his teachings with open hearts during that time are no longer sticking to his teachings. As it has happened with all the previous messengers, digressions and deviations have enveloped the Muslims as well. Today, Muslims possess all the evils as the rest of the humanity, if not more. Some, who held on to the 14 Masooms, have forsaken God. Those who thought God and His book was sufficient have forsaken the Masooms. We have already quoted from an Upanishad in Part-I that both the groups are ignorant, and in the dark. Some have allowed rituals to envelope all their actions; others have forsaken even the essential acts, considering them to be rituals. Even the Upanishads described the devas as Vidyadhars (the abode of knowledge), Prophet laid a great deal of stress on acquiring knowledge, but the Muslims are one of the most illiterate communities on earth. Perhaps, also the most hated, the most backward, the filthiest, the most violent, the most untruthful, the most unreliable and so on. This is in spite of contrary instructions in each of these areas. And this is in spite of Divine Proofs among them, which had not come in person to be saviours among any of the other communities.

However, this does not mean that other communities are in a better position. They may be scientifically advanced, wealthier, more knowledgeable and powerful, but are more degraded in terms of spirituality and worship of God. During these 1400 years, the last remnant of the Divine Spirit, Imam Mohammad Mahdi, has continued to live behind a veil, invisible to our eye. However, this is the time when his appearance is due. Let us try to make this place fit for his arrival by turning our back to devil. Let no body give shelter to him. Let him be on the run. Let One God be supplicated in the manner that He the Master and Creator deserves. Come, O Mahdi, we await you!

Mahdi The Final Coming

The subject of Mahdi (the awaited) is such that it has since long perplexed the minds of even some of the most staunch believers of Ahlebayt. Till now, those who believed in the coming of Mahdi had to live with continuous assaults of criticism, pertaining to their belief about his reappearance. So much so that while the subject is hotly discussed in their internal circles, particularly due to the fact that it is on this belief that the foundations of their religion rest, they shy away from discussing the long life of Mahdi in front of others, mostly due to fear of being mocked and criticized. Not any more! Isnt this enough of a proof that all major religions of the world, who came at different times and prospered in areas which were largely unconnected at that time, carry this concept of final salvation, who would come towards the end as a messiah of the oppressed, the weak, the underprivileged and the downtrodden? Be it Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam all believe that when the world would be full of vices and evil, God will finally send a Divine Person, who will make the world a better place to live. Hindus call him the Kalki Avatar; there are several narrations pertaining to him in various scriptures. That this concept of final deliverance is universally acknowledged is itself a proof of its truthfulness as well as of the fact that all the Messengers who propagated it belonged to one common source. However, most of the accounts of his arrival are hazy and unclear. There is only one small group in the Muslims who claim to know his true identity and believe that the Mahdi has already taken birth about 1200 years ago, at a place called Samarrah in present Iraq. They believe that as per the will of God, Mahdi disappeared

from public view when still a child. Yet, he continues to live and work to guide all humanity towards the worship of One God. When God would will and when the time is appropriate, he would appear again, to lead the world towards God. This alone had been the mission of all his 13 predecessors, who collectively form the Divine Self, and it is in this pursuit that they all were killed. Mahdi is the last Divine Proof on earth, whose very presence ensures that the world is surviving. For that reason, many in the aforementioned community of Muslims, regard him as Baqiatullah, the remaining part of Allah. However, it is unfortunate that the same group, who clung to the 14 names in the most adverse of circumstances, is no longer the greatest worshipper of God, when faced with relatively less hostile environment. Fact is that while the Masooms (devas) themselves continue to be revered at all their congregations, the lofty ideals that they lived and died for have been forgotten. This pattern is similar to that of Krishna, Rama, Moses, Jesus, Buddha and Moses who all had strived to preach unity of God and righteousness, but the world deified them and elevated them higher or equal to God, in their hearts at least, if not on paper. There is no reason for this small group, who claim to hold on to the Masooms, to feel proud because apart from keeping alive the traditions and incidents of some of the 14 Masooms, majority of these people have desisted from their teachings and might be disowned by the very Masooms, when the last proof of God on earth would arrive in person. For this reason, we strongly disagree with the view of those who claim that the Mahdi would convert all people to one religion. All who claim to be following Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism or Islam, their beliefs and faith have common origin in that One Straight Path shown by Gods messengers. Yet, majority of the believers

of these so-called different faiths have deviated from the straight-path. In all likelihood, if Mohammad were to come now, he would disown majority of the Muslims. Likewise, Rama or Krishna would disown the Hindus, Jesus would disown the Christians and Moses would disown the Jews. With deviations in all faiths, who are we to claim that Mahdi - the true representatives of all of these revered figures - would convert people to our religion. There is no difference between the path shown by Mohammad, Rama, Krishna, Moses and Jesus. If they appear so different from each other, that is our doing. This is why we claim that none of the revered figures, attributed to various religions, would recognize the selfconfessed followers if they were to arrive in this age. Not that there are no more rightful believers of the God, in each faith. But they have been confined to the sidelines in the face of dogmas and rituals, their officiating priests and most importantly, the blind adherents. Moral and spiritual degradation in society has reached the levels that the time of deliverance is not far. Mahdis appearance is not a distant reality anymore. Considering the fact that all the Messengers and Masooms of God who lived as normal human beings died disillusioned when faced with tortures and hardships at the hands of man, we should not doubt the traditions that Mahdi would, for the first time, use supernatural or Divine powers to assist him in his victories. Since God has never championed adherence to His path due to force or compulsion, and since matters of choosing between right and wrong has been left upon our consciousness, the coming of Mahdi would mean closing of the doors of acceptance of repentance. That is why, prior to coming of Mahdi, God wants to give one final opportunity to His subjects to choose their paths. So that none could ever say that he was not guided.

Birth of Mahdi in the House of Hasan Askari the Eleventh Imam

A group of scholars, amongst them being the learned and mystic traditionist Mohammad Khwaja Bukhari in his book Fasl-ul-Khetab has narrated that Mahdi was born close to dawn of 15 th Shaban, 256 A.H. (at present, the year is 1425 A.H.). Her mother, Nargis, was a Roman princess, who had left the life of grandeur and opulence to live with the Imam Hasan Askari. Imam Hasan Askaris aged aunt, Hakimah was alongside Nargis at the time of delivery. Fasl-ul-Khetab narrates: When Hakimahs looks fell on the child she took him in her arms and went towards Hazrat Hasan. Hazrat embraced him and rubbed his blessed hands over his back and eyes and then placed his mouth over his mouth. Thereafter he recited Azan (call to prayer) in his right ear and Eqamah (establishment of prayers) in his left ear and then said: O aunt, take him to his mother. Hakimah obeyed and took the child back to his mother. Hakimah says: Once again, I visited Hasan Askaris house. All of a sudden, I saw Hazrat carrying a child who was wearing a yellow dress and the babys face was beaming with light. Then, his love superseded my heart and I said: O my Master, what have you to say about this blessed child? He replied: O aunt, he is the same Expected one about whom we were given glad-tidings. Then, I threw myself on the ground and prostrated as an expression of thanksgiving. Author says: What we have narrated before and what we shall narrate later on, necessarily proves his birth because those tradition comprises several parts. One of the parts indicates that he is the twelfth successor while another shows that he is the twelfth legatee. Still another portion indicates that he is the twelfth Imam and leader and another indicates that he is the ninth from the progeny of Husain (the third Imam). Others

reveal that he is the fourth from the offspring of Imam Raza (the eighth Imam) and yet others reveal that he is the son of Hazrat Hasan Askari. Another part indicates his occultation and the fact that he is concealed from the public-view and cannot be recognized. These Mustafiza and rather Mustawatir traditions clearly stipulate and or necessarily indicate that Mahdi, the Expected one is the immediate son of Imam Hasan Askari. Moreover this indication is so manifest and evident that no one has any doubt in it and none disputes. Now we say: Based on this, we are bound to accept one of the following: Firstly that, we reject the afore-said traditions from the viewpoint of chain of transmission and weakness in indication and as a result deny the afore-mentioned claims. Reply: Anyone who has reviewed the traditions and gone through the books of Rijal (distinguished scholars) can never ever imagine such an affair because a number of partisans of traditions have confessed the authenticity of some of them and have given evidence of their credibility and acceptability. Rather, Hakem who is the leader of this art has himself recorded some of them and as per the views of Bukhari and Muslim, has reckoned them to be correct. Thus mans conscience itself bears testimony to this objection. Secondly, renouncing and abandoning those traditions and not acting upon them. Reply. This obligation is an independent reasoning against the correct and explicit texts. Rather, just as you were told before, most of the scholars of Sunnis have clearly stipulated the successive transmission of these traditions and compendiously reckoned their issuance to be decisive. Thus, resorting to this obligation will amount to refutation of the Holy Prophet and rejection of what has come from him through successive transmission notwithstanding that which Allah says:

Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed.

Thirdly, being bound over the matter of nonexistence of Mahdi and the continuation of the life of Imam Hasan Askari until the end of time when Allah has foretold the birth of Mahdi. Reply: Here too, we cannot consider this saying to be correct because Shias and Sunnis are unanimous over this fact that Hasan Askari has already passed away in the year 260 A.H. Taken for granted that Imam Hasan Askari has lived till now and is still alive, why cant we assume the same for Mahdi and compel ourselves in believing him to be still alive and living. This is because if a decree on such a matter is permissible then there exists no difference between these two cases so that we may say that it is possible in the case of Imam Hasan Askari but not so for Mahdi. Fourthly, as per the consensus of Shias and Sunnis, Imam Hasan Askari has passed away. However, Allah (All Glory be to Him) with the Power that He possesses shall make him alive in the near future primarily for the birth of Mahdi. Reply: There is no proof which gives evidence to the truthfulness of this saying. Although Allah is having Power over all things and His Might cannot be denied yet, the reason for the rejection of continuation of Mahdis life is because it is considered to be an improbable affair and contrary to the custom (as is in vogue amongst us) notwithstanding the fact that the chances of making someone alive after death and restoring him back to life after non-existence appears to be more remote and unusual than continuation of life. In addition, the restoration Hasan Askaris life after his demise may be in reference to Rejat (return to life), the same which we Shias believe. Fifthly, being bound over believing that Mohammad Mahdi has been born and is still living. Moreover, he is being given sustenance and just like other people who seek means of livelihood he too seeks means of livelihood until the time when Allah wishes him to fill the earth with equity

and Justice just as it had been filled with cruelty and oppression. Thus, He shall command him to emerge and inspire him to bring about a complete reform. This is exactly what Shias believe. The proof of Mahdi being still alive would be given towards the end of this Chapter. The author of Tazkerat-ul-Al while mentioning the children of Abu Mohammad Hasan Askari says: Amongst them is Imam Mohammad son of Hasan, son of Ali, son of Mohammad, son of Ali, son of Musa, son of Jafar, son of Mohammad, son of Ali, son of Husain, son of Ali b. Abu Talib. His agnomen is Abu-Abdullah and AbulQasim and he is the successor, Hujjat (Proof) Master of the age, Qaem (Upholder) and Muntazir (Awaited one). He shall be the last Imam. The author of Matalibus-Suool, after mentioning the place of birth of Hazrat Mahdi (may the blessing of Allah be upon him and his holy forefathers) says: However, his name is Mohammad, his agnomen is Abul-Qasim and his titles are Hujjat (Proof) and Khalaf-Saleh (Virtuous successor). He has also been called as Muntazar (Awaited one). Ibn-Hajar in his book Sawaeq, after mentioning about Imam Hasan Askari writes: He did not leave behind any successor but his son Abul-Qasim Mohammad Hujjat whose age at the time of his fathers demise was five years. However Allah granted him wisdom at that time and he has been called as Qaem and Muntazar. The author of Nur-ul-Absar, after mentioning about Mahdi says: His name is Mohammad and his agnomen Abul-Qasim. The Shias have given him such titles as Hujjat, Mahdi, Khalaf-Saleh, Qaem and Sahebuz-Zaman. The most famous amongst them is Mahdi.
Messengership in Childhood and His Imamate

We quote from a book on Mahdi: So far, whatever we have written about Mahdi and his characteristics,

necessarily proves that he has been raised to the position of Imamate and he held this glorious position when he was only five and yet a Junior. Now we wish to see whether it is possible and permissible for one to hold the position of Imamate at the age of five or is it that the Prophets, Messengers and their successors are bound to first reach adolescence and attain physical development or else! In this regard, we say: Research in this matter is related to theology and here it is out of place to discuss it in length. However, briefly we say: What has been verified is this that the matter of Messengership, Prophethood, Imamate and successorship lie in the Hands of the Exalted Allah and nobody else has any choice or authority in this regard. Therefore, as per the intellect, this implication will be allowed for and with presence of proof, there shall be no objection if an infant becomes a Prophet or a child becomes an Imam because the Glorious Allah can amass together all the qualifications of an Imam or a Prophet in the childhood period itself. Verily, reason accepts this that the Exalted Allah makes someone as His friend and then appoints him as His Prophet and Messenger or chooses him as a leader and Executor in his very childhood period. This is because there exists no weakness in the Power of Allah and the story of Isa and Yahyas Prophethood bear testimony in the truthfulness of what we say. The author of Basaerud-Darejat narrates from Ali-ibn-Esbaat as such: I saw Hazrat Abu Jafar (Imam Mohammad Baqar) approaching towards me. When he came close to me I quickly cast my glance at him and looked at him from head to toe so that I could describe him to my friends in Egypt. Then he went into prostration and said: Verily Allah has set forth argumentation in the matter of Imamate just as He had done so in the case of Prophethood and has said:

And We granted him wisdom while yet a child.

Also, He has said:

until when he attains his maturity and reaches the age of forty.
The author of Yanabi-ul-Muwadda after mentioning the matter of Mahdis birth, narrates on page 452 from the book Fasl-ul-Khetab as such: About him, it has been said that the Exalted Allah granted him wisdom, in his childhood and also made him a Hujjat (Proof) for the people of the world. As, He says with regard to one of His Prophets:

O Yahya! take hold of the Book with strength, and We granted him wisdom while still a child.
Also, He says:

They said: How should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle? He said: Surely I am the servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet.
Ibn-Hajar in his Sawaeq (on page 114) after mentioning the incident of the demise of Imam Hasan Askari writes: - He did not appoint anyone as his successor but Abul-Qasim Mohammad Hujjat whose age at the time of his fathers demise was five years. However Allah granted him wisdom at that time. (82) At the time of his fathers demise he was five years old and Allah granted him wisdom in his very childhood just as He made Prophet Yahya as an Imam in his infancy and appointed Isa as a Prophet in his childhood. Also, Shabrawi in Al-Ettehaf (on page 179) mentions his successorship to have started at the age of five after his fathers demise and reckons his birth to have occurred in the night of 15th Shaban. Ibn-Khallkan too (in Wafiyatul-Aayan Vol. 1 Pg. 451) has mentioned the birth of Hazrat to be on the 15th Shaban 255 A.H. Suyediin Sabaek-uz-Zahab (page 78) has mentioned his age

at the time of his fathers demise to be five years. Also Abul-Fidah Vol. 2 Pg. 45 mentions the birth of Hazrat to have occurred in the year 255. Independent traditions reveal that Krishna, Jesus and Ali all spoke at the time of birth. Hindu traditions even narrate the young girl who replaced Krishna speaking to Kansa. This girl was surely not a Prophet. She is said to have flown in the sky, and then spoke. It is sorry that the same people who narrate the story of this girl flying in the sky need to invent airplanes for Hanuman to travel from Lanka to Himalayas and back. The story of the Virgin Mary proves that Jesus was born without father. If all these are true events that actually happened, why do we have to doubt that God could not bestow powers on a child who has already grown up to be five. Moreover, we have already narrated that the Masooms are the creators of the cosmos, the superior most creations of God on whom He has bestowed His own powers. After this, there should be no doubt anymore.
The Manner of His Occultation

Conditions during the time of latter Imams were such that their lives were spent mostly in imprisonment or house arrest. As regard to Imam Hasan Askari the eleventh Imam there was yet another reason for spys hovering his house day and night. This was the abundance of traditions from the time of Prophet, Ali and later Imams about Mahdi and the deliverance that he would bring about. Such is the number of these traditions that they can only fit into an independent book. Caliph of the period naturally had reasons to be afraid, as he knew in heart that he was usurper and unrighteous. Spies were appointed to keep a close watch if any child took birth in the house of the Imam. Simultaneously, the Imam himself was poisoned to death at the first opportunity.

In spite of all these arrangements, there was no stopping Gods will. Imam Mohammad Mahdi took birth in the wee hours of night without anybody coming to know. Imam Hasan Askari kept it such a well-guarded secret and only a few most trusted friends were allowed to meet the child. The king got to know of the childs birth when the latter had disappeared by the order of God. The following narration from Ahmad ibn Obaidullah, whose father was the amir of Samarra and a close aid of the Caliph in keeping a watch on Imams house, tells how the state appointed doctors and guards had been forced upon the Eleventh Imam, so that they could keep watch on his activities and inform the king in case a child was due. See: When Imam Hasan Askari fell ill (due to the effect of poison given by the caliphs men), the Caliph called for my father to inform him about Imams illness. My father immediately rushed for the Capital and soon returned back. He came back with five special and trusted men of Caliph who were all reliable to him and one of them was Nuhrair Khadem. He ordered these five men to protect Imams house and inquire of his health. He called for several doctors and charged them with the responsibility of looking after Imam every morning and night. Two days later, news came of Imams deteriorating condition. My father rushed to visit him and commanded the doctors not to leave Imam alone. Afterwards, he called for the Chief Judge and ordered him to bring ten of his companions who were reliable from the viewpoint of faith, trustworthiness and piety. The Chief Judge summoned those ten men to Imams house and ordered them to remain besides Imam day and night. They too remained at Imams service until he passed away. Imam Hasan Askari passed away in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal 260 A.H. and a tumult took place in the

city of Samarrah. The Caliph sent several of his men to Imams house and they in turn searched Imams rooms and sealed off everything they could find. They also searched for Imams son (i.e. Imam of the Age). They brought midwives in order to examine the slave-girls (of Imam Hasan Askari). One of the midwives said: So and so slave-girl is pregnant. The Caliph charged Nurair Khadem, his companions and other women to keep watch over her. Thereafter, they became busy in Imams funeral and the entire city came to a standstill. The Bani-Hashim, the commanders, writers and all the common people attended Hazrats funeral. On that day, the city of Samarrah resembled the Day of Judgment. As soon as Imams body was given the ritual wash and was shrouded, the Caliph sent forward Abu Isa Mutawakkil to recite prayers over Imams dead-body. When Abu Isa came close to Imams dead-body, he lifted the shroud and exposed his face to the Bani-Hashim, (who were from the Alawites [descendents of Ali]) Abbassids, commanders, writers, judges, jurisprudents and the common people and then said: This man is Imam Hasan Askari who has died a natural death. During the entire period of his illness, so and so doctor, so and so judge, so and so trusted person and so and so just person had been present and they can all bear witness on this affair. After this, he covered Imams face and recited prayers over his dead-body and in his prayers he recited five times Takbeer (inaugural phrase). By his commands, Imams dead-body was taken out from his house and was laid buried in his great grandfathers house. After Hazrats burial and the peoples dispersal, the Caliph and his companions engaged in seeking the whereabouts of his son (Imam of the Age). They properly searched various houses. They desisted from distributing Hazrats inheritance. Those people who were charged with the responsibility of keeping watch over the slave-girl

continued their task for two years until they realized that she had not been pregnant. Thereafter, they distributed Hazrats inheritance between his mother and brother (Jafar-e-Khazzab). Several traditions tell that Imam Hasan Askari fell ill on the first day of Rabiul-Awwal in the year of 260 A.H. and passed away on the Friday the eighth of RabiulAwwal of the same year. At the time of his demise, Imam Hasan Askari was twenty-eight years old. He was laid to rest in the same house, which he had in Samarrah and where his great-father was buried and appointed his son for the establishment of the just government. Imam Hasan Askari would keep secret the birth of his son and would conceal his affairs because situation of that time was unfavourable. The Caliph of that time searched severely for Imams sons and strived to know about their affairs because belief on Mahdi had become widespread amongst the Shia Imamia and who were expecting him to come. During his life, Imam Hasan Askari never disclosed his son in public and after his demise too, the enemies never got the chance of recognizing his son.
Reason Behind Occultation

We present here the views from a book on Imam Mahdi which says: Discussion on Occultation is a vast topic and traditions in this regard are many. What is necessary for us to know is the following: Is there anyone to ask about the philosophy behind Occultation and is there anyone who can say: Since I do not know the reason behind Occultation, I do not believe as you do in the existence of Mahdi and I further say: If as per what you say, Mahdi is the Imam, then it is necessary for him to appear amongst the people and walk in the market-places! We say: Concerning the numerous Mustafiza traditions which we previously

mentioned and few more of which we shall inform you about later on, Mahdi the Expected one is Abul-Qasim Muhammad- b. Hasan Askari who was born on 15th Shaban 256 A.H. Besides, we have also mentioned to you the names of those learned scholars who have approved the above point. Since Allah is All-Wise, He would never Command nor Forbid any matter or action except out of prudent Knowledge. The same is true for this particular matter. All that Prudent Knowledge is referred to those charged with a duty because, in the Holy presence of God, there exists no want and His Holy Self is Needless and All-Sufficient. Thus every action of God is in conformity with Prudent interests whether we realize those interests or not and whether we perceive those reasons or not. From the known affairs where not even a single person dispute is this that every voluntarily and in-voluntarily incidents and affairs which occur in this world should be as per the Divine prudence and rather as per the Divine Will. Amongst these affairs, the most important of them is the Occultation of Mahdi. Based on this principle, the Occultation of Mahdi must be as per prudence and wisdom, whether we perceive it or not and whether we understand its reason or not. If we do not believe in what we have said, we are helpless in denying an affair for which we do not possess any reason of its denial - Firstly that Mahdi is the same Muhammad-ibn-Hasan Askari. Secondly that he is hidden from the views. Thirdly that his Occultation has taken place by the Will and Decree of Allah. If you pay attention and deliberate over each of these three affairs, you will realize that denying any one of them will not be rationally and traditionally permissible. So we are bound to believe that the event of Mahdis Occultation is in accordance with Prudence. Otherwise, we have to deny one of the three afore-said affairs. Saduq in his book Elalush -

Sharayeh has narrated from Abdullah-ibn-Fazl Hashami as saying: I heard Sadeq Aal-e-Muhammad (Imam Jafar Sadiq -the sixth Imam) saying (foretelling): For the Saheb-e-Amir (Master of the Affairs) there shall occur an occultation during which every men of vanity will fall into doubt and skepticism. I said: May I be sacrificed for you. For what reason? He replied: For a reason which we are not at liberty to divulge. I asked: What is the reason for Hazrats Occultation? He replied: The reason for Hazrats Occultation is similar to the reason for concealment of the past Divine Proofs. [This is evident that the Divine Proofs would be unearthed and known around the time of Mahdis coming.] The reason behind Mahdis Occultation will not be disclosed but after his emergence just as the reason of Hazrat Khizrs actions (meaning the drilling of a hole in the boat, the killing of a lad and the repairing of the wall) was not divulged until Musa and Khizr decided to part company. O son of Fazl. This affair is a divine affair, this secret is a divine secret and this concealment is a divine concealment. We must accept that all His actions are based on Wisdom, even if the reason for them is not known to us. This saying is the truth which should be confessed and certified by every Muslim. Verily, very often a person seeks the reason and philosophy for some of the Divine Acts for the sake of gaining certainty and tranquility of his own self and not that he wishes to use his confirmation and rejection as a means for perceiving the reason of Divine actions or not. The reason of occultation was kept secret but now

it is out in the open. Courtesy the Vedas and Upanishads! In spite of the knowledge of innumerable traditions from the Prophet as well as the mention of Mahdi in Quran, Muslims who claimed to be the believers in Quran and Prophet killed all the preceding Imams. They would have done so in case of Mahdi as well if occultation had not happened. Nobody knew then that Imams were responsible for the sustenance of the world. It is because of them that all creatures breathe. Their purpose was to lead mankind to God and that was not possible during the time. Had Mahdi too been killed, the world would have remained no more. Therefore, the last of the 14 devas of God, because of whom all creations took birth, had to wait. That wait is about to end as God has ordered him to prepare to come. Deliverance is not far anymore!
How People Benefit From the Hidden Imam

Says the writer: The benefits of Imam-e-Zamans existence from our view-point (i.e. Shia view-point) are of two types: Firstly, Hazrat like other people is alive and the common people derive benefit from his existence whether present or absent and whether apparent or concealed. Secondly, the benefit which is derived from Hazrats occupation (of the earth) was previously reasoned that due to fear and insecurity it is not obligatory for Hazrat to carry out the second type. However benefits of the first type will necessarily be derived from Hazrats existence. The simile, which has come in the tradition of Jabir-ibn-Abdullah Ansari, is as follows:

Imam is like a sun hidden behind the clouds.

This simile is one of the most elegant and beautiful kinds of simile. Various benefits and effects are derived from the suns existence even though it may be covered by a cloud. Moreover, other benefits are derived from

its rays if it is not covered by a cloud or rather anything else. Imam too is the same. I believe, this comparison has been made from two aspects and there exists two reasons for this (one aspect when the sun is covered by clouds and the other aspect when the sun is not covered by any object and its light glimmers). Deriving benefit from the sun and making use of it by the living and rather the non-living creatures is something prevalent whether it is manifest or concealed under the clouds. Every creature derives its own pleasure and share from it with the difference that when it is manifest and glimmering, the benefit derived is more than when it is covered and concealed. Imam too is like the sun in these two afore-said cases. This is the view of the Shias about Imam. However the Sunnis believe that the benefits and effects derived from Imams existence is confined to the second type (i.e. non-absence of Imam). To this, we reply as such: Some of the Sunnis reckon Mahdis occultation to mean that he is invisible and cannot be seen. However, just as mentioned before, their reckoning is far from truth. Rather, his occultation means that he cannot be individually recognized and seen. Thus, it has come down in some traditions that after Mahdis emergence people will say: - We used to see him before too. Verily Mahdi is absent (amongst us) but attends the gatherings and meetings. He also speaks to the travelers and other people. Rather, very often he presents himself during the Haj season. He wears the Ehram (pilgrims garb), recites the call of Labbaik, performs the tawaaf (circumbulation) and concludes his Haj by visiting his honoured grand-father and great fathers shrines especially at times of special Ziarats. Thus Mahdi is present amongst the Islamic community but is not physically recognized. On the contrary, we say: Who can dare say that during the

major occultation it is not possible to come in contact with Mahdi whereas historical and other books provide us with evidences that a section of people have received the honour of seeing and meeting him. This matter is not inconsistent with the tradition which says: If anyone claims that he has seen Mahdi, then reject his saying. This is because by context of the first part of the tradition it only means that anyone who claims the special deputyship should be denied. Rather we can say: Mahdi is one of the members of society and rather the most important member. It is possible that he acts upon his responsibility even though it may not be obligatory for him. Verily, it is possible that Mahdi may come in contact with the Kings, rulers, princes and ministers and make some recommendations to them about reforms, maintenance of order and running of the affairs whether they follow his recommendation or not. He sits with the Jurists, scholars, writers and the learned people and discusses with them such topics as divine theology, moral rectifications and literary matters. In every field, he guides them towards the truth and right way irrespective of whether they act upon his sayings or not. He meets the traditionists, historians, gene and scholars of Rijal and guides them to the true saying, truthfulness of the concerned matter, authenticity of relation (of narration) and their incorrectness irrespective of whether they approve his sayings or not. Talks takes place with the preachers, inviters (towards the Divine path), clergymen and guides too and he reveals to them the way of reaching their objective in an easier way be it they act upon it or not. He visits the helpless, needy, sick and afflicted people and fulfills the wishes of the needy and cures the sick. Mahdi strives for all these affairs without being recognized and he is never stingy in doing good to others. So its absurd to say: How people benefit from the hidden Imam!? Verily, very often Mahdi replies to matters having

to do with principles and other secondary matters; very often he solves the religious or worldly affairs; very often he cures the sick; how often he delivers the poor; very often he helps the helpless; very often he quenches the thirsty and very often he holds the hands of the disabled. This book and other books which have been written by reliable scholars (who were not recognizing each other and were living in different places and different times) contain such evidences which bear testimony to the truthfulness of what we have written. A person, after going through the particulars and contexts of these kind of evidences will gain certainty in the veracity of some of them. These are just a few benefits that people derive from Mahdi, as believed by Shia scholars till now. What none of the Islamic scholars knew till date was that as one of the fourteen devas, the noor of Mahdi even comprises the conscience inside each of us, owing to that he is the Divinely Appointed ruler of our organs of action and senses. Both as deva or noor and as Mahdi in human form, his role is to lead mankind towards God. As deva, he has continued to guide in all times, as Mahdi, he is going to remain in occultation unless he is sure of his success.
Mahdi and His Coming

Jabir-ibn- Abdulla Ansari narrates a lengthy incident wherein a Jew approaches the Holy Prophet and asks him various questions which results in his converting to Islam. One of the questions which the convert had asked was about the successors to the Holy Prophet himself and the Prophets reply that they were twelve in number. He counted each one of them by name until he got to the name of Imam Muhammad Hasan Askari. Thereafter he said: After him shall come his son Mohammad who will be known as Mahdi, Qaem and Hujjat. Then he

will disappear temporarily, reappear again and when he does so he shall fill the earth with equity and justice. Since by then the earth would have been filled with cruelty and oppression. Blessed are those who are patient during the period of his occultation and blessed are those who are steadfast in their love towards him. They are those whom Allah has praised in His Book with such words:

Quran is a guide to those who guard (against evil), those who believe in the unseen i.e. Mahdi and his occultation
Also, Allah says:

They are those who belong to the Party of Allah; Know that the Party of Allah are the victorious ones.
Hasan ibn Khalid has narrated from Imam Ali Raza about Mahdi where he mentions that he would be the fourth from his descendants and that when he reappears, the earth would be engulfed with the Divine Light. Thereafter Imam continued as such: He is the one whose reappearance shall coincide with the call of a caller from the sky such that all the inhabitants of the land shall hear this cry: - Know that the Hujjat (Proof) of Allah has appeared near the House of Allah. So follow him since the truth is in him and with him. The word of Allah too refers to the same. In the third chapter of Eqdud-Durar its author narrates from Harith-ibn-Mughaira Ansari that he asked Abu Abdullah Husain-ibn-Ali as such: By what sign should we recognize Mahdi? He replied: By (his) calmness and (his) dignity. Once again I asked: By what sign? He replied: By recognizing the forbidden and permissible affairs and the need of the people towards him and his own needlessness from others. At another place, it is said: Mahdi shall bring out from the cave of

Anthakia the books and shall bring out from the lake of Tabariah the Zaboor which contains all that the family of Musa and Haroon have left behind and which was carried by the Angels and contains the Tablets (pieces of stone or wood on which divine matters have been written) and the cane of Musa. Moreover Mahdi is superior to all the people in knowledge and insight. Kaab-ul Akhbar says: I have found in the Books of Prophets about the characteristic of Mahdi and that his commands are not oppressive and violatary in nature. At another place, his characteristic is defined in the following manner: He shall distribute wealth equally, will execute Justice among the people and bring to a halt the altercations. Another tradition mentions the generosity of Mahdi in following words of Prophet Mohammad: Verily Mahdi shall be from my Ummah. Thereafter he said: A person shall approach him and say: - O Mahdi grant me something. Then he shall pour wealth unto him to the extent, which he can carry. At another occasion the Holy Prophet said:

The rulers of the earth are four - two of them believers and two apostates. The two believers are (Prophets) Zul-Qarnain and Sulaiman while the two apostates are Bukht-un-Nasr (Nebuchadnezzar) and Nimrod. Soon a person from my progeny shall gain control over it (i.e. the earth).
Another tradition from Prophet Mohammad goes like this:

If there remains not more than a day from the life of the earth, Allah will appoint a person from my progeny. He shall fill the earth with equity and Justice just as it had been filled with cruelty and oppression.
There is another tradition cited from Ali, which

says: I asked the Messenger of Allah: Will Mahdi be from (our) progeny of Muhammad or will he be from some other progeny? He replied: No, he shall be from Us. Allah shall bring the religion to completion through his hands just as he expanded it through us. By our blessings they (i.e. the people) shall be released from turbulences just as they got released from polytheism. By our blessings Allah will unite their hearts after conspiratorial animosity just as He united their hearts after polytheistic animosity. By our blessings, they shall turn into brothers in faith after having become enemies to each other. Another tradition from Imam Mohammad Baqar, the fifth Imam, says: Mahdi shall emerge on the day of Ashura (and that is the day when Husain was martyred perhaps on Saturday the tenth of Muharram) between Rukn and Maqam (at Makkah) and on his right will be Gibraeel and on his left Mikail (Michaeel.) Allah will gather his Shias around him from everywhere and the earth shall roll up for them. It is said that when Mahdi would come, all the three Prophets who are still arrive would be with him. This will include Jesus, who would confirm Mahdis high position. A tradition from Prophet Mohammad says: How be your position at that time when the son of Maryam shall descend amongst you and your Imam shall be from you. The same tradition with similar reference has also been narrated by Sahih-e-Muslim. At another occasion, the Holy Prophet said: From Us is the one behind whom shall pray Isa. Mahdis position is more than Isa at the time of Jehad (the holy war). As far as the authenticity of these traditions is concerned they are resolute before the Sunnis and Shias too have narrated them in a similar manner. Therefore, all the Muslims, whether Shias or Sunnis are unanimous and united over the evidence of Mahdis existence which means that except for the sayings

of Shias and Sunnis, the sayings of other sects is immaterial. As regards to Isa praying behind Mahdi, an argument is given which is as follows: Imam (the leader) (who is Mahdi) is superior to Mamoom (the one who follows) (who is Isa) because, Muhammads Shariat has commanded as such. The proof of this is what the Holy Prophet has said: The one whose recitation of Quran is better (than others) shall lead the people. If it is equal amongst all, then the most wise shall lead and if still they are equal, the most learned shall lead. If yet they are equal, the one who has taken precedence over the others in Hijrat (migration) shall lead and if again they remain the same, the one with a handsome face shall lead. Thus if Mahdi realizes that Isa is superior to him, it is not permissible for Imam to take precedence over Isa in the Shariat since Allah has kept Imam pure and clean from every abominable act. Similarly if Isa realizes that Mahdi is superior to him, it is not permissible for him to allow Mahdi to follow him because, Allah has protected him from pretension, hypocrisy and showingoff. Rather, when once Imam becomes sure that he is more learned than Isa it is permissible for him to take precedence over Isa. Similarly when Isa becomes certain that Mahdi is more learned than him he will allow Hazrat to take precedence and he himself will on the other hand, follow him. This was regarding superiority in prayers. People have given countless logics, but we are sure that after this book, no reasoning would be required to prove Imams authority over all the preceding prophets.
Mahdi and Those Who Have Seen Him

Several books are available on this subject alone. We recount here only a few incidents. Firstly, Shaikh Abdul-Wahab Sharani in his book Tabaqat-Urafa while

writing about Shaikh Hasan Araqi says: I went along with Sayed Abul-Abbas Harithi to meet Shaikh Hasan Araqi. The latter said: Should I narrate to you the story of my life right from its beginning until now. I shall relate in such manner that as if you have been my intimate friend right from childhood. I replied: Yes, you may please narrate. He said: I was a youth amongst the craftsmen of Damascus. On Fridays, we used to occupy ourselves in playing, drinking and gambling. It was on one of those Fridays that I received some sort of an inspiration from Allah that: Have you been created for such deeds? Therefore, I gave up my usual activities and fled away from my companions. They pursued me but could not find me. I entered the mosque of BaniUmayyah and saw a person on the pulpit who was speaking about Hazrat Mahdi. By this, I became eager in meeting Mahdi. There was not a single prostration which I used to perform and not ask Allah to fulfill my wish for meeting him. In one of the nights, while being engaged in the recommended prayers, I saw all of a sudden someone sitting behind me. He rubbed his hands over my back and said: O my son, the Compassionate Allah has granted your wish. I am Mahdi, what do you want. I said: Will you come with me to my house? He replied: Yes. Then we went together and on the way he said: Take me to some lonely place. I took him to a lonely place and he stayed there with me for seven days. The author of Yanabi-ul-Muwadda narrates (an incident) from the book Kashful-Ghumma of Shaikh Ali-ibn-Isa Arbali who in the view of Shias and Sunnis is a reliable person. The said author relates as such: People narrate stories and incidents about the miracles of Imam Mahdi which describing them would take a long time. However I shall narrate two of them which are closer to our time and which have been narrated to me by a

group of reliable brothers. First: There lived a man named Ismail-ibn-Hasan between the two cities of Hilla and Furat. My brothers narrate from Ismail that there appeared a boil on his left thigh which was the size of the palm of ones hand. Doctors who looked at his boil expressed their inability in curing it. Thereafter, Ismail left for Samarrah and visited the graves of Imam Ali Hadi and Imam Hasan Askari. Later he entered Sardab. There he beseeched the Compassionate Allah and sought help from Mahdi. Then, he entered the Tigris river, took the ritual wash and changed his clothes. Suddenly he saw four riders coming from the direction of the city of Samarrah. One of them was an old man holding a spear in his hand while the other was a youth wearing colourful clothes. The one holding the spear was coming from the right flank while the other two were coming from the left flank. The youth who had put on colourful clothes was coming from the centre. This youth asked Ismail as such: Will you go tomorrow to your family? Ismail replied: Yes. He said: Come close to me so that I can learn about your problem. Ismail went close to him. He bent down and pressed his thigh with his blessed hand and then sat back on his saddle. The old man who was holding a spear in his hand said: You have been cured. He is your Imam. The four riders left and Ismail too followed them. Imam said: Return back. Ismail replied: I shall never separate from you. Imam said: It is for your own good that you go back. Ismail replied: I shall not part from you under any circumstances. The old man interrupted us and said: Have you no shame! Your Imam has twice commanded you to go back and yet you are disobeying! Ismail stopped. After Imam went forward a few steps, he turned back towards Ismail and said: When you will reach Baghdad, the Caliph Mustansi Billah will forcibly summon you. When he shall offer you something, you refuse to

accept it. Also tell our son Raziuddin to write on your behalf to Ali-ibn-Awaz. I will too beckon him to give you whatever you wish. After this Hazrat left with his companions and Ismails eyes lay fixed at them until he could see them no more. He sat on the ground for some time and started to weep because of his separation from them. He then went to Samarrah where the people surrounded him and said: Why do we see you so much changed? What has happened? Ismail said: Do you know who were these riders who had left the city and had gone towards the river? They said: They were from the nobles and are the owners of cattles. Ismail said: They were Imam and his companions. The one who had put on colourful clothes was Imam and it was he who rubbed his blessed hand over my wound spot. They said: Allow us to see for ourselves. When Ismail displayed his thigh to them there was not even a scar left to be seen. People started tearing his clothes to get lucky charm and then took him to the treasure house so that others could not reach him. Later, the Caliphs representative came and inquired about this incident and asked his name, his background, his native place and the purpose his exit from Baghdad in the first week. The next morning after reciting his prayers Ismail left the city of Samarrah before a huge crowd. On the way he reached one spot where people had gathered in great number and were inquiring about his name, genealogy and the place from where he came. When they saw and recognized him by the afore-said signs, they began to tear his clothes and took them away as blessings. The Caliphs representative wrote a detailed report on this incident and dispatched it to Baghdad. The minister called in Sayed Raziuddin to inquire from him the authenticity of this incident. When Raziuddin (who was one of Ismails companion and had been Ismails host before leaving for Samarrah) and some others saw

Ismail they descended down. When Ismail showed his thigh to them and they could not see any trace of the wound, Raziuddin remained fainted for almost an hour. After gaining consciousness, he caught hold of Ismails hand and took him to the Minister. Raziuddin cried and said: He is my brother and the most beloved of all men. The Minister inquired from Ismail about that particular incident and he in turn described it in length. The Minister ordered the doctors who had previously seen Ismails thigh to come forward. When they arrived he asked: When did you last see his wound? They replied: Ten days before. The Minister displayed Ismails thigh and when the doctors saw no trace of it, they said: This is the act of Messiah. The Minister said: We know who has performed this act. The Minister took Ismail before the Caliph. The Caliph asked Ismail to give account and Ismail explained in detail all what had occurred for him. When the Caliph presented Ismail with a sum of one thousand dinars, the latter said: How dare I take even a little of this offer. The Caliph said: Whom do you fear? He said: From the one who cured me because he has forbidden me from accepting anything from you. On hearing this, the Caliph began to cry. Ali-ibn-Isa says: I was once narrating this incident to a group of people who were around me. Shamsuddin, who was Ismails son was also present but I had then not recognized him. Shamsuddin said: I am Ismails son. I said: Had you seen the wound on your fathers thigh? He replied: At that time, I was only a child. However I had heard this matter from my parents, relatives and neighbours and saw the place of wound after it had been cured. I could not find any trace of the wound and hair had grown on that spot. Ali-ibn-Isa further says: I inquired about this incident from Sayed Safiuddin Muhammadibn- Mu*+Muhammad and Najmuddin Haider-ibn-Amir too

and they informed me of this incident and said: We had seen Ismail before and after his recovery. Moreover his son related to me that his father after his recovery, went to Samarrah for forty times so that he would perhaps get the honour of visiting him once again. Second: Sayed Baaqi Athwah Alawi Hasani related to me that his father Athwah did not acknowledge the existence of Mahdi. He would often say: Whenever Mahdi comes and cures me, I will confirm the peoples saying (about Mahdi). When we had all gathered for the Isha (night) prayers, we heard a shriek from our father. We went close to him and he said: Imam passed from here at this very moment. Look out for him. We went in search for him but could not find anyone. We returned back and then our father said: Someone approached me and said: O Athwah! I replied: At thy service. He said: I am Mahdi. I have come to cure you. He stretched out his hand, pressed my thing and then left. Narrator says: After this incident, he used to run like a deer and there was not a trace left. Ali-ibnIsa says: I inquired this incident from Sayed Baaqis son and he too admitted it. Once a person asked Imam Mohammad Baqar about the time when Mahdi would emerge. He replied: At the time when men will imitate the women and women will imitate the men; when women will ride on saddles; when people will cause their prayers to die and will follow their carnal desires; when people will turn usurers; when shedding of blood will become something insignificant; when trade and business of the people will be based on usury; when people will openly commit adultery; when they will make towering constructions; when they will consider lie to be lawful; when they will accept bribes; when they will follow their lusts and desire; when they will sell their religion for this world; when they will sever their relation (with others); when they

will hold under obligation the one whom they feed; when they will consider forbearance to be the sign of weakness and feebleness and injustice to be an honour; when their rulers will be evil and their ministers liars; when the trustworthy amongst them will be traitors; when the helpers amongst them will be unjust; when the reciters of Quran will be transgressors; when cruelty and oppression will become manifest; when divorce will increase; when people will engage in debauchery and libertinism; when forced witness and lie will be accepted; when they will engage in drinking and gambling; when men will be mounted on; when women shall engage with women (indecent acts); when people will consider Zakat to be a booty and charity to be a loss; when they will fear from the tongues of the wicked people; when Sufyani shall revolt from Syria and Yemen; when Baidah which is between Makkah and Medina will sink; when a child from the progeny of Mohammad will be killed between Rukn and Maqaam and when a live voice will be heard from the heavens crying out that the truth is with Mahdi and his followers. It will be then that our Qaem will emerge. Traditions about Mahdis emergence substantiate each other. Traditions manifest the luminous of Hazrats light. It will not be long when the gloomy day and night of his Occultation will turn into brightness and luminosity. Due to his emergence the desired dawn shall rise and the veil of darkness of the night will be set aside. Hazrat will emerge from behind the veil of Occultation and the hearts will be filled with joy. His Justice, will reach the horizons and the luminousness of his Justice will be more than luminousness of the luminous moon. Imam Ali is narrated as having said:

Awaiting for the Faraj (deliverance) is the best act of worship.

The author of Manaqib says: Awaiting for the

Faraj means awaiting for Mahdis emergence. Recounting the events, Imam Ali said: Mahdi is from us - the Ahlebayt. Allah will set right his affairs in one night. It is narrated from Prophet Mohammad: A group of people will rise from the East and they will make preparations for Mahdis rule. When you see black flags coming from the direction of East, hasten towards them even if you have to crawl over ice because Mahdi who is Allahs representative will be amongst them. Imam Mohammad Baqar said: Allah has set fear in the hearts of our friends and followers. When our Qaem who is Mahdi will emerge, one person from our followers will be more courageous than a fierce lion and more sharper than the point of a spear. Also Ali has said: When the Qaem from the progeny of Muhammad will emerge, Allah will gather together the inhabitants of the East and West. His companions will be from Kufa and the brave ones who would assist him would be from Syria... Imam Mohammad Baqar has mentioned some of the signs of Mahdis emergence: the revolt of Sufyani, Mahdis escape from Medina to Makkah until he says: Allah will gather together for Mahdi 313 of his companions... Ali said: Alas! and he repeated the word seven times and then said: Mahdi will emerge at the end of time when those who would call out the name of Allah would be killed. Thereafter Allah will gather together a group whose sagacity and agility will be like a cloud and He will make their hearts intimate towards each other. They will neither fear anyone nor will they flee. Their number will be equal to the number of the companions of Badr. Neither the people of the past took precedent over them nor the people of the future

will comprehend them. Their number will be equal to the number of the companions who crossed the river with the Saul... At another instance, Prophet said: Courageous men from Syria will hasten towards Hazrat along with their followers while sober men from Egypt too will join him. Yet another group will proceed from the East until they reach Makkah and swear allegiance to him... And Ali said: Bravo! to the people of Thaleqan because Allah has hidden treasures amongst them which are neither gold nor silver. Rather they are those people, who have recognized Allah in the true sense and they will be Mahdis helpers at the end of time. Treasures that are neither gold nor silver. Is Ali talking of the hidden treasures in Vedas and Upanishads?
Mahdis Long Life

As per the information available to us from Quran, three Messengers of God are still alive. These are: Khizar, Idris and Isa (Jesus). As regards to Khizar, we present an account of him from a book: Nabi Khizar is still alive up to this day. And he is not married. Allah has given him a stick with a lot of power. If he puts the stick in the water, it will become ship and if he puts it in the earth, it will turn into a tree and bear a lot of fruits. Nabi Khizar had come into the world 300 years before Prophet Isa (Jesus) and he is still alive today. And he has visited all the Imams and greeted them with salam. He also goes and visits our 12 th Imam Hazrat Mahdi now and then. According to the history, it is said that he will re-appear with our 12 th Imam. Allah has given Prophet Khizar a gift. If he touches any dry stick or plat with his hands, it at once turns green. As regards to Idris, an account stated: Idris is one

of the Prophets who is still alive. He was called Idris because he used to teach about the wisdom of Allah. It has been stated that he introduced the art of tailoring (stitching). He was the first man to make weapons. It is said by the 6 th Imam that Prophet Idris used to live in a mosque in Sahlah where he used to stitch and pray to Allah. As regards to Jesus, Quran states that he was not crucified, as per the beliefs of the Christians. It states that while people indeed put him on cross, thinking him to be Jesus, God lifted him on the sky and instead people crucified a man named Yehuda who had lead the kings party to Jesuss hiding place. When he came out of the place, after searching for Jesus inside, people saw him as Jesus while he kept saying that he was not Jesus. Now see the view maintained by Vishnu Purana, which states that there are two people, one each from the solar and lunar races, who continue to live in this world since ages. Their names are given as Devapi and Maru. It seems that they are the names of Khizar and Idris, as Jesus was born after the time when this Purana was composed. They are still living in a particular village and will reappear to be part of the family of Manu, who is slated to appear in future. It clearly says that the sons of Manu remain in the Kali age, in same way as Devapi and Maru are still in existence. See the narration: Thus age after age Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, excellent Brahmans, men great souls, have passed away by thousands; whose names and tribes and families I have not enumerated to you, from their great number, and the repetition of appellations it would involve. Two persons, Devapi of the race of Puru, and Maru of the family of Ikshwaku, through the force of devotion continue alive throughout the whole four ages, residing at the village of Kalapa; they will return hither in the beginning of the Krita age, and becoming members of the family

of Manu, give origin to the Kshatriya dynasties. In this manner the earth is possessed through every series of the three first ages, the Krita, Treta, and Dwapara, by the sons of the Manu; and some remain in the Kali age; to serve as the rudiments of renewed generations, in the same way as Devapi and Maru are still in existence. Another proof that a man, even a common man like us, can be freed from old age and death in this world is mentioned in Chapter II of the YogakundaliUpanishad. Chapter II describes the science called khechari which is such that one who knows it is freed from old age and death in this world. One who is subject to the pains of death, disease and old age should, O sage, on knowing this science make his mind firm and practice khechari. One should regard that person as his guru on earth who knows khechari, the destroyer of old age and death, both from knowing the meaning of books and practice, and should perform it with all his heart. The science of khechari is not easily attainable, as also its practice. If common man knew this science, how can we say that Imam, who is the knower of all knowledge, who is the cause of letter Aum, would not be aware? Moreover, we have already proved from Upanishads that it is the Imams who created this world so that there are more things to worship the God, in Whose worship they excelled and Who, pleased with their worship, had granted them this power. Fact is that scientists too do not call it a mere theory that it is possible to live for a long time. We present here experts from an article written in Al-Muqtaraf magazine about 65 years back. Titled Does man live in this world forever, it says: What is life and what is

death? Is it that death has been destined for every living being? Every grain of wheat is a living substance having a place in its own cluster. That cluster too is grown from another grain and that grain too comes into existence from another cluster and so on. As such, prying into the history of six thousand or more years becomes easy. Sometimes it happens that a tree itself lives for 1000 or 2000 years but man does not live for more than 70 or 80 years. In rare cases, he may live for 100 years and the gastric particles remain alive and grow in order to preserve the generation. However all the parts die as though death has been destined for them. Centuries have passed since man has thought of relieving himself from the claws of death or at least increasing his lifespan. This is especially true so at present when man wishes to fight the various diseases and plagues with medicines. It has still not been ascertained that for example some one has lived for 100 years in recent times. However, reliable scholars say: The entire bodilytissue of an animal is so endurable that it has no end and it is possible for man to live for thousands of years provided no accident severs his age. This opinion is not merely a conjecture. Rather it is something practical and has been confirmed by experiments. One of the surgeons was able to cut off a part of an animal and then keep it alive for many years more than the animal itself could have habitually lived. That is to say, the very existence of that cut-off part finds connection with the nourishment that is given to it. Thus it is possible that that part may live forever if ample of nourishment is given to it. The afore-said surgeon is Doctor Kas Carell who is occupied in Rockfeller, New York. He conducted this experiment on one part of an embryo of a hen which that part grew and remained alive for more than eight years. The afore-said doctor and others like him have experimented on the human parts such as the

organs, muscles, heart, skin and kidney and have come to this conclusion that the said parts develop and remain alive so long as they are given ample of nourishment. Even Doctor Wimend Webrel who is amongst the Professors of Society of Junes Hiknes says: It has been proved through experiments that the parts of a human body remain in working order due to nourishing power. Since this saying is based on scientific findings it is highly explicit and significant. Apparently, the first person who conducted this test on the body and part of an animal was Doctor Jack Lup who was one of the surgeons of Rockfeller Hospital in New York. The said doctor tested the way of birth of a frog from those eggs which were not inseminated and came to this conclusion that amongst the eggs some remain alive for a long period while some die very soon. This incident, induced Doctor Jack to conduct once again this test on a frog and consequently succeeded in keeping alive these parts too for a long time. Later Doctor Wern Luis and his wife proved that it is possible to keep the parts of a birds foetus in saltwater and allowing them to live. When some organic substance is added to it, the said parts tend to grow and multiply. Successive tests have revealed that it is possible for the parts of any animal which is kept in salt-water to remain alive and grow provided they are given food. However it is still not known whether those parts remain alive or not after turning old. Afterwards, Doctor Carell embarked on further tests and proved that these parts do not bring senility in an animal. Rather the life span of these parts is more than the normal life span of the animal itself. The said doctor started his experiment in the year 1912 and on this path faced many problems until he and his assistants finally succeeded in proving the following points: (1) The afore-said parts remain alive constantly provided they do not encounter certain occurrences which destroys them like deficiency in food

and entry of some of the microbes. (2) These parts not only remain alive but grow and multiply just as they grow and multiply inside an animals body. (3) It is possible to know the measure of growth and increase of these parts and their relation with the nourishment given to them. (4) Time has no effect on them. That is to say, these parts do not turn old and weak through the passage of time. Rather, the slight effect of senility is not produced for them. Moreover, these parts grow and multiply in the current year in the same manner which they used to grow and multiply in the previous years. All these internal things reveal that these parts grow and remain alive if proper care and food is provided to them. Therefore the main factor which causes death is inattentiveness and not senility. So, what is the cause of mans death? Why is it that man does not live for more than hundred years and rather lives normally for only seventy or eighty years? We may reply as such: An animals body possesses numerous and diverse parts and these parts have strong connection with each other. Not only this but the lives of some of them are dependent on the lives of others. Thus, when due to some reason or another, some of these parts turn weak and die, the other parts too die. Similarly it is the microbes which reduces mans age and restricts it to seventy or eighty years. What has ultimately been concluded from tests and experiments is as such: The reason why man dies is not because he has completed seventy, eighty or hundred years but because the external factors enter some of his (internal) parts and kill and destroy them and since there exists a relation between these and other parts, the other parts too get destroyed. Thus, whenever medical science becomes powerful enough to destroy these external factors or at least prevent them from influencing the parts of our body, there can be nothing which can stop man from living hundreds of years just

as some species of trees live for these number of years. It is not far when medical science and hygienic mediums will attain this lofty achievement and consequently the number of people living an average life will increase or that they will live twice or thrice the normal age. Our view is that if the hygienic rules and the religious and medical directives are observed it is not impracticable to live a lengthy life. The reverse is also true (i.e. non-observance of the afore-said rules will result in reduction in ones life-span. When keeping watch over the hygienic formulas and their rules ensures a persons health and prolongation of life it necessarily follows that the more the observance of hygienic rules the more longer will be a persons life. Therefore, whenever the means of hygiene is kept at mans disposal his age shall be prolonged to the extent which Allah wishes. The principles of these means are of three types: First: Observance (during the primary stage) when man is merely a matter. That is to say when he is in the rear of his father, the period of his transition to his mothers womb, growth and development in his mothers womb and the period of sucking milk when he is together with his mother. This is because observance of the hygienic principles by parents during this stage is the first step for ensuring a childs health. How often we see a child dying during his infancy or childhood period because of his parents suffering from some disease and or their heedlessness in applying the means of a sound health and non-observance on their part of his (i.e. the childs) hygienic principles. Thus the parents in such cases are the cause of this felony and they are responsible for depriving their child from living a natural and normal life. O would that the parents deem it necessary upon themselves to follow such rules and regulations and as a result save themselves from such blame. Second: Observance of those things which are the basis of mans

life like the air that he breathes, the food that he eats, the water that he drinks, the clothes that he wears and the environment in which he lives. This is because observance of the means and rules of a sound health in each of these five affairs with respect to quantity, quality, age, strength, weakness, time and place are the most important channels having influence over the health and long life of man. How many a person have been overtaken by death and have died before dying naturally. The reason for giving away ones life, which by nature, is loved by every living creature is the nonobservance of one of the afore-mentioned five affairs. A number of physicians and doctors have emphasized that majority of the people who die, do not die a natural death. Rather the main cause has been the external factors which come into existence by not observing the rules of a sound health with regards to the aforementioned affairs. Third: External occurrences and incidents and contact with natural phenomenons like uncustomary heat and cold, pain and maladies, misfortunes and difficulties, grief and sorrow and actions and movements. All these greatly influence a persons health and life span. If man observes the hygienic rules as per the afore-said three principles, then nothing can prevent him from living for hundreds and rather thousands of years in this world by the will of Allah! No matter how much we ponder over this point and probe into some of the appropriate books, we cannot find any objection and reason against this matter. Rather, too often a person doing research into this matter has come across some facts forcing him to testify in the subject of longevity. The mysteries of life and the faculties which have been deposited in mans existence is always hidden and unknown. Today, medical science with all its advancement has not become cognizant with all those mysteries and has not perceived its realities the way it

should have done so. Some of our friends who are doctors have confirmed this point. One of them says: Often it occurs that a patient is brought to me and as per the medical rules, I see him close to death. Rather his chance of survival is one percent. I then leave him aside and lose hope in his recovery. When on the same day or the next day I visit him for the time, I see him well and fine and the probability of his dying becomes one percent. On the other hand, how often it has occurred that I come across another patient whose case is just the opposite of the first patient. Verily, to live for hundreds of years is something unusual and uncustomary meaning that gathering together and obtaining the means of a sound health from all the aspects (which we previously pointed out) is earnestly a rare and scarce affair - and does not occur for majority of the people in most of the periods and places. However if those means are gathered together, it is possible for mans life span to prolong habitually and naturally. So, the problem lies in gathering together and making available the means (of a sound health) and not in the means of a lengthy life. When you become fully conversant with what we have previously mentioned and become aware of the article written in the magazine Al-Muqtataf you will realize that Gods statement in Sura Saffat with regards to the story of Yunus is something customary:

But had it not been that he was of those who glorify (Us), He would certainly have carried in its belly to the day when they are raised.
Thus it is possible for man to live in the depth of the sea till the Day of Judgment. Why shouldnt it be so when Allah has Power over all things? A very interesting article by D. Subramanian that appeared in The Hindu dated July 15, 2004 also stated

that some scientists are now claiming that through decoding the human genome, it would be possible for human beings to live between 200 to 600 years. The article gives example of Markandeya from Indian mythology, who was blessed by Siva to be sixteen years old forever. And the Biblical patriarch (Methuselah) apparently lived 969 years (Book of Genesis, 5:27). As per the article, the regeneration and survival of a given body is similar to that of any machine. Damage is an ongoing process which is substantiated by the bodys repair machinery built-in. However, with time damage accumulates. This could be due to environmental assaults like radiation, smoke and chemicals or also during the process of chromosomes inability to make exact copies of themselves as cells multiply. Misuse of the body through unhealthy habits (drugs, smoke) and eating practices (obesity, diabetes) promote damage and decay, decreasing longevity. But what is the best way to do the opposite and lengthen life is not all that clear. It is here that much advice and many formulae are offered. If only we had the Methuselah formula! A computer scientist working in a biology laboratory at Cambridge, U.K., called Aubrey de Grey has some remarkable ideas on this issue. He has sat down and listed out the various processes that lead to shortening of the life of our bodies. Damage and decay occur due to two main processes. One is damage of cells due to the oxidation of the molecules within. Indeed oxidative damage is what occurs when we inhale smoke, expose ourselves to excessive sunlight, X rays or radioactivity. In effect, as scientists would point out, all oxidation is burning or cooking. It changes the chemical structure and identity of

molecules and robs them of their once intended function. Sure, it gives energy as a byproduct, but it needs to be fine-tuned and controlled. Otherwise, it can lead to damage and disaster. The body has two protective mechanisms to control and overcome the ill effects here. One is to have a handy supply of molecules called antioxidants that counteract oxidative damage. Vitamins A, C and E are examples. So are the substances present in many green vegetables and fruits. Dr. de Grey suggests that regular antioxidant intake would control oxidative damage and reduce this lifethreatening risk factor. A second factor he invites our attention to is the presence of the garbage-clearing mechanism in cells. Many cells in our body have molecular machinery that identifies damaged molecules and their debris, collects them and clears them out of the system. Keeping this machinery in good shape, and finding ways and means of doing so over years would help lengthen the life span of an organism. Not doing so leads to disorders and diseases such as senility, dementia and Alzeimers. The third factor is the policemen set-up that cells have in order to monitor and repair any damage that happens to the genetic tape, namely DNA. It is not clear yet how we can keep this security system safe from timedependent loss of efficiency and to last forever. Dr de Grey argues that modern biology may well have solutions to this problem if not today, in the near future. The fourth is the problem of the built-in inefficiency in the way DNA is packaged in our chromosomes, and the manner in which chromosomes make copies of themselves when cells are multiplied and turned over, and tissues and organs kept in good order. Each time such copying is made, a tiny piece of DNA at the end of the chromosome, called the telomere,

is lost. This telomere loss is apparently a longevity clock, determining the life span of the individual. It does not seem to have any known function related to metabolism or reproduction the two elements that together define life. If we can find a mechanism to reduce or get rid of this telomere-loss, perhaps we can lengthen life. There is an enzyme (called, what else, telomerase) that can actually stop this telomere clipping. Substances that activate this enzyme will surely be toted as Kayakalpa products. The fifth factor that Dr. de Grey highlights is the action of the mitochondria, the little powerhouses within cells that help the controlled oxidation of food using oxygen and generate energy for the cell. It is vital therefore that mitochondria are kept in tiptop condition. Any defect or deficiency here would compromise cell efficiency. Indeed many disorders of the central nervous system and the brain are increasingly being identified as due to mitochondrial malfunction and keep the mitochondria operating full-throttle would help the body in full heath and hopefully extend life. The Five-fold path towards Methuselah would involve (1) daily antioxidant intake, (2) means to keep the garbage-clearing machinery in order, (3) repair damage to the DNA on a continuous basis, (4) find ways to keep telemores from clipping off and (5) have the mitochondria operate full-stream and fault-free. Dr. de Grey s belief is that if we focus research and find methods to realize these and other such lifeextending goals, human longevity could be as much as 200 years. Indeed, he has thrown a challenge to researchers to realize this first in experimental animal models, and offers a prize for those who can produce a Methuselah Mouse. The coveted title is held by Yoda, a male laboratory mouse, which turned four in April

last. This translates to 136 human years. The first reason mentioned is divine intervention because of which Markandeya was blessed to be sixteen years old. If that can be the case of one blessed by Siva, why cant it happen to the one whose praise is even done by Siva on several occasions? You will find several quotes of Lord Siva in this book from various Upanishads that confirm this. Siva and Imam Mahdi, both are responsible for the creation of this world. Moreover, it is said that there is an angel deputed to retrieve spirit, which eventually leads to death. We have seen that one of the deva is called Mrtyu (death) and even Husain is known by the name Yama (Lord of death). This shows that even life and death have been given under the control of these Masooms, something that Muslims never knew till now. Those who themselves control death can live for as long as they wish. Even if this is not the case, it is clear that they are the best creation of God. If God decides to give life of 1200 odd years to one of His creations, who has already given long lives to several ordinary beings in the past (Bible gives several examples), how can there be any doubt? Secondly, structural biology is quoted to tell that damage accumulates in time. Suppose the person lives outside this realm of time, as the Muslims believe in the case of Jesus. Wont the Einsteins theory of relativity hold good for him? Outside factors like environmental effects like those of radiation, smoke and chemicals, which are also cited as reasons for degeneration wont show their effect. Misuse of the body through unhealthy habits (drugs, smoke) and eating practices contribute to this. Gita has extensively dwelled on the importance of food and right living. Those who were sent by God to tell us the perfect way to lead life must surely be aware of this.

Garbage-clearing mechanism in cells of our body is described in detail. However, various Upanishads are clearly describing that they were created from the pure essence of the Nature. If that is the case, it can be presumed that there is no garbage at all, thereby no fear of garbage-clearing mechanism to fail. Even otherwise, in the case of Methuselah who lived 969 years, it shows that perfect or near-perfect healthy living including the perfect diet in the way it has to be taken, can prolong life. Who else would know how to lead a perfect life than one who has knowledge and control of all things? Another factor is the policemen set-up that cells have in order to monitor and repair any damage that happens to the genetic tape. Scientists believe that through further advancements in modern biology, it may well have solutions to this problem. It is no wonder that those who are given control over our organs of senses and action may also be policing this area. They were those who kept saying, Ask before I depart and if none asked significant questions, it was not the fault of one who had all the answers. Degeneration is also said to occur in recopying of the DNA. The One Self who can create 14 as exact copies so much so that the Upanishads as well as Mohammad vouched for their exact similarity can also create the mechanism through which the copies are exactly similar. Degeneration occurs when a copy is Photostatted and then the Photostatted copy is Photostatted, or scanned and copy printed. In case, you are in possession of the original file and also the printer, no degeneration would occur. The writer has also talked of a longevity clock, set through loss of DNA part, each time during copying. Only those who believe theres no God would say that

this clock couldnt be reset or set with a different life right at the beginning. This book on the lines of the various religious scriptures is not for those who do not believe in God. Moreover, Krishna has called the knowledge of our self as the best of sciences. We do not know even a bit about this self at the moment. Is it that the self also plays a part in the longevity, and the one with the selfrealized soul lives more? We will have to confess that we know nothing about this science. In the end, we have all reasons to believe that changes brought out by outside forces or internal degenerative forces cannot have any effect on these persons, as the earth, air, sun and the moon, thereby meaning the radioactivity and the X-rays, all gases present in the air, all elements present in the earth, water, living and non-living beings are created because of them. If a mouse can be made to live equivalent to 136 human years while put in human-made perfect conditions, why do we find difficult to believe that those made as perfect by God or in other words, kept in Godly-perfect conditions cant live 1360 years? This writer is of belief that the devas would have never died on this earth, had their lives not been put unceremoniously to end by the evil forces.
The Views of the Puranas

In Chapter XXIV, the Vishnu Purana gives an account of the future happenings. Read this account and see if it is a true description of our society. If you find it to be true, see what the Puranas have to say subsequently: that we are all heading towards destruction and the only way in which we can save ourselves is through going back to the Vedas. This is something that is even endorsed by Gita, as per which our sins are leading to the decay of the world. What would all the wealth do, that we

accumulate irrespective of means, when our children or grandchildren are no longer present to take benefit. Even if we do not believe in life after death, we have no choice but to go back to the true path taught in Vedas and other scriptures, if we want our children and grandchildren to live to enjoy the bounties of this world. Initial account seems to be mentioning the Muslim invaders, which have been fitted into the original account of the Puranas. See what the Vishnu Purana says: These will all be contemporary monarchs, reigning over the earth; kings of churlish spirit; violent temper, and ever addicted to falsehood and wickedness. They will inflict death on women, children, and cows; they will seize upon the property of their subjects; they will be of limited power, and will for the most part rapidly rise and fall; their lives will be short, their desires insatiable, and they will display but little piety. The people of the various countries intermingling with them will follow their example, and the barbarians being powerful in the patronage of the princes, whilst purer tribes are neglected, the people will perish. (Now commences the account of our life of today). Wealth and piety will decrease day by day, until the world will be wholly depreaved. Then property alone will confer rank; wealthy will be the only source of devotion; passion will be the sole bond of union between the sexes; falsehood will be the only means of success in litigation; and women will be objects merely of sensual gratification. Earth will be venerated but for its mineral treasures; the Brahmanical thread will constitute a Brahman; external types (as the staff and red garb) will be the only distinctions of the several orders of life; dishonesty will be the universal means of subsistence; weakness will be the cause of dependence; menace and presumption will be substituted for learning; liberality will be devotion; simple ablution will be purification; mutual assent will be marriage; fine

clothes will be dignity; and water afar off will be esteemed a holy spring. Amidst all castes he who is the strongest will reign over a principality thus vitiated by many faults. The people, unable to bear the heavy burdens imposed upon them by their avaricious sovereigns, will take refuge amongst the valleys of the mountain, and will be glad to feed upon wild honey, herbs, roots, fruits, flowers, and leaves; their only covering will be the bark of trees, and they will be exposed to the cold, and wind, and sun, and rain. No mans life will exceed three and twenty years. Thus in the Kali Age shall decay constantly proceed, until the human race approaches its annihilation. When the practices taught by the Vedas and the institutes of law shall nearly have ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of his own spiritual nature in the character of Brahma, and who is the beginning and the end, and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon earth. See how clearly the coming of the last remaining portion of Brahma is described. It is clearly stated that he still exists of his own spiritual nature in the character of Brahma, and he is the beginning and the end. Do we need to tell that this is the Imam or Aditya of this age, Mahdi or the Kalki avatar? He is the last of the fourteen devas about whom we have already given a detailed chapter from Shia sources. There is only one difference though. The account of the birth of this deva is different from the traditions of the Shias. It is possible that Meru and Makkah or something else was here which the pen of the editors changed, as we have cited that they have been doing all through in Puranas, particularly in regard to the mention of the identity of these Divine Persons. Instead, it is said that the Kalki avatar will take birth at Sambhala in Moradabad District in India. Shias are of the opinion that he was born about 1200 years back and then

disappeared from public view at a young age by the order of God, but still continues to live by the grace of God, and will make an appearance at Kaaba, at an appropriate time, to show us the right path and rid the world of its evils. Actually, it was this itself that was in all likelihood mentioned here which has been changed to him taking birth in Sambhala in India. We are not saying this without any reason and will give proof of our statement a short time afterwards. At present, we give the subsequent description as it is given in the available copies of The Vishnu Purana. He will be born in the family of Vishnuyasas, an eminent Brahman of Sambhala village, as Kalki, endowed with the eight superhuman faculties. By his irresistible might he will destroy all the Mlechchhas and thieves, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will then re-establish righteousness upon earth; and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as pellucid as crystal. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of human beings, and shall give birth to race who shall follow the laws of the Krita age, or age of purity. As it is said: When the sun and moon, and the lunar asterism Tishya, and planet Jupiter are in one mansion, the Krita age shall return. Note that even the Shia traditions give some peculiar description about the solar and lunar eclipses, before the last of the Imams will appear, but we have chosen not to include that here. It is also said that when the portion of Vishnu returned to heaven, then the Kali age commenced. As long as his sacred feet touched the earth, the Kali age could not affect it. As soon as the incarnation of the eternal Vishnu had departed and thence forward the influence of the Kali will augment (which consists of 1200 years). Now here is the proof of our statement that the

text relating to the birth of the Kalki avatar in Moradabad was added by some mischievous person at a later date. That person didnt bother to change the later lines as he was only hurriedly changing the passages, which mention the names of devas or had apparent relationship to Islam. Just a few lines later, it is clearly stated that the Kali age commenced when the portion of Vishnu (who will make a reappearance), returned to heaven. It is also stated that as long as his sacred feet touched the earth, the Kali age could not affect it. Also next line says that as soon as the incarnation of the eternal Vishnu had departed, the Kali age would augment, and will continue for 1200 years. It would be naive to think that the Kalki avatar is yet to take birth and then the Kali age would commence and continue for 1200 years, as nearly all the conditions described in the aforementioned account are already applicable. Even if we believe that the avatar would take place in Sambhala in India, then we will have to believe that the avatar has already taken birth and now it is approaching the end of those 1200 years. But with no such incident in our knowledge, we have little choice but to fall back on the Shia version, as per which 1169 years have already passed since the birth of Mahdi (1164 since his disappearance); we do not know whether Vishnu Purana means exact 1200 years or about 1200 years as per which 10-20 years more or less would be acceptable. Whatever be the case, it is better that we start preparing for an eternal life in the heavens rather than reaping benefits in this world and living an eternal life in hell. Even if all this is not true, why dont we keep in mind that none of us enjoying this world would be alive, say 50 years from now. Life on this earth is too short in comparison to the life hereafter. Is it not reason enough to live a life of virtue and righteousness, as desired by the devas. We have something to say to people like Khushwant

Singh, who are proud to say that they do not believe in God. Dear Mr. Singh, just suppose for a moment that you are wrong in your assumption, as we all were in our understanding of the Vedas till this date, and there indeed is a God. What will you do then? Is it not better to pay obeisance to an invisible, unfathomable God, and do good deeds, even if your mind could not conceive the presence of a God. There are several psychological and physical advantages of worshipping God and social advantages of living a righteous life. At least you wont have to run for cover when a God suddenly surfaces at the moment of your death. Remember, no cover would be available then and all those running from him would be pulled back towards his power, as you have seen on TV the case of people running from Tsunami waves. Death would not occur then because you are already dead. But the life, if you wish to call it so, would be hell! We deviated again! See how the following narration regarding the Kalki avatar in the Vishnu Purana and that of Shias we have told earlier, are exactly similar. If nothing, this verily is proof that a God exists. When the practices taught by the Vedas and the institutes of law shall nearly have ceased, and the close of the Kali age shall be nigh, a portion of that divine being who exists of his own spiritual nature in the character of Brahma, and who is the beginning and the end, and who comprehends all things, shall descend upon earth. If these are not enough proofs of our view, there is another. You have already seen earlier that an Imam had predicted that people would start having doubts about Mahdi, due to the long period of his invisibility. Vishnu Purana too states that 1200 years would be the time between the portion of Vishnu returning to heaven and his appearance again. Perhaps the Purana also knew that people would start having doubts about the very

presence of Vishnu due to his long life. Therefore, immediately after talking about these 1200 years, Vishnu Purana starts talking of those who have been living for even a greater time, so as to give us a proof that this avatar would indeed live for 1200 years. See how the Vishnu Purana narrates the case of two persons who are still living, that too from a period much prior to the time when this Kalki avatar disappeared. Not only the Hindu, the Christian and Jew scriptures clearly states that certain people are still living, from several hundred years. Muslims are of the opinion that non only three Apostles, including Jesus are alive since their birth but the Ashab-e-Kahf too continue to live since prior to Mohammads time. Vishnu Purana refers to the two persons and says that even they would come and become part of this Manus family. We quote: Thus age after age Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras, excellent Brahmans, men of great souls, have passed away by thousands; whose names and tribes and families I have not enumerated to you, from their great number and the repetition of appellations it would involve. Two persons, Devapi of the race of Puru, and Maru of the family of Ikshwaku, through the force of devotion continue alive throughout the whole four ages, residing at the village of Kalapa: they will return hither in the beginning of the Krita age, and becoming members of the family of the Manu, give origin to the Kshatriya dynasties. In this manner the earth is possessed through every series of the three first ages, the Krita, Treta and Dwapara, by the sons of the Manu; and some remain in the Kali age, to serve as the rudiments of renewed generations, in the same way as Devapi and Maru are still in existence.

Time to Arrive
In the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful. All praises are to God who is the sustainer and creator the worlds, who is forgiving and kind, and who is the master of the Day of Judgment. We worship You alone and seek assistance only from You. Show us the straight path, that had remained one path from the period of Adam, and bless us that we remain steadfast and do not digress, very much like your beloved devas, on whom you have bestowed all riches and save us from the path that mislead. Theirs is the only path to bliss and salvation! God is the name of a Mighty Power. People of the world tried to pull down this Mighty Power. Thinking that He was alone and helpless, they tried to inflict pain on Him through the attack of their tongue, so as to weaken Him. The more they tried to harm Him, the more the constituents of His Power united to reveal His truthfulness, His Might and Power. This is the reason why, upon seeing the functioning of this Self or Spirit, they sometimes recognized it as God, sometimes as son of God, and sometimes as the lion of God. But the God was silent till now. Because he knew that no attempt has been left undone to guide, his messengers and torchbearers even tried to lead the way, remained steadfast against all kinds of tortures inflicted upon them. He was silent that He would talk face to face only near the time of Resurrection, and all those words whose meaning He had kept hidden till now, in Quran and elsewhere, time has come to reveal their true meaning. He Himself has never come in front, nor will He ever come. But as Ali had said and all Imams endorsed,

if you look from the eyes of your heart, from the point of view of the Creator, from the point of view of His Blessings, then He is seen, be it in clouds, trees, plants, or in the calamities that occur. Through these, the God wants to show the real meaning of Imamate, the truthfulness of His Imams. The day is not far when He will show the Spirit of God (Jesus) as witness to these Divine Powers. And the world will know His Power, His Might! The truthfulness of His Message will be such that the world, in particular the pious and the truthful, will have to accept it and the world will see. When would that day come? God alone knows the answer and none else! It was He who had sent the Messengers and Imams. He was the One who is called God! After seeing how He is slowly revealing the truth about them, try to apprehend the Power of your Lord. It was for Him that the Messengers and Imams faced all the hardships. They did not even cared for their lives and relations in His love and in attempt to prove His Unity, His Truthfulness. They had done all this to show the way to God. Now God is trying to prove their truthfulness in front of the world. God wants to tell them that He is not going to send any new Messenger or Imam. Those whom we already know, those whose love some of us already claim to have in our heart, those whose praises are as it is being done by few, now is the time to prove the truthfulness of those very beings. How sad those who claim to be in love of them, those who sit on lofty pulpits to shower praises on them, they too have not recognized them till date. Their truthfulness, the purpose of their sacrifices all would be made known to man. If you join in you are welcome. We are talking of removing the individuality to seek the Unity. We are not talking of eulogizing a few personalities, but of revealing the truthfulness of

the institution of Imamate. We are talking of identifying those who sacrificed themselves so as to make us understand the Oneness of the Almighty God. How did they forget that we have to return to the one whom we call God? How, when they have themselves weakened the roots, are they planning to hold on to the trunk when the next Tsunami would come? God has decided that He will vindicate the truth. Nobody has ever challenged him nor anybody would ever be able to do so. The world will differentiate the difference between the truthful and the wayward. The truthful will forecast the truth while the untruthful will forecast the evil in order to suppress the truth. Now is the time for the seekers of truth to take a step forward after realizing the power of your God. Lest you are late! Lest the door gets close! All praises are justified on the God of all the worlds. I have taken refuge in safety of the Almighty God where none can infiltrate. I have given myself to seek protection from God that cannot be broken. I have taken God to be my neighbour whom none can stop and I have sought shelter in the Honour of God, whom none can bring dishonour. And nobody can subdue Him and I am in the army of one who cannot be defeated. This is the message for all of us! The role of the Messenger is to pass the message. The torchbearer leads by showing the example, by giving sacrifices, by remaining steadfast in spite of all calamities. It can be the case of Imam Ali, who took back the compilation done by him when he saw opposition from the Companions of Prophet. Or it can be the case of Imam Hasan, who remained steadfast in opting for peace against Muawiya in spite of all provocations. Or the sacrifice of his life by Imam Husain, so as to demarcate a line between truth and evil! All Imams remained steadfast even when

they had to face tortures. They did this because they wanted to elongate the life of this world. Krishna had already told that evil ways lead to decay of the world. They tried their best to prolong the life of the world, even if their lives were curtailed in the pursuit. The 11 Imams have clearly shown their stance to the world, that was peace, for righteousness, for sacrifice. But instead of treating it as an example to guide them, they treated it as a storybook. Now that the time has come to put an end to this world, it is also time to destroy all the boundaries of religions. The last Imam is now going to show the way, so that people discard all the previous differences, all discords, in their pursuit of truth, they do not waver. Try to stop thinking about the people of the world and think of the next world in a renewed manner. Dont look at your relationships, at the beliefs of your forefathers, who are no more among you to bring about a change in themselves; dont allow fear of the society to grip you. Think of the Power and Might of God and all else will become insignificant. What had happened till now was the plan of Satan, now what would happen would be against the planning of Satan. Not against humanity. They planned and in return Allah planned and verily, Allah is a greater planner. If the people of the world object to coming of angels among us in garb of men, then Quran is witness that that two angels had come in the past whose names were Harut and Marut, when He desires, he make angels come in the form of man to get his work done from a common man like you or me. One who is considered as a common man, his soul is not that of common men, it works at the instance of God. Satan, too, works in the same manner. Gets his work done by instigating one against other, by initiating hatred and discord among

people. At the time of Imam Husains birth, God had foretold the events of his sacrifice because the Prophet of God was alive at that time to announce his Imamat and to show that it would be this sacrifice that would continue to guide his followers for all time to come. People would continue to remember God and his Messenger through this sacrifice, they would weep and lament, it would be this sacrifice that would unite all under one banner, as the true religion is the Message of God. Whosoever gives that message? Be it the Messenger, be it the Torchbearer! The love of that Message is your faith, your religion. Whatever they say, see it as a word from God. Otherwise, God never comes to desire anything from you. Yes! He indeed can send his wrath, on not believing in the message of his messengers. Through this spirit, all the Messengers and Torchbearers who have passed, their spirits are trying their best to tell you that you didnt follow the path shown by us; you altered the purpose of such a great sacrifice the sacrifice of Husain instead of uniting, you used it as purpose to disunite. The sacrifice was given because wherever people would talk of the sacrifice; they would remember the atrocities of Yazid and the character of Husain, who gave all his water to the army of the enemy, without thinking what would happen of his children. Such was his faith in God that whatever would happen would happen from His wish and whatever is happening now too is happening from His wish. His message was that none of the followers of the Prophet of Allah, none of the believers of Quran, ever commit such atrocities on anybody. Also, even if somebody try to digress you from the path of truth through the lure of money or position, then dont budge from truth, like your Lord Husain even if the lives of children are taken - dont leave the

path shown by God and His Prophet. If you had treaded on the path shown by Husain, then you should have kept in mind that it is God who gives life to the dead, it is God who can turn hatred into love; it is God who can turn dishonour into honour. It is He who alone can give child to the childless, even our own lives are not in our control. Instead, you treaded on the path shown by Satan; this indeed is the path of Satan if you feel jealous over happiness of others, if you keep evil, ill will, and hatred. Leaving a few beloved people of God, all men of all religions have left the rope of God and cling to each other for support. God alone can bestow honour, God alone dishonour, God alone can make you fall you ill, and God alone can change the hatred among you with love and peace. You are not content over seeing the content of those who are close to you. You are so confident of powers at hand that you feel you can do anything. You feel God can do nothing; His name is only to instill fear in us! People of the world forget that Quran talks of patience and peace. Now the world will see what the God can do. This is the reason why each Messenger, each Torchbearer led a life in fear of God and gave only one message be afraid of His power. The lovers of God can be recognized by their happiness in the happiness of others, by their sorrow in the sorrows of other. Listen to the voice of the last torchbearer, considering it to be the voice of all of Gods spirits together, then alone can these spirits, through the command of God, can help and assist you. Or else you would be in loss, in this world and the next. The true knowledge of his message in his scriptures had been kept hidden from you and only God knew when He would tell their meaning. When the people of this world would leave the path of truth and would seek more closeness to the path shown by Satan. That time would come when the Day of Resurrection would be

near. The world would decay to such an extent that blood relations would bear jealousy to each other, then the world would see how the power of that One God would crush the Satanic forces. Then they would realize its meaning, its significance! That incident from life of Imam Ali has been repeated on countless occasions by those who claim to be in love with him, when needy kept coming continuously for three days at the time of breaking fast and Ali and each of the members of his family gave their food to them, and kept fast on fast for three consecutive days. Then we got to know from the word of God that it was Gabriel who was coming as per the wish of God to test the Jehad of their souls. Through this incident God wanted to give the message that we should not treat the poor badly. Through this incident the world should keep in mind that Gods power too can be working behind that poor. But all the words of Quran and Hadees have become mere stories. And those who claim to be in love of these spirits of God are engrossed in all evils. We forget that we are from God and have to return to Him after death. It is He through whom we get the progeny, it is He through whom we get our parents, and it is He through whom we get our spouses. God wants to show that you would always remain Mine and not even for a moment would you be able to tread out of His power. Even if you create your religions in the name of My creations, even if you divide his earth in the name of countries you all are Mine and would return to Me. Then there would only be two religions right and wrong, sinful and sinless, My criminal and innocent, in return for you good there is the bliss of heaven, in return to your wrong, there is the fire of hell.

Children are taught in theology that God is one. Secondly they are taught that He is Just. He does not do Injustice because doing Injustice is against His nature. Why did God raise the subject of Justice? This is so because this debate continues, particularly in India and Pakistan. Fight only upon the instructions of Messenger or Imam and seek peace upon their instructions. This is so because all their acts are in the hands of God alone. They act only as per instruction of God. And Allahs Power is such that He is aware what is to happen in future. If God would know that the enemy would be defeated through a fight, He would ask for a fight. If He would think that the enemy would be defeated through peace, then He would go for peace. Those who are aware know that the teachings of Islam were saved by the sacrifices of the children and adult in Karbala. In order to gain victory for Gods teachings, the Imam gave away his life. In order to uphold truth and vanquish evil! Gods victory is even in the death of the Imam. God knows His way and nobody can bring dishonour on anybody nor can anybody bestow honour on the other person. We cannot wipe out anybody. What all happen, happens from God. Man is not in control of his own life, his own affairs. When he lives with this thought, each step is taken in the Gods way. If he fears God, how is it that God wont send help? If he is ill, how is it that he wont get treated? If he is sad, how is it that he wont be made happy? One who is in discord, how is it that he wont get love? How is it that he wont come to the true path? Then God will solve the problems of all. That day verily is called the victory of God. That is why it is not allowed to take or give life without the presence of Prophet or Imam, even if you call yourself a true champion of your faith. What is the will of God at this moment, you are not aware. Neither the Spirits are with you, nor God! And you end up giving your life

needlessly! What you are calling Jehad is actually murder of the innocents. That is why such a derogatory name terrorist has been labeled against you. You cannot even say with pride that your child has died in the way of God. Because you did not follow your parent either! Such disobedient subjects are you! That is why God raised this voice from Hindustan. People are lovers of God and His Prophets but they have no true knowledge. Because even when they read the scriptures, they do not understand its meaning. They offer prayers, supplicate, bow down, show respect, but are not aware of the meanings. With time, they deviated from the Path of God. This is the reason why the Spirits have decided to convey their message in Hindustan. This is the reason why Husain, when he was surrounded, had expressed wish to go to India. He could come himself, but by the Will of God, the Spirits came to this country. And miracles started happening. The greatest of love for God, He created among the Hindustanis. God wants to awake those very Hindustanis, including Hindustani Muslims, from their slumber. Days of the Satans kingdom are numbered. You are the creature of God but the God is angry of your deeds and Satan has reasons to be pleased. Satan has started feeling that he has emerged victorious and completed the pledge that he made to God. When he had refused to pay obeisance to Adam, and the God was displeased, he had asked for time till the Day of Resurrection. His mission is to mislead us from God. As true creatures of God, our mission should be to go back to Him with renewed vigour. The spirits wish to tell us to start living by the way of God, so that when we die, we are on the true path of God. Our lives are His, your lives are His. That is why suicide is prohibited. Taking some ones life and

giving ones own life has become a childs play in this world. They are sitting in their houses. Neither are they fighting with anybody nor obstructing anybody from his way of worship. But the self-declared protectors of religion are torching the houses of the innocent. All in the name of religion! Is this the message of any messenger? Indeed, it is the will of God to fight alongside the Messenger when He would come. Then, if you refrain from doing so, and opt for love of your life or that of your relatives, then you would be on wrong. We have come back to the same point. Life has been given by God! If He wishes He can take it when you are sleeping amidst the safety of your house. When He has control over your lives, why dont you give it when He demands it? But never with your own choice, as is happening all over the world. Never without the decree of a Prophet or His true messenger! Even if it is Rama! In order to save Sita, those who didnt care for their lives, and fought on the side of Rama, are worthy of respect. Those who were with Ravana are subject of derision even today. Those who kept watching the incidents passively, they have gone in oblivion, buried under the sands of time. In all times, the true lovers of Messengers of God have continued to give sacrifices, either through the path of fighting against the evils of the self within, or through the path of fighting in an armed conflict. Even if they had to sacrifice their lives. They were on the true path. In the Name of God, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful It is being said in Dua-e-Sabasab that they couldnt hold their head up who came against Me. Verily, he failed. And one who held enmity with Me perished. Through the aid of God, I have become satisfied and successful. I have held on to the rope of God whose

strength gives me support. Now, forever, neither am I afraid of the uprisings and neither are their uprisings going to harm me. Neither can deceit of the deceitful nor jealousy of the jealous, none would look at me, none would find me. When the Messengers of God got fed up with the people, then they used to ask for miracle as sign. God used to give them miracle at the same time send punishment for those people who rejected the Messengers of God. This is the distinction of the 14 Masooms that in spite of the fact that they had to bear extreme hardships, they never prayed against them. Instead they prayed to God to show them the way and in spite of all the injustice meted out to them, they also endeavoured to remove the beastliness and not the beasts so as to wake up the humanity from its slumber. Out of the Messengers, the people of Jesus were saved from the wrath of God because the spirit of Jesus had been lifted alive and he continues to live in order to show the way to his people. Fact is that Jesus was saved for today, so that a Prophet as well as an Imam testifies to the institutions of Prophethood and Imamate. It has been left on the Spirit of God (Jesus) to deny or accept these institutions. After all, he is accepted as the son of God. That time is about to come when Jesus will appear to deny or accept the Prophethood of Mohammad and the Imamate of Mahdi. Those who fear God would prepare themselves to face the Divine Messengers even prior to the time when they would come, so that they are not counted in the enemies of truth. Now is the time to put the house in order. When it is not possible to run or hide away from God, the best preparation is to prepare to face Him. O Shias, if you do not believe in the presence of four spirits, who would come to reveal the truth, who would testify each other prior to the end of the world,

then you should change your names. If you take the name of the Imam of our time, and your acts are such that do not befit the companions of the Imam, then it is better that you stop calling yourself one of his friends. Or else, get to the worship of the God, as this is what the Imam desire from you. The Imam has moved from Ghaybat-e-Kubra (longer period of occultation) to Ghaybat-e-Sughra (shorter period of preparing for arrival). Until you are not fully prepared for his arrival, he will continue to reach you through writing. Think coolly, this world is existing because that day is to come, that day is near, Gods promise of the Day of Resurrection is about to be fulfilled. Just ponder who is going to loose if you criticize them, if you do not accept them. It is God who will decide what is good and what is bad. You have pained the hearts of innocent on countless occasions. God Himself feels pain when any of his truthful or innocent feels pain. You criticized them, you inflicted injury on them, you laughed at them, you mocked at them beware, lest God sends His wrath upon seeing the pain of His innocent creatures. If you dont want to believe, dont believe, but beware, dont make others deviate from their path. After such clear examples, if the world still acts in that manner, how sad it is. Time is now to accept them, lest you want to feel disgraced a few days later. If God is happy, the world is happy, if He is angry, the world is useless. The Satan would try to show faults, he would try to lead you astray, and it is your job to stick to the path. Then that day is sure going to come, for which you had prepared or not prepared, it is up to you to decide, for tomorrow may be too late. It seems you have decided not to take lessons. Instead, you have tried to show them as fools or insane who accepted the message. Not for a moment you thought how much of pain are you inflicting on the Masooms,

neither did you think for yourself, nor for the well-being and happiness of your children, all these happiness has been given by God, but you never gave it a thought. The sole purpose of the Spirit is to show the world to the right path. The wrath of the God has to come, that has already been decided. Nobody would be able to run away from it. Where would he run from God? Satan himself is to be on run soon, where would his followers go? If some body makes fun of you, listen to them, if some body inflict pain on you, bear it, if somebody talks ill of you, dont hit back. Leave everything on God. The more you will leave your affairs to Him, the more you will find Him involved in your affairs. Keep moving on the path of God, all would have the cause to be happy. Masooms, Prophets and God. Neither would you have reason to regret, that you will surely see. People say they hold the Masooms dear. Their acts show they dont. How can somebody call himself to be one of their companions when his acts themselves betray. They want to associate themselves with the truthful; they themselves are far from truth! They want to hold on to the just; injustice has pervaded their affairs. They were the upholders of virtue, of love, of sacrifice, of peace while their affairs show their love is for the Satan. Dont be like those who used to call themselves in love of the Ahlebayts, but did not come to their aid when the enemies had surrounded them. Even after death, their corpses kept lying in the open for 40 days, yet the lovers of the Masooms were nowhere to be seen. So many people cry for the Imams, lament that if they had been at Karbala, they would have helped the Imams, but their test is yet to be taken. Those who were in Kufa at the time of Husain failed the test; it remains to be seen whether the modern day followers would stand up

to their claim. The time is now to act! It will pass before you would know it. The path has been laid open before you. Quran has even told what happened to the people of Loot or Samud or countless such tribes when they denied the truth in spite of repeated efforts to lead them to it. 2000 years after Jesus has passed, 1400 years after Mohammad. God has refrained from sending his wrath on the followers of Jesus and Mohammad. Now that He has started the negative count, lets hope He still follows His practice. If he doesnt, we are nobody to complain!

Deviations Among the Indo-Aryans

It cannot be said precisely when, how and under what circumstances deviations occurred among the IndoAryans. It seems that deviations kept happening at all times. Messengers and Prophets too kept coming, in order to correct the false beliefs of the people and lead them back to the worship of One God. Yet, man kept deviating from the true path, time and again. In Part-I, we have shown the reasons that necessitated the coming of Krishna and his teachings, rather opposition to them, led to the war of Mahabharata. We have also seen that Krishnas war was fought against those who claimed themselves to be the true champions of religion. This is very similar to the case of Moses, who was disclaimed by the people amongst whom he was sent. Quran has mentioned in detail how the followers of Moses kept asking for signs and benefits from God, including food from heavens that continued to come for a long time, yet were found wanting when the time came to stand up to their convictions and beliefs. It required only a prolonged stay of about a week of Moses on top of the mountain for them to deviate. This shows that it is possible for seemingly the most righteous of men to deviate within a matter of days, and we have to be on our guard at all times, lest Satan finds his way inside us. The same Jews, who had troubled Moses all through his life, deviated so much so by the time of Jesus that they denied his prophethood tooth and nail. In fact, they tried their best to kill him. This was in spite of the fact that Jesus brought no new teachings and always claimed to be following the teachings of Moses.

Jesus departed and those who gave the name of Christianity to his teachings corrupted that true path shown by him, along with the links that he foretold to complete the chain, so much so that Christianity appeared an altogether different religion by the time Mohammad came to culminate the teachings of the true path. Not that there were no true adherents of these messengers. Seekers of truth had always remained in this world. But this too is a sad reality that paths for deviations are always open. Those who accepted Moses as messenger were the seekers of truth, but those who denied Jesus after him were deviated. Those out of adherents of the teachings of Moses accepted the teachings of Jesus were still the acceptors of truth, but those who denied Mohammad after him were deviated. In the same manner, after Mohammad, those who denied the caliphate to Ali, in spite of all attempts by Quran and Mohammad to confirm his claim, were deviated. Those who accepted Ali as the rightful successor were Shias. Out of them, most left the side of Husain, when faced with adverse circumstances or lure of position and money. A section of those who continued to remain loyal to the first five Imams deviated when they broke the chain after 6 and hence sects like Ismailis, Agha Khanis and others originated. A very small segment continued to remain loyal to the 12 Imams. Out of these, some got into suspicion when the wait of the 12th Imam became endless, majority deviated on the other side when they continued to remain loyal to the Imams but belittled the worship of God and some more would deviate when false Mahdis would come prior to the coming of the last Proof of Allah. See, how simple it is to get deviated! with the subject of Indo-Aryans and Krishna somewhere else. Thankfully we realized it have corrected it but didnt do so for it to We started and ended and could remain an

example for you. This is the same in matters related to religion. Our beliefs are so fickle that keep changing with time. Merely two hundred years back, nobody would have ever thought people would be standing in queue to supplicate in front of the image of a fakir, with certain degree of spiritual powers. A day was enough to reinforce our beliefs in idols when they, all across India, began to consume milk. In older times, even a Tsunami could have triggered worship of the sea. Our purpose was to express that Messengers of God came to correct those who had deviated from the true path. Krishna was the greatest champion of the teachings of the Vedas but fought those who claimed to be the followers of Vedas. Likewise, Rama waged a war against one who claimed to be a devotee of Siva and had worshipped Siva exceedingly in the past. Yet, that was perhaps blind worship, as Ravana failed to see that supplication to God can never by a physical exercise alone and true suppliant has to bade farewell to false ego, lust, greed, violence, injustice, corruption and all acts of evil and those forbidden by God. At this point, we are tempted to say that if Mahdi comes to fight and kill those who claim to be following Quran as well as Mahdi, and yet have deviated from the path they show, it should not come as a surprise. Fact of the matter is that prior to Vedas, after Vedas and prior to Krishna, in the post Krishna period passing through Buddha and till this time, Indo-Aryans surely must have passed through several hostile periods where it was not easy to remain on the true path. There were kings who wanted their mode of religion to be adhered by the subjects. There was a period of about 1000 years when Buddhism reigned supreme and some of their rulers even tried forcefully to make the people follow their path. People were largely ignorant and hence it

was easy to circulate myths and propaganda. This was followed by a long period of rule by those who called themselves Muslims. Later, for about 50 years or so, the British closed all madrasas and pathshalas, when they tried to implement their own education system. Moreover, with no state patronage in Buddhist, Mughal and British rule, for teachings that were considered related to Hinduism, there were more chances of digression.
Adherents of True Teachings in Medieval Times

Those were the times when learning was limited to the Brahmans. They were in possession of all the books and scriptures. When visible signs came to be known, that the person they had waited for, and sung hymns in praise so that they come down on earth, has actually arrived, Brahmans must have been the first to know its significance. This explains why it were the Brahmans who went all the way to Iraq to fight along side Husain in Karbala, and it is till this date that they call themselves Husaini Brahmans. That means that within 50 years of Prophet announcing his Prophethood, there must have been a few visits of groups of Brahmans to Arabia to ascertain and verify whether he was the same person whose praises they had sung as Indra. Historical accounts of Muslims have even narrated a contingent of Jats from India in the city of Basra, whom Ali trusted with the job of safeguarding the treasury from the marauding armies of Muawiya. History has also recounted an incident that an entire group went to Medina in the time of Prophet Mohammad himself, to ascertain his identity. In return the Prophet sent a companion of his to inform the people of India about Mohammads teachings. One needs a bit of imagination to think of the situation wherein some must have accepted that he was

the same Prophet described in religious scriptures while others would be discounting them as untrue. After all, it must have been difficult to digest that the secret place that was told to them of the awaited one would be as far as Arabia. As Mohammads teachings reached further, it became clear to the priests that they were far dissimilar to what they were adhering to in the name of religion; such was the digression that had occurred among them during the several centuries that had elapsed from the time of Krishna and Buddha. It is explicitly mentioned that the last prophet before the Prophet Muhammad was Isa (Jesus), who was about 500-600 years prior to him. This means that world was without a Prophet for such a long time and all people had digressed extensively. You have seen how Christians and Jews too faced the same problem. There is little doubt that priests in India may not have faced the same situation. Some, whose conscience was alive, accepted the teachings, while others tried to deceive themselves and others by disbelieving these teachings. If this is not true, how else can you prove the presence of contingent of Saraswat Brahmans in Karbala, who upon reaching Karbala after Husain had been killed, stayed there to take revenge of Husains killing and returned only after they had achieved their objective. Fact is that till the time of Kabir, there were at least some who knew of Mohammads relationship with the scriptures of Indo-Aryans. Even Kabir has talked of the link between devatas and Muhammad. Kabir has even gone to the point of calling Mahadeva as Mohammad, something that we are proving here. Says he: Mahadeva is the same as Mohammad. See the views of Kabir and Dawud to realize the nature of the society during those times, how they, as reformers, were trying to cure those evils.

Talking of Hindus and Muslims, Kabir says: Both are simpletons, both are misled. None of them has found God. One slaughters the goat, the other, the cow. In the pursuit of such vain differences, they have wasted their lives. Not only this, Kabir also knew that Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh were not different personalities as later period Hindus began to believe. Says he: Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are the names of the three states of the same soul animation, calmness and sloth. Later he says: All must love the God of all. There is no one who is a Hindu, no one who is a Musalman. The difference between the two is a false difference. At another point he says: The idea also is vain that the Hindus and the Musalmans are two different peoples. They are all but one. At another place Kabir says: O Santu! Listen! There is no difference between Ram and Khuda. But both the Hindus and Musalmans have gone astray. Likewise, Dawud describes the essence of religion in this manner: To efface the self, to worship the One Ishwar, to protect ones body from evil activity and ones mind from evil thought, to wish no ill-will of any living object these, O Dawud! constitute the essence of religion. That person is alone held, Sant, who entertains no ill will towards any living object. O Dawud! There is only one spirit in all beings. No one is our enemy. We have found this out by careful search. No one is alien to us. Whether we are Hindus or whether we are Musalmans, one and the same spirit dwells in all. By giving separate names to men and women, we have cheated ourselves. Hindus and Musalmans are brothers to one another.

They form the two hands, the two feet, the two ears, and the two eyes of the same body. In the mirror of suspicion only, we look as but two beings. It is an illusion. Once this illusion is dispelled and suspicion rooted out, the talk of otherness will end, O Dawud: Against whom do you entertain ill will? Is there any one here beside yourself? The God who brought me into being, the same dwells in every one. Referring to quarrels over temples and mosques, Dawud said: The Mandir which the Hindus raise with their own hands is looked after by them with great care. But the body of a man or an animal which is the Mandir raised by Ishwar himself they destroy. Similarly, the Musalmans show respect to the Mosque raised by their own hands, but they pull down the structure raised by God himself. The true Guru has pointed out to me that the body of a man alone is the Mosque or Mandir of God. Living within that body, we have to worship Allah. There is no need for us to go out of it to worship Him. Within the human heart lies, full to the brim, the fountain of Ishwaras Being. We can freely purify ourselves in its water and perform our ablutions with it and offer Namaz. This body is our Mosque or Mandir. Our five senses form the congregation therein; our mind is the leader in prayer, or Imam. In our own body we may bow before Allah and hail Him. Explaining what true religion is, says Dawud: The true devotee is he who sings the songs of the one Iswara, who keeps his mind under control, who does not show pride, and who does not lie, nor does harm to any one, but abstains from doing a wicked deed and does good to others, who never looks upon any one as his enemy, who looks on others even as he looks on himself, but contributes to others happiness and looks

upon all with an equal eye, who does not let his interests interfere his relations with others, who does not differentiate between with his interests and the interests of others, and seeks in one and all the light of the One Holy Providence, who always speaks truth and is immersed in his own thoughts, who unmindful of every danger engages himself in devotion to God and to no one else. Dawud! Such people are but few in this world. Much later, Sri Aurobindo in his writings often speaks of the supra-mental power, which can descend to manifest itself in actual terms. And Pandit Sunderlal said in The Gita and the Quran: The books on religion are replete with this type of teachings. Still, the world of man is far off from the goal envisaged. The reason for it is two fold. One is that a good many people do not understand the truth offered. The other is that even those who appreciate the truth do not care to follow it. The responsibility for the set back in the march forward does not rest on those who do not understand the truth. The entire responsibility lies on those who knowingly do not follow it. It is by action that resolutions or great changes have been wrought. The study of the Gita and the Quran is not simply meant to provide food for the intellect. On the other hand, it is meant to spur us on to right action. Our aim is to see that the two holy books should be read with this purpose in view. The purpose of our study should be to invoke God to inspire in us the force which shall shatter all the chains of selfishness born of our attachment to ones family, village, country, nation and sectarian creed which has kept us divided and which incite us to fight each other. It is not enough to feel or think that we all are one. On the other hand, what we need is the zest to eradicate from our life, both individual and collective, the evil which has worked for division among us, whatever their nature social, legal or religious

We pray to God that He will inspire in the followers of the Gita and the Quran that clear thinking, that courage and that strength which shall enable them to act upon the pure teachings which the two holy books offer for the guidance of man and help them to fashion afresh a new type of culture and a true religious outlook, so that a wave of love might spread across the entire country of ours. There is no other way of salvation for us!

The Greater Jehad

Before we begin, we wish to admit that we have taken use of the views of Ayatullah Khomeini on this important subject of Jehad, in order to present before you this essay on Jehad.

Another year from our short life has passed. If we reflect now to see whether we have done any work that will enhance the quality of our life, most of us have done nothing. There is a dire need now for the advancement of knowledge in the fields of moralistic and spiritualistic issues. Unless this happens, the world will not come out of the increasingly beastly living that we are getting used to living. Whenever this has happened in the past, we have seen God sending His apostles and emissaries to get rid of evil and propagate the good. After all, just like a mother cannot see the child in slight discomfort, the God, for whom the entire universe and all humans who reside in it, are part of His own creation, and He does not like anybody, irrespective of his birth, caste, creed, religion or colour, to be in pain. Unfortunately, mans tendency to inflict pain on others is getting beyond the limits, and it is time again for us to start expecting of Divine assistance. However, such a situation may not have emerged had we not forgotten the true essence of those sublime teachings that were imparted by Apostles, who came one after another with the teachings, strived to work for the improvement of humanity and departed. And we, known as we are for our hero-worshipping tendencies, forgot the teachings, elevated few of the personality traits to the level of worshipping them, and put them as

revered Gods on high places, thereafter returning to our previous days of living. Had the society remembered those sublime ways of living, and not distorted them to suit its own needs and interests, the world would surely be a better place to live. Frankly, how many of us are concerned about imbibing any of these traits in the lives of children? If matters continue to remain the way they are, the society is sure to see much more violence, much more bloodshed and lawlessness, despite the fact we all believe that we are increasingly becoming civilized. Every now and then, the stories of human cruelty, barbarity, beastliness and lawlessness, are heard and seen, and we look the other way as if this is not our concern. Our children are growing up seeing these images in newspapers and on TV. With no proper teaching available about the desired way of life, the role of humans in relation to their Creator, expectations of God from those whom He created, and to whom they have to eventually return, our children will consider every act as right in order to meet their materialistic desires. Arent we destined to see more bloodshed by our children, who will either be perpetrators or victims, unless we act now? We must remember that that God does not desire just a few ritualistic prayers, at a demarked place and at a denoted time. There are certain obligations that need to be fulfilled, in return to all that we have got from Him. The chief responsibility is to learn to do all actions for God and train our intellect, senses, soul and body so that they work either for God or the benefit of His creations. Remember, God treats all his creations equal and we are nobody to create hierarchy or divisions! This attempt at training is called Jehad-e-Akbar, meaning the chief Jehad or the grand Jehad by Muslims;

the word Muslim itself signifying musallam iman or complete faith in God and His teachings. A man who has successfully pursued this path of Jehad will have complete faith in God and will dedicate all his actions to please God. He will be able to train his self in such a manner that none of his action inflicts harm or suffering on innocent creatures, will aspire to work for the good of others, without expecting rewards or favours in return. He will pursue knowledge from wherever it comes, which has immense benefits. He will endeavour to gain rich attributes to his personality so as to enable him to gain wisdom, intellect, piety, thankfulness, kind-heartedness, truthfulness, patience, courage and loyalty. No doubt, God has sent His Messengers to impart knowledge of these traits, and they themselves were the chief torchbearers of this way of life. As Ali says:

Allah taala ne ulama se jo ahad liya hai wo ye hai ke who zaalim kee shikam pari aur mazloom ke bhooke hone par khamosh aur mutmain nahin baithen ge. NAHJUL BALAGHAH, KHUTBA-E-SHAQSHAQIA
This talks of the promise that God has taken from the knowledgeable and says that the promise is this that they would not remain passive witness and satisfied upon seeing the injustice of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed. Imam Ali used to say to his followers:

This is a clear call for action, even though one has to pass through khatarnaak ghatiyan (dangerous valleys). This is also to remind of death, which is inevitable. If you have faith in these, then you will not lead a life of carelessness, more centred towards worldly attractions, rather than doing acts that are good and for betterment of others, and

will deliver rich dividends hereafter.

Devote yourself to the God; throw out the love of this world from your heart; then only will you be able to face the evils and wrongdoings of this world with courage and steadfastness and become a true human being, because if there is anything that the evil forces are afraid of, it is the true human beings. This is so because they are afraid that even if a single human being is born who cherish those lofty human values taught by the Messengers, he will stand up and fight against their evil and selfish desires, and their benefits will get jeopardized. As the world moves to anarchy, corruption and violence, it is the responsibility of each one of us that we endeavour to become true human beings, following the enlightened paths shown by revered Messengers like Krishna or Mohammad. Study the life of Husain whose stand against the tyrannical rule of the monarch Yazid led to the slaughter of his entire family before finally getting killed in the cruelest of fashions. Knowing fully well that he was bound to be looser in the world terms, outnumbered as his handful of followers were against the mighty army of Yazid, not for once did Husain think of abdicating his stand. His supreme sacrifice reflects human values at their zenith, something that Gita and Quran do not tire of talking repeatedly. So if you are follower of either of the two, remember God in the way that he ought to be remembered and consider it your duty to stand up against all evils that our society is plagued with. This is Jehad-e-Akbar among Muslim, this is the path that Krishna taught all through the Gita. It is clear that Jehad was introduced because God wanted truthful and righteous men to contribute towards

upholding of truth and righteousness. He wanted all of us to dwell in a vibrant society where struggle towards the right path continued ceaselessly. In a way, Jehad-eAkbar was the fight against ones self and Jehad-e-Asghar (or the smaller Jehad) was the attempt to improve the society. Armed struggle was only in self-defense or to eliminate the fitna , which is called Qitaal and about which we would read a bit later. Writes Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini: We must know while confronting self, compromise and piece settlement is not possible, and what is required is a devastating blow making him (ones own self) crippled permanently from plotting any further conspiracies. In order to achieve happiness and salvation there is no other alternative except to follow this course, and because, of this reason struggle against the self has been called in traditions as Greater Crusade: (Jehad-e-Akbar). Here we would quote few examples from the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali:

Take over the possession of your self through continuous struggle. G HARAR AL -H UKM , VOL . 1, P. -13
And said: Fight and dominate over selfs whims and passions. Because, otherwise if they succeeded in making you their prisoner they will treat you in a most humiliating manner destroying you eventually.

G HARAR
And said:

AL -H UKM , VOL .

1, P-138

Be aware! That Paradise is purchased through selfstruggle. Therefore, who is engaged in self-struggle will be victorious. Paradise (or self) is the greatest reward for some one who really appreciates their worth. G HARAR AL -H UKM , VOL . 1, P-165

And said:

By means of fighting against the self, incite him towards Gods worshipping. Fight him the way one must fight with his worst enemy, and dominate over him like the domination of victor over his opponent. The most powerful person is the one who is victorious over his self. G HARAR AL -H UKM , VOL . 1, P-371
And said:

A wise man keeps himself engaged in struggle against his self, thus, reforming and preventing him from indulging into passions and amusements, and in this manner subdues him ultimately taking over his possession. Such a wise person is so must preoccupied in his self-refinement that is totally detached with the world, whatever it contains and its dwellers. G HARAR AL -H UKM , VOL . 1, P-237
This struggle against self is so important that even Prophet Mohammad called it the Greater Struggle and held it higher than a physical fight. Those who have tried would know how easy it is to kill the other than kill the passions that arise inside the body. The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali had narrated:

That the prophet dispatched his soldiers to battle front to fight against the enemy. When the soldiers returned triumphant, the prophet said: Congratulations! For those who have successfully completed the Minor-Struggle, (Jehad-e-Asghar), but they have yet to engage themselves into Greater-Struggle (Jehad-e-Akbar). He was asked: Oh Prophet of God! What is the Greater Struggle?

Struggle against the self. Replied the Prophet. W ASAIL AL -S HIA, VOL . II, P-124
The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali said:

The best crusade is the struggle of some one, who fights against his self located between his two sides. G HARAR AL -H UKM , VOL . 11 P. -124
In his death will the Prophet said to Imam Ali:

Oh Ali! The best struggle is the struggle of some one who made his night into morning without thinking to oppress a single individual. W ASAIL AL -S HIA, VOL . 11, P. -123
Writes Ayatollah Amini: In these traditions the importance of struggle against the self have been described as Greater-Struggle or Supreme Crusade the crusade which is even superior than the crusade for the sake of God-Almighty (Jehad fi Sabi lillah). Considering the exalted position of crusade for the sake of God, which is considered as one of the most superior worship the importance and worth of self-struggle becomes explicitly clear. Imam Jafar Sadiq said:

How good is a servant of God who struggles against the self and his passions for the sake of Gods Pleasure. Whoever becomes victorious over the self s whims and passions has already achieved Gods-Pleasure. Whoever offers resistance, and with humility in front of God, allows the reason to control imperious-self would receive the greatest blessing. There exists between the servants of God and Him nothing darker and horrible barrier than the imperious-self and his passions; and in order to

destroy their roots forever, there is no armament better than the realization to seek God, humility, hunger, thirst during the day (i.e. fasting), and night awakening (i.e. engaging in night prayers and having humming communications with GodAlmighty [remember chant of Aum]). Such a person if dies in this course leaves the world as a martyr, and if remains alive would ultimately attain the exalted position of Gods Nearness. God-Almighty has promised in the Holy Quran that those who strive in His cause will certainly be guided towards His path and verily, God is with those who do right. When you encounter another struggler endeavouring in self-refinement better than your own efforts, then reprimand your self severely, and remind him to be more careful and determined. In accordance with Divine dos and donts make a bridle for the self and like a master, training his inexperienced and wanton slave, encourage your self towards virtuous deeds. The Prophet offered so much prayer that his feet become swelled, in response to peoples complaint, replied: should not I be thankful to God-Almighty? By these serious endeavours in worship the prophet wanted to teach a lesson to his community. Therefore, one should never be negligent from endeavours, worship, and ascetism. Known that! If you could witness the sweetness of worshipping and other blessings and if your heart becomes illuminated with Divine Light you will not be ready to discontinue it for an hour, even if they cut off your body into several pieces. Therefore, the negligence from worshipping shall never be possible except being deprived from advantages of

competing for achieving immunity against sins and attaining Gods Blessings.
It was this reason why the Imams never forgot the worship of God in the most adverse of circumstances. Once, in the battle of Siffin, when the war was at peak, Ali was intermittently looking at the sky, while fighting with the opponents. Somebody asked him the reason for this and Ali said that he was seeing whether it was time for prayer. The questioner was surprised and asked whether the situation was right for prayer. Ali replied that it was for this alone that he was fighting. Those on Husains side too surely knew of the importance of prayers. Two of his companions came forward to stop all the arrows being shot by the opponents on their chest as Husain and the rest of the companions offered the noon prayers on the day of 10 th Muharram. Husain was the lone survivor fighting the enemy in the battlefield when it was time for the evening prayers. Husain kept his sword in shield to commence his prayers. Again, this was why he was fighting. Enemy who called himself Muslim surrounded him. As Husain supplicated himself to God the Almighty Shimr crawled on his back with a dagger and started severing Husains head from the body. Husains head was severed from his body as his forehead lay on ground in the worship of God. Quran (2:154) says:

And do not speak of those who are slain in Allahs way as dead; nay, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive.
Says Pooya/Ali Commentary: Those, who die and give themselves fully for the sake and in the way of Allah, are not dead. They are alive, attached and closely connected with the everliving Allah.

It is reported that verse 154 was revealed for the Muslims who were slain in the battle of Badr. In those days the new converts to Islam, like the disbelievers, thought that death means loss of life forever. Fisabilillah means in the way of Allah or for the cause of truth. The way of the devils means for the cause of falsehood (Nisa: 76). Sales interpretation of fisabilillah (wars fought against non-Muslims to propagate Islam) is a deliberate distortion. There is no compulsion in religion (Baqarah: 256); therefore, the Holy Prophet went to war only when it was forced upon him. All the created beings are given the opportunity to prove their potential; therefore, everyone is tried with something of fear, hunger, and loss of possessions and children. Those who have attained the highest spiritual maturity through personal virtues, ability to exercise patience, with faith and reliance upon Allah, face the trials successfully and reach the highest stations nearest to Allah. Each individual occupies a different status according to the degree of faith and patience he employs to encounter the test and trial. Some souls are not considered fit to be tried. It is their misfortune. The exemption may be to let their infidelity or hypocrisy grow to its full scope for which there is a painful punishment. (Ali Imran: 178). The Holy Prophet and the twelve holy Imams occupy the highest status near Allah with reference to the faith in and reliance upon Allah, personal virtues and ability to exercise patience. For the cause of truth, in the way of Allah, they gladly suffered every kind of misery, hardship and calamity of the utmost severity throughout their lives. Only once in the history of the world all kinds of trials to the maximum conceivable degree, have been happily and triumphantly endured and coped with by Imam Husain and his family and friends in the desert

of Karbala. No less was the situation of the other holy Imams under the tyrannical rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers. The Holy Prophet has rightly observed:

This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.
A poor Jew once asked Imam Hasan to tell him how could his poverty be a paradise and Imams plenty be a prison? The Imam replied:

If you would know the miseries awaiting the disbelievers, and the blessings in store for the believers in the life of hereafter, you will then agree that even your present plight is a paradise compared to those miseries, and my affluence here is a prison for me as compared to the blessings that will be bestowed on me there.
Now see verses 2:155-156 of Quran:

And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient, Who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allahs and to Him we shall surely return.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says: This is the attitude of a faithful when a misfortune befalls him or he suffers a loss. It is the summary of all that which Islam teaches. We are His. We unconditionally submit to His will. We shall return to Him. He is our destination. Whoso makes his life a true expression of this description becomes His prime favourite for His grace, blessings and guidance. The Holy Prophet who stands first and foremost in submission to Allah is the ideal model of this expression, which has further been

elaborated in verse 163 of Ali-Imran. However, there is no denying the fact that Muslims have been enjoined to take up armed struggle, if necessary. Writes Ayatollah Amini: Armed struggle becomes compulsory only under certain special times and circumstances, further it is not incumbent upon every one (Wajib-e-aini), rather is a collective obligation (Wajie-kifai), and some people are free from this obligation. During certain periods armed struggle is not required at all, or is required to the extent of collective obligation, e.g. if required number of people had assumed this obligation, then the others are excused. Apart from this it is not incumbent upon women, elderly men, handicapped, and sick people. But on the contrary, struggle against the self is incumbent upon everyone as an individual obligation (Wajib-e-aini) during all times, circumstances, and situations, must be continued till the very last moments of life, and no body under any condition except the impeccables (Masooms) will ever be free from this requirement. Also he says: The struggle with self is harder than all the worships even the armed struggle in which a combatant risks his life by accepting martyrdom. Because, absolute surrender before God-Almighty, self-struggle against self s whims and passions for the entire life, and journeying towards the straight path of perfection is much more difficult than the fighting of valiant warrior with the enemy in the battle field for a moment and ultimately achieving martyrdom. In fact, self-struggle is so hard that except with continuous resistance, tolerance of pains and anguishes, and without Gods Assistance it is not possible. It is because of this reason that we recite five times every day in daily prayers the sentence:

(O God!) Show us the straight path.

To follow up the straight path of perfection is so

difficult that the Prophet of Islam said to God-Almighty:

Oh God! Dont leave me at the disposal of my self even for the fraction of a second.
Considering the difficulties in the path, the God has made a promise:

And those who strive in our cause we will certainly guide them to our paths. For verily God is with those who do right. Q URAN , 29:69
Quran explicitly states that fighting has to be in self-defense. See 2:190:

And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits.
Pooya/Ali Commentary says: The message of Islam is universal. From early times the Muslims were only permitted to fight in self-defense. When there is no option, and in the face of persecution, however, the Muslims must fight. The strength of Islam lies in its certainty of ultimate victory over aggression, transgression, and ascribing falsehood to Allah and His last prophet. Fitna can mean oppression, persecution, seduction - all implying the discord that attachment with ghayrallah (other-than-Allah) brings about. It is used as in verse 217 of this surah - war is detestable but fitna is worse than slaughter. Islam promotes peace, order and harmony in the human society and keeps man on the right path. When the enemies of Islam found that the light of this message was sweeping darkness from every corner, the disbelievers vowed to annihilate it. It was only then that, no recourse being left for the believers, they had to resolutely take up the sword in defense. Verses 39 and 40 of al Hajj also give permission to fight when any people is wronged, oppressed and persecuted.

If Numbers 25: 1 to 3 and 31: 7 to 18 in the Old Testament are read carefully one comes to the conclusion that when the Israelites, in Shitim, began to worship the gods of Moab the Lord God asked Moses to take all the leaders of the people and hurl them down to their death before the Lord.

And they made war on Midians as the Lord has commanded Moses, and slew all the men. The Israelites took captive the Madianite women and children, and carried off all their cattle, their flocks and their property. They burnt all their cities. Moses asked them to kill every male child and every women who has had intercourse with a man.
Likewise, Gita too lays maximum stress on fight against the self. Iswararpana is the term used to offer all deeds to God in Gita

On Me all action Casting, with mind on the over-soul, Being free from longing and from selfishness, Fight, casting off thy fever. G ITA . 3:30 Casting (all) actions upon Brahman, Whoso acts abandoning attachment, Evil does not cleave to him, As water (does not cleave) to a lotus leaf. G ITA . 5:10
Yet, when the situation demanded so, Krishna made Arjuna to fight even when he was shirking from doing so. A passage in Gita referring to the negative state of the spirit of Arjuna which Krishna wants to correct (it is from the beginning of the second chapter):

Krishna says to Arjuna: What is the matter with you? Why have you lost courage? You are a great hero, a model Khsatriya with an unsullied name Your attitude at the call of battle is as incomprehensible as darkness covering the sun, neither meeting with death, wood absorbing fire, salt dissolving water, the frog swallowing the serpent, or the fox defying the lion. You are a sensible man. Wake up. Take courage. War is not made with rose water. Live up to your reputation and get rid of these silly ideas. Kindness towards opponents in battle is misplaced Did you know hither to that the Kauravas were your kinsmen? M. S UBEDAR , G ITA E XPLAINED BY D NYANESWAR M AHARAJ P . 59
Yet, Krishna is the greatest upholder of peace and truth. Ironical? No! Only the one with a conscious self can understand this subtle difference. If certain misguided Hindus take this statement of Krishna in the narrowest possible meaning and use it to plunder and kill innocent, for their own personal or political gains, would you blame it on Krishnas teachings. It is unfortunate the face of Islam is distorted when certain misguided Muslims use Jehad for reasons other than what it had been meant for. Islamic view of Jehad is exactly the same as the teachings of Gita, with not an iota of difference. When Krishna talks of fight, there is an underlying message, a great cause, benefit of humanity and its lofty values and foremost of all, upholding the worship of One Absolute God. Krishna and Arjuna both knew of the evils that had begun to plague the society in which they were living. That is why they have not been discussed. Yet, they always remain in the background. Due to this, some writers have understood the teachings of Gita and

the actual purpose of Mahabharata wrongly. The yearning for Gods happiness, the height of spiritual attainment, willingness to be of help and die for a right cause and principles of upholding the truth and justice that Krishna showed is inherent in every verse of Gita. Same is the case with Jehad. Call for armed conflict in few verses of Quran cannot be viewed independently as some self-centred or ignorant Muslim teachers and the detractors of Islam portray it to be. Arjuna is first asked to stand firm in the unitive way (yoga) and then he is asked to stand up and fight (III, 42). Most of the Gita describes this unitive way to reach God. Through Unitive Contemplation (DhyanaYoga) that is discussed in detail in Chapter VI, the Self is to be recognized:

The Self is dear to one (possessed) of Self, by whom even the Self by the Self has been won, for one not (possessed) of Self, the Self would be in conflict with the very Self, as if an enemy. Through realizing ones self through recognizing the Self in it, one can reach union with God. And once the mind and intelligence is surrendered to God, then the man should fight in the way of God. Therefore at all times remember Me (God) and fight: when your mind and intelligence are surrendered to Me, you shall come to Me; (have) no doubt.
Despite the imperative nature of fighting, it is still made a secondary matter to the contemplation of the Absolute and realizing ones self. This is exactly the concept of Jehad in Islam, where the man is required to fight with his own self and only when he has incorporated all the teachings and reached a level where he truly recognizes the God, does his

duty begins of trying to put an end to the evils around him. Without the realization and adherence of the Absolute, Jehad in Islam is not possible. And one who attains this realization and shows strict adherence to the teachings, is surely not going to commit injustice, cruelty or suppression of human rights of others. Instead Jehad leads a person to the height where all divisions on the basis of caste, religion, belief or creed lies shattered and the Muslim takes the side of truth, even though he has to make sacrifices for upholding the truth. Jehad can never be a fight for a piece of land or material benefits. And more than armed combat (which is the last stage referred to as Qitaal), Jehad will be more of deeds, a fight against injustice and oppression. Just ponder for a while. What is the greatest evil plaguing the present society in India? Our view, which we have formulated after talking to several people, is that the greatest cause of all evil is that Indians have begun to accept everything as it is. They see corruption and remain mute witness. They see injustice on some, and they are least bothered. They see white-collared crimes happening all around, and do nothing. This evil has perpetrated so much so that they wait at railway stations for hours but the train do not come, even if it is because the one who has to drive it decided to sleep for another few hours, they see accident victims dying on the roadside and look the other way, and they know of spurious drugs and products ruining their lives and those of their children, industries emitting pollution beyond permissible limits, porn being shown on cable, and so on, but remain mute spectators. Fear of loosing a bit of what they have make them do that. Just imagine, If just 10 per cent of Muslims in India are to get up and say that they wont allow any such act being perpetrated, wont allow human rights to be violated and would always take the side of the oppressed, the weak and the poor.

Wont the Indian society become a better place to live?

The Subject of Kafar

Muslims are often criticized for calling Hindus as kafars. What is the meaning of this word? Are Hindus kafars? Let us see. The term Kafar (Unbeliever) is derived from the root Kafara which means (1) to cover, (2) to deny, (3) to show ingratitude. So Kafar means he who hides a thing, or denies it, or is ungrateful to God, or who does not thank God for what He has provided for man. Kafar also means a peasant, since he covers the seed. The term is used in one or other of these several senses. Generally it is used to mean one who did not listen to Prophet Mohammad in his time or did not recognize the Supreme Being who had provided one and all the good things of life. In verses Q 14:32-34 & Q.17: 67 (as numbered in Pickthals Translation) the term Kafar is used in the sense of ungrateful and applied to all humanity. The term is also applied to the Jews of the Prophets time (Q.17:8) since they had neglected their scripture, the Torah. In verse (Q.21: 94), the term is applied to God Himself since He recognizes our rewards or does not hide ones good work. The same idea is conveyed in the Gita (2:40). In Quran (Q. 29:7) the term means to blot out, to remit, to cover sins. In (Q.4: 150-151), it is pointed out that the real Kafars are those who recognize certain messengers of God and deny others. You have seen the meaning of Kafar and its usage in Quran. Now let us see whether the Muslims are justified in calling Hindus as Kafars. If we take Unbeliever as the meaning, then we cannot call Hindus as Kafars as they, or at least a greater percentage of them, believe in the Unity of God. Carrying the same viewpoint further,

if the idol-worshippers are called Kafars, then we must tell that there are a lot many Hindus, the Arya Samajis, who do not believe in idol-worship. In such a situation, Kafar will have to be applied on case-to-case basis and not to community on the whole. In Q.4: 150-151, it is said that Kafars are those who recognize certain messengers of God and deny others. If we take this meaning to be correct, then that would mean that all, including the Christians, the Jews, and the Hindus would come in the fold of Kafar. However, since Muslims do not regard Christians and Jews as Kafars, this means that this meaning is not applicable. If Kafar is used for denying a tenet of Islam, then that would mean that before the finger is pointed at the Hindus, various sects of Islam would start pointing fingers at each other. We all know that the subject of Caliphate is such where they deny each others Caliphs. What does Kafar mean then? Kafar is used in relation to God. Therefore, does Kafar means one who denies the presence of God? Surely, there are a lot many atheists in this world. This cannot be true, because various messengers of God have said that after sincere attempt to reach the truth, if one comes to conclusion that there is no God, then that person too would be rewarded. In our view, Kafar means one who knows the truth about God and His Apostles, yet denies them. This has happened in the past and might still continue to happen in future. Such people are Kafars and worthy of great punishment, as per Islam. Term Kafar seems to be synonymous with the term atatayinah or those who have fallen from Dharma. Since the Kauravas had fallen away from the true Vedic teachings regarding God, the Kauravas are called atatayinahs in Gita. (I.36). Gita tells that there were

few on Kauravas side who knew that what Krishna was saying was truth but did not accept it for fear of loss of worldly position and benefits. Drona and Bhima were certainly such people. That Drona and Bhima were the priests of highest ranks, there surely must be several others on their side. In the Manusmriti and other books atatayinah are described as those who are incendiary, poisoners, murderers, plunderers and those who commit excesses and prescribed death penalty for them. Manusmriti enjoins: Kill the atatayinah at sight.

The Shias
Shia belief rests on wisdom and love or faith as its two pillars! On one hand, it enjoins the adherents to accept nothing blindly, unless it is put to vigorous tests on grounds of common sense whereas it carries the love for Ahlebayts to such an extent that martyrdom and sacrifice have become synonymous with Shias. In the words of Alexis Carrel, Wisdom is like the lights of a car which show the way. Love is like the motor which makes it move. Each is nothing without the other. A vehicle without lights is blind love, dangerous and prone to casualties. It is an interesting chapter of history that while on one hand, the changed version of Islam that was presented as a solution, refrained people from the study of mathematics, lest they develop a penchant for logic and reason, a large number of students who were coming to seek knowledge from Imams were encouraged to go deeper in subjects of their choice. After all, there was no dearth of knowledge at the doorsteps of Imam. They were those who used say, Ask, before I depart, and never bracketed their claim with ifs and buts nor confined the inquirer to a subject or choice. They knew, the highest limits of mans visions bend down in supplication at their feet. They wanted to talk of iron-houses that would run or illuminating the houses through waterfalls and all that the men of time could seek for them were questions like how many hairs are there in my head, how many stars shine at night, what is the distance of sun from earth or which animals give eggs and which dont. Even to these questions, they gave responses that to this day amaze the contemporary scientific world. One who was called the father of chemistry was but a student

of their doorsteps. Arabic numerals, history and other sciences, reached the West passing through the students associated with this house. If we do not wish to acknowledge it, that is another matter! You must have seen how lightness shines in the darkness of night to illumine everything and is followed by even more darkness around. Arabia was a cradle of evil and darkness when Mohammad laid the foundations of his teachings. Those who have studied the history of Islam know that there was a time when there was a spark of knowledge and wisdom was seen. During the 200 years or so after Islam, the same pagan Arabs who moved from place to place in search of greener pastures, were in the forefront of the literary and knowledgeable activities taking place in the world. Used to writing history with an eye on the rulers, the historians mentioned the progress that took place in the Umayyad and Abbasid period. Little did they know that the centre of all learning was a small house in the locality of Hashimides that was the source of all development. Did the caliphs had any more time than to send forces to annex territories, terrorize them to accept Islam, and reap the luxuries that came as a consequence, viz. warbooties, slave girls, etc.? The entire Islamic world got reasons to feel proud in front of the whole world even when these 200-odd years of Ahlebayts presence included decades of confinements, house-arrests and embargo on people visiting them, 25 long years of Alis confinement to house and the great tragedy of Karbala that vanquished nearly the members of this household and the best of their friends. These Shias were faced with a bombardment of publicity, without having any sort of security, yet nothing could stop them from gaining mastery over accepted sciences, architecture, theology, government, religion, culture, history, interpretations, jurisprudence and

traditions, while the Caliphs were mostly concerned with getting their own versions of traditions and jurisprudence circulated, ones which attempted at denigrating the Members of the Prophets Household. Those willing to understand Shiaism and the remaining Islam can understand it through one example. Whereas knowledge and wisdom was at the top, next only to worship of God and righteousness, for the Ahlebayts, the second Caliphs of Islam ordered the burning of one of the greatest libraries of time, in Cairo, much against opposition by many. If Shias developed a great love for the Imams, it was but natural! Others blame Shiaism calling it Islam in addition to other things. Truth is that Shiaism is nothing other than Islam. It is pure Islam an Islam minus the Caliphate, pseudo Arabness and those who lived in luxury. Shiaism does not take the two principles of justice and Imamate (religious leadership) and add them to Islam Islam without justice and Imamat is the same as the religion of Islam minus Islam. The same is true for Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Vedantism, Buddhism and Taoism. It is to the credit of those worthy followers of Islam who dared to look beyond the green palaces of Damascus and the hanging noose of the fairy tale Caliph of 1001 Nights of Baghdad, and fixed their gaze on the mud house of Ali and Fatima, to discern true Islam, without the associated evils. Shias have not added Imams to Mohammad. We have taken Imams, in order not to lose Mohammad. The descendants of the historical Caesars, Kings, Pharoahs all spoke from Mohammad, yet there is a difference in what they stood for. Contrary to what both enemies and lovers today think, Shiaism is the most traditional sect of Islam. The

major difference stems principally from whether or not Ali and the real Shias tried consciously and correctly, from the beginning, in opposition and innovations and heresy, to remain traditional and retain the traditions. Sordid truth of history is that during those black centuries, while the world was awe-struck by the power of the government of an oppressive Islam and the Caliphate, the Islam of justice and imamate was drowned in the blood of martyrdom. The Shias had a choice between martyrdom and the world. They accepted martyrdom and thereby negated the Caliphs power. Most difficult choices do not come easily! The cruel punishments enacted by the families of the Umayyads, the Abbasids, Saladin the Turk and the Mongols bear witness to the fact that the great theologians, the champions of liberty, the seekers of death, and the majority of the worshippers of truth and the desirers of justice and the lovers of virtue had committed themselves to this way and to freedom. The way passed through the Caliphates of Damascus and Baghdad into the land of fire, blood, prison and punishment. It was attached to that small house of Ali, which was as large as all of humanity. Tongues were taken out, hands were chopped, legs amputated, nails uprooted from fingers, properties confiscated, children killed and blood mixed regularly with earth or water leave aside the Imams whose position was far higher, these were the tests that people had to give to become Shias of Imams. Says a poet: To speak about Ali and Fatima in the history of Islam has not been easy. Poets who have defended this family say, I have been carrying the rope of my execution on my back for 50 years. This is the fact of all the men and women who have written the history of Shiaism, a history where each

line, each word, has been written with the blood of a martyr.
Contemporary Shias

Shiaism is thus historically born and continues to exist. Ali Shariati describes Islam and Shias in the following manner: Islam, the last historical, religious school of thought and the most perfect, Mohammad, the Quran, the Companions and their histories are models of life, chastity and civilization. They bring law, progress, strength and culture to society. Shiaism, the religion of imamate and justice, followers of Ali and his children, Shiaism has had a history full of Jehad. Its believers are those who show perseverance, who are inspired by freedom and justice. They are an unacceptable fire for despots and for the prejudiced. They have submitted to the way. Linked to the anger of Truth, its followers are enemies of anything that conceals the Truth. They are enemies of a politics which reduces one to slavery. They are enemies of economic exploitation and spiritual despotism. To see the issue from another point of view, our people, warm with faith, melting with love, with more than a religious belief, with truth in thought, give their love to this family. Their name raises their spirits. The mere mention of them makes blood boil in their veins. In their longing for sacrifice, pure blood flows. They are ready to be martyred out of their love for them. They cry in pain from their sorrow. They are full of sorrow because they were not present on that bloody day of Ashura. Then bloodied tears run. Sometimes, insane like, they draw their daggers and strike it upon their heads. They lament all year long. Their sorrow is real. All year they commemorate the deaths of those

who died much prior to their existence. Full of praise for their positions and the description of their titles, united as lovers, head to toe dressed in black, from one end to the other, drowned in tears and pain. They long with their whole being to sacrifice their lives. Their love brings on thirst, restlessness, anguish and it finally consumes them. Describing and praising the Iranians, who also proudly call themselves Aryans, Shariati who belonged to the same country, says: The greatest honour, in my opinion, which has been bestowed upon our Iranian society is bestowed when it chose Imam Ali, in spite of the sorrow, depression and difficulties which it suffered because of this choice. Our people showed us discernment and deep thought; they showed us how to oppose oppression and deceit. They opened the fists of powerful men, treacherous, dominating people who took away the rights of human beings. They rebelled against force and oppression. They came to know deceit, lies and traitors. They opposed oppressive regimes. They did not allow themselves to become attached to or influenced by advertisements and religious leaders who had attached themselves to the institutions of the Caliphate. They discovered unknown truths. They sought out the strange, the weak, hidden behind useless curtains. They found strong currents. They were the cause of this society withstanding all it does. They chose Ali. It is true that our people came to Islam through the various Caliphates, but we must recognize their insurrections against both the Caliphs and their institutions including those of the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Khans, Turkish, Khaghanis, Tazis and Mongols. We must distinguish between the people and the Iranians who are attached to their institutions under the name of Islam, Quranic Government, Prophetic Traditions, The Front of Truth and The Truth of Religion.

All the expressions of the beliefs and the new founded wisdom of Islam came from the Caliphs institutions: their words from the pulpits and minarets, their books and commentaries upon the traditions, their orations, advertisements, philosophies, men of letters, poets, historians, warriors and even companions and associates of the Companions of the Prophet. Every single one of these groups was extensions of the Caliph or Sultans institutions. Rather, the Truth belonged to a man who was alone, who had his home in a corner near the Prophets mosque and who was surrounded by the ignorance of his tribe. He lived amidst the great political sacrifices of the friends of the Prophet and the great thinkers of Islam. The Iranian people who entered and become acquainted with Islam through the sword of the Caliph, saw this truth and knew it to be a truth even in the midst of invitations from the religious leaders belonging to the official Islamic Caliphate, whereas the people of Medina and the contemporary Arabs and the Companions of the Prophet did not see or did not want to see it. The great schools and universities of Damascus and Baghdad were also ignorant of this truth. This is the most difficult and wonderful choice on the part of our people. It manifests the birth of a thought and an awareness, which was contrary to any customs they had. It reflects the greatness and firmness of their spirit. It shows their worship of the Truth. It reveals the spiritual courage of these people who rebelled against history and the worldly government of the Caliphate. The Caliphate, more than any other previous historical-political system, governed their institutions. It was always the Caliphate that possessed the powerful military and political forces. It held the strings to the huge religious capital of thoughts and the unlimited wealth

of culture, literature and endowed knowledge. Our people negated the Caliphate in the midst of all of the confusion of war and Jehad (inner and outer spiritual struggle). They never lost their fervour, in spite of the disputes which arose from conquests, the defeats they suffered, the destruction which took place, the constant building and clamour, knowledge and thought, culture and civilization, revolution and distractions full of cries of religion and the world. They deafened the ear of history and cause the earth to tremble under their feet. These strangers, far away and unknown, heard and knew the cries of a lonely man, a man who was a stranger in his own town, Ali! This is the definition of Shiaism from the historical perspective. However, it is still not complete here. When the Caliphs powerful arms reached the innocent people, in the pretext of punishing the wayward or creating unity in the society, blood of a lot many of them was spilt. Unable to bear these, a lot many escaped, escaped to where, to India. This was far earlier when the marauding Muslim armies came to annex territories. If India has always remained Gods preferred country, it is not because of the water of its rivers, the greenness of wide plains or the majesty of the mountains. It is because of beauty of its people, not physical beauty, but the beauty of their love for truth, knowledge and justice. Those who fled from Islamic caliphs were given sanctuary by the Hindu rulers. Had there been no sanctuary, they would have never come? They were welcomed with open hearts, consoled and when the local inhabitants found pathos in their intense grief for Husains sacrifice, their men started keeping tazias, their women filled the tiny kulhars with milk, in remembrance of the six-month old Ali Asghar, whose slender neck was torn off, after his tongue had not tasted milk or water for three days. Such lovers of truth need to be saluted again

and again. It is unfortunate that today all Indians, including the Shias, have set their eyes to the West even for sun that rises in the East. Result is that when its day there, they try to look around, when its night there, they go to sleep. Reason being shed as the sole dominion of either the West or the learned priests, all they get is darkness. Therefore, all that comes from the West is considered true and accepted. Whether its the sleaze and porn, whose champions are their page-3 socialites or whether it is the tag of terrorism on Khomeini. When the same porn enters the life of our school children, we wake up from slumber, only to punish that particular child. Endless number of cable-operators continues to show 3X porn every Saturday night, most video-shops stock them aplenty, call-girls can be seen roaming around on the streets of all posh-localities, and whats worse, every second week one or the other newspaper carries stories on infidelity, sex outside of marriage, romance in offices, women using sex to higher positions, apart from the everyday activity of downloading pictures first and then the story behind it. Yet, the lone child who gets caught is produced to media by the police and demanded in judicial custody. How can something thats accepted in the West be bad for society? Fact is that we have bid our reason off. Another fact is that truthfulness is still deep-rooted in our blood. But truthfulness without reason is seeking for light in India when its day in the US. Just ponder for a while by looking at the content of this book. How is it that such a great mass of humanity can be misled collectively, not for one or two but several centuries? How commentators after commentators sought to gain name and fame by attempting to understand the scriptures in fresh perspective, when all they did was to further alienate us from truth. Truth-loving by heart, we sought for it

when all that was there was just a mirage. We looked elsewhere, found a mirage there as well, and then accepted the mirage that appeared closer to truth. Result: we gobbled sand thinking it to be water. Moral: Perceived truth is never the truth. If you see a certain Ms. Kapoor on the front page of a newspaper doing something thats a taboo in society and if you see the same Ms. Kapoor saying its not her, where would you find for the truth? Start another meaningless debate on whether the printing of the picture is morally correct or not! Something that no media house worth repute would pay heed to if it really wants to print it. Likewise, a certain Mr. Khan gets missing from the army and is declared a deserter. Naturally, his pension has been stopped; the wife has to bear the ignominy and insult. The husbands face begins to haunt her, among the neighbours, in the company of those who were his colleagues, in the family, as she is labeled one who brought bad luck. She returns to her father, who sees young men hovering around his doorsteps, with perceived notions of one who is available. He knows he is old and poor. He knows the daughter is young and beautiful. He is naturally worried. He marries him off at the first instance, albeit to one who had difficulty in meeting the ends meet. What would happen to her when he is no more? Then the first husband returns! Socio-economics return to play its part. First one had respect and would even be richer now. This one cannot fend for his own self, then they became two, now they would become three. He was accepted when none was accepting her because of the tag she carried of being once married. On one side was poverty; on the other side were youth and a comparative luxury. Short-term gains make people sell their daughters in their country, make their children do petty jobs instead of teaching them. In slums, it is a

usual story of women leaving one and living with the other, sometimes only because the other is better in bed. No body cares for the children. A lot many, even the respected ones kill their daughters, while still in fetal stage. She was going where there would at least be education for the one in her womb, at least two square meals, and warm clothes in winter. Where is religion in this entire story? Where is the truth? All started when her husband was declared the deserter and his salary stopped. Then it was socio-economics that governed matters. Wives of the colleagues who got killed were reaping in millions, thanks to the generous grants. Even those slightly wounded got good compensation. At the same time, somebody around her must have surely said, if only he had been killed. If only the corpse had been found. Families of those missing since 1971 war continue to get pension. They keep saying that they are in prison on the other side, when the other side says they are not there. In this case, no body bothered to check! Or wait! What was the truth? And what was it that you were fed with? Yet, you accepted what came as truth. Considering that it was coming from the knowledgeable. Without bothering to check. Without applying your reason. And you felt what you saw on TV was the truth. Corruption, white-collared crime, murder, loot, plunders, theft, rape, infanticide, illegitimate sex, laundering of money, lies, deceit, smuggling, terrorism, anarchy, this, that. Without application of your reason, without using your own intelligence rather than banking on that of others, which may or may not be there, chances are you would not reach the truth, even when you wish to go for it. Truth, however, is that at times truth gets subdued. Circumstances are that either we dont have the say or

we are forced to have no say, when truth is trampled in front of us. Tehelka is a case in point. Why all this under the subject of Shias? This is so because it was their duty to oppose all these evils tooth and nail, if they cited their proximity and adherence to the Ahlebayts. It is for upholding these lofty principals that the Ahlebayts faced hardships, at times got killed. Yet never allowed the truth to derail. This was called Jehad. This is also the Jehad of Gita. Shias continued to follow these lofty ideals for a long time even when the Ahlebayts were not there. It was a vibrant, truthseeking society that the Ahlebayts wanted all of us to live in. Same with Krishna! After all, they are not an inch on different paths. Perhaps the peaceful life of the plains in India allowed complacency. Or they were fed up with the hardships of the past? Just imagine! If even 10 per cent of the Shias in Lucknow are to start opposing all thats not associated with truth. Would there be untruth for long? All evils of Muslims have encroached their territory. Evils associated with Indians too fall in their domain. As Shias, they still have few evils of their own. Religion on the whole is moving from a vibrant one to a ritualistic one, where all actions are performed in a set-predefined manner. So much so that even the remembrance of Karbala, which has guided the entire world for centuries, is increasingly being done in ritualistic way. The zakirs, the learned who narrate the events of Karbala to gatherings, refrain from addressing the core issues. Alis swordsmanship, Abu Talibs faith and Husains tortures seem to be the only subjects. Lamenting and even crying seem to have become ritualistic, so much so that you can even see their crying as if they have lost their near and dear ones getting replaced with festive

celebrations within a matter of minutes on 8th of Rabiul-Awwal, the day they decide to shed their sorrow; as if Husain was no more, or as if the purpose of his sacrifice was no longer needed. They call themselves to be beating their chests in sorrow of the deceased Imams, yet the sorrow is such that even then the hands should fall together, in a systematic rhythm, and the moment your sorrow exceeds to the extent that you start beating your chest faster, and falls out of the rhythm, you would be expelled from the row of mourners. They have begun to neglect the worship of God as if it was meant for the Sunnis. Just imagine, the Ahlebayts whom they revere in such high esteem lived and died to uphold the worship of One God. Shias claim to love Ahlebayts so much so that they would weep and injure themselves to show their grief at the sacrifices given by the Ahlebayts, particularly Husain, yet show no inclination to take lessons from their lives, neither on how to lead the lives nor on how to supplicate to God. Their love for Ahlebayts is still tremendous. There are still some who can sacrifice their lives for them, if the need be. Yet, dont go to them looking for traces of those lofty ideals that Ahlebayts or devas talked about. Remember this if you do not want to come back disgusted. Seek the Ahlebayts in books, never in those who claim to be following their legacy. Satan surely must have tried hard initially making inroads into their citadels. It seems it has succeeded! To end on positive note, we give a few quotes from Masooms. On Shias: Imam Ali said: Our shias are those people who follow forgiveness and charity in our vilayat, who show love and kindness to others in our friendship, who come to visit and see

us in order to continue our works, if they are angry with someone they do not commit injustice on him, if they are very happy with someone they do not shower excessive favours on him, for their neighbours they are always cause of goodness and prosperity and are the cause of peace and happiness among people.

T OHFA -AL -UQOOL , 219

Prophet Mohammad said:

No doubt, our Shias are those who follow us in deeds and character. B IHAR AL -A NWAR , V OL . 67, P AGE 155
On another occasion Ali said:

Our Shias are those who are one with the God, who adhere to the instructions of God, who are full of virtues and good deeds, who always speak the truth, who are content with less food, who follow the middle path in choice of their clothes and are always modest, thankful and generous.
Imam Mohammad Baqar said:

O Jabir, is this enough that somebody claims to be a Shia and considers that he loves the Ahlebayt. By God, they are not our Shias but those who fear God and adhere to His instructions. And (O Jabir) they are not recognized but due to their modest, generosity, trustworthiness, intensity of worship, roza, namaz, kindness to their parent, and also good conduct with the needy and handicapped, neighbors and orphans, speaking the truth, reading of Quran and do not open their mouths but to talk good of others. U SOOL -E -K AFI , VOL . 2, PAGE 74
Imam Jafar Sadiq said:

They are those who offer 51 rakahs of Namaz in

a day or night, they fast during the day and out of their money they take out zakat (the poor tax) and go for Hajj to the House of God and refrain from any act that has been prohibited as Haram (by God). B IHAR AL -A NWAR , VOL . 68, P . 167
Imam Musa Kazim said:

Shias of Ali are only those whose wordings should be in conformity and in accordance with their deeds. T ANBEEH- UL-K HWATIR , P . 388
Imam Hasan Askari said:

Shias of Ali are those people who are not afraid or fearful on the path of God, even if death falls on them or they (voluntarily) fall on death. And Shias of Ali are those people who bear selflessness and sacrifice for their brothers in faith, even so their need is tremendous. They are such people that the places that have been forbidden by God, they wont be found there, and the places where He has asked to go you will definitely find them there. Shias of Ali are those who follow the conduct of Imam Ali in their affairs with the brothers in faith. B IHAR AL -A NWAR VOL . 68 P. 162

State of Muslims in Present Day India

Some of the problems that ail the Muslims have already been mentioned in the previous chapter on Shias. We mention here a few more that are affecting the entire Muslim population in India at the moment. Read this in the light of the story about Taufeeq, Arif and Guriya that had become the subject of a raging debate a few days back. We have shown how not even one TV channel tried to dwell into the real truth, in spite of the fact that it was glaring at the face. Be it Alka S. of Zee News or others, either because of their distaste of Islam or only because of the directions to create sensationalism, they all ended in portraying Islam in bad light. This is perhaps because there are no influential advertisers or lobbyists among the Muslims at present. This case was an extraordinary case, but it is also happening in other situations like the population or literacy figures, wherein they readily show or print Praveen Togadias comments on the subject without bothering to study the real truth or not coming out with it even so they are aware about it. For instance, take the literacy figures. The literacy rate of Muslims is shown as close to that of the Hindus. However, no body tries to find how the literacy rate has come so close when most of the Muslims that are visible on road appear to be illiterate. This is so because when the question is asked whether you can read anything and the answer is given, yes, Quran, that person is taken to be literate. Does mere ability to read a few lines of Quran in Arabic, whose meanings are beyond comprehension, make one fit to be called literate is debatable? Even if they can read Urdu a bit, can they do any meaningful employment because of it? Majority of Muslim families earn 20003000 rupees a month. Why is it that nobody raises the

issue that not even 2% Muslims are found in Government Service, not even 2% Muslims are found in the Corporate World and not even 2% Muslims are found in the Middle or Upper Middle class societies of the country. If you would ask this question, illiteracy is cited the reason. Why illiteracy when it has already been shown close to that of Hindus? Why does nobody asks that in spite of the surging literacy rate, the percentage of Muslims in Government jobs is steadily declining? That more than half of their population continues to live in slums too is portrayed as negativity, as if they are living there out of choice. If they have nothing but tattered clothes to wear, it is their fault. If insecurity persists so much so that they decide to live in ghettos, that too is their fault and the blame is passed on their dissimilar religious beliefs. Yet, dont ever try to do anything for them, for that would fall in the category of appeasement, a topic that the media never fails to raise. When such a huge percentage of population lives in slums or lower class dwellings, and with just 20003000 rupees to earn for the whole family, problems like unhygienic living, over-population, etc. are bound to occur. If you are interested, we invite you to do a study of the number of children in the houses of Hindus and Muslims, living in similar socio-economic conditions. For instance, take a slum or a rehabilitation colony. You will find that the population growth is the same. Conditions are such that a Muslim with 5 children is seen to be enhancing the population, that too with certain vested interests, while a Lalu Yadav with 10 or 11 remains as blameless as ever. Muslims appear to be even more unclean because the segment that has become educated mixes with the population in such a manner that it is not easy to distinguish how many people traveling in a Shatabdi coach to Lucknow or dining in a McDonalds are Muslims, when

there are bound to be many who pass your eyes without you even noticing that they were Muslims. And the rest, who have grown on knowing to read only Quran, that too in a madrasa perhaps, earning 2000-3000 rupees a month, comes out in full Muslim gear, including a long beard, perhaps also a lungi and a topi. And you can easily point out that a Muslim is passing and since nearly all who move about in this uniform are from the lower middle class, with lesser resources available at their disposal, you conclude that Muslims are filthy and dirty. Those who do not sport traditional Muslim appearance are either mechanics, or drivers, or labourers, vendors, petty shop-owners, kabadiwalas or rickshaw pullers all illiterate and dirty. If population is increasing, it is partly due to these factors and partly due to insecurity about future. Why is it that an officer says on TV that ration card is not being given to people because it is not easy to identify which of them is a Bangladeshi or not, and escape without punishment? He may not have said clearly, but the subtle meaning is that those who were being denied the ration cards were all Muslims. Who is he to deny the basic rights of a citizen if he is an Indian? If the Bangladeshis are coming into India, that is due to failure of our institutions. So many Indians attempt to get into Europe and America illegally. That does not mean that these countries stop providing basic rights to their own citizens who are or Indian origin. If Bangladeshis are unwanted, deport them, or put fences on the border there, as has been done with Pakistan. Why harass those who are Indians, in the name of Bangladeshis! Majority of the population earns only a handful to sustain for the entire month, yet their ration card is not made in fear that a few of them might be Bangladeshis. What would happen if some corrupt policemen identify him as one without a ration-card? He too would end up

paying the weekly hafta, unless he runs away from the dominion of that constable and start living somewhere else. Consequently, he would shell out his hard earned money, even if it is for the policemans bottle of bear or a hearty meal. And the man who has only earned a pittance while toiling all through the month, will have to part with some of that, or else the earning family member will be treated as Bangladeshi, and subjected to more severe punishments. If the Bangladeshi immigrant problem is there, it is the responsibility of the security forces. Or it is the responsibility of the Governments who could not give ration cards to all the families of India till date, because of which there is this problem of identifying between Indians and Bangladeshis. Moreover, this country has huge number of Nepalese, Bhutanese and Lankans but nobody complains. It is only the Bangladeshis who are targeted. Why? It is only the deep-rooted love to traditional Indian culture and the fact that majority of Indian Muslims owe their origin to the Hindus whom we have praised elsewhere for their peace-loving nature, that has not allowed the virus of terrorism to multiply in this country, despite such negative conditions. Good thing is that the majority of Indian population is still secular in thinking, but the bad thing is that they are not given access to this kind of information. And if a few stray voices come out in support of Muslims, they are either too feeble or die out soon for want of patronage. The new slogan of Muslim-appeasement does not make them say anything. And nobody asks, what appeasement are you talking in the face of all aforementioned negativities. Muslims are condemned for worshipping a place in foreign land (Kaaba) and keeping allegiance to it, whereas we take huge grants from Japanese to build roads and hotels at the Buddhist sites in India. It is fortunate

that Muslims in India have no holy place of worship in Pakistan like the Sikhs, but no body points a finger at the Sikhs. A person of Indian origin, whose three preceding generations have not lived in India, if he becomes President of a tiny country in the West Indies, is given a heroes welcome when he arrives to India. Indian Government even goes to the point of summoning the Fijian ambassador and people start talking about sanctions on Fiji when the President of that country, of an Indian origin, gets into domestic trouble. And our great media shows the interviews of second or third generation British Indians, who come to support Indian cricket team, in positive light, and if an Indian Muslim is found supporting Shoaib Akhtar or a Muslim locality is named Karachi or Islamabad in India, that becomes a sin. A new trend is the so-called Hindu-revival by the fundamentalist forces. What revivalism are they talking about when there is no increase in discussions on Hindu philosophy, no increase in commentaries of books like Gita and Vedas written and read on a wide scale, no attempt to go back to the lofty values and principles that Krishna and Rama symbolized, and no interest in initiating serious dialogues on how to create Ram-Rajya, how to propagate Sanskrit and so on. All the revivalism is centred on erecting more temples, possibly at the site of existing structures with Muslim linkage. Yes, we agree that people like Babur and Aurangzeb erected those structures on the foundations of Hindu temples, but we also are of the opinion that they were Muslims only for the namesake. Why punish the innocent? If that is the case, why not attack Lanka itself, whose ruler Ravana had the audacity to fight with Rama himself, a far greater crime than demolishing a temple on the birthplace of Rama? Ravana is dead but there must be a lot many Lankans who could be his descendants, or the descendants of his forefathers!

Fact is that Muslims in many localities dread elections the most, declaration of which is always preceded by renewed attacks on their believes, customs, religion and at times on them as well with physical or psychological blows. Take out the list of people who died in police firing in Hindu-Muslim riots and you will find majority of them are Muslims: because the police are more prone at firing at their side. Take out the list of the houses/ shops that are burnt and you will find that majority of them are of Muslims again. If Muslims were the hooligans, did they burn their own shops and houses? Fact is that Muslims are afraid! Why is it that when a Hindu doctor complained that he had seen two people being brought in police custody and shot at in the parking of Ansal Plaza by the police, who were to be later termed as terrorists killed in an encounter, the character of the doctor himself was put to question and no serious enquiry ordered? On the other hand, the ideal way of operating would have been that even if the doctor was lying, a high level enquiry should have been ordered, even if it was to quench the doubts in the hearts of Muslims. Why is that a corporator was put in jail for months who claimed that the so-called terrorists of Lal-Quila shoot-out who were said to be killed in an encounter by the police were actually killed at their Jamia Nagar residence and then taken away? You go to Aligarhs old city and several Muslims will tell horrifying tales of police firing from positions in Hindu homes. You talk to Muslim Government employees and they will tell you that it has become difficult to work while keeping the tag of their religion on? Again, we will reiterate that majority of the Hindus in India are secular in character. But the bitter truth is that even the secular among the Hindus have begun distancing themselves because of the stories of filthy living, illiteracy, overpopulation, Bangladeshi immigrants, terrorism and a shariat that is portrayed in negative

light. At the same time, the Muslims are harbouring negative views about the other community because of the insecurity that has developed. How is shariat shown in bad light, you will argue? Take the example of Arif, Guriya and Taufeeq with which we began our discussion. If you recall seeing that discussion or Zee TV is good enough to show it again, you will realize that the problem is not of Shariat but socio-economic in nature. Just imagine what would have been the repercussions if a similar story had been enacted in a lower class Hindu family. Lawyers would have said that the marriage was null and void because law did not allow considering the missing person to be dead for a period of seven years. Moreover, the Hindu religious scholars would have argued that the 25-year or so aged lady was not supposed to be married again and she was to live the rest of her life as a widow (thankfully sati is no longer prevalent). This is out of context but if you have studied the lifestyle of people in lower middle class and particularly slums, you will find that it is common even among Hindus to start living with somebody else, if the previous husband deserts and goes to undisclosed location. Matters are resolved even if he returns and no question of Hindu law or Indian law is ever raised. You will say that it is the insecurity of the women or the physical urge that brings about this relationship. Is not the 25-year old widow going to have the same physical urge (newspapers have given stories recently that womens sexual urge peaks in the 30s), similar to other women? Fact is that you will have to remarry her, unless you want to create favourable circumstances for increase in illicit relationships, adultery and all the related sins. Is it not human rights violations if a women who has experienced sex, is made to go without it for her entire life or for a period of seven years until her husband is considered legally dead? Islam is the only religion

that has even acknowledged the rights of women to have sex. A lady faced with a situation has the choice of taking talaq after completing the period of iddat, and marrying. However, there is nothing that forces her to do so and she has the choice to continue waiting for the period of her entire life. But since Islam does not want anarchy even in sexual relations, it wants a proper annulment of marriage, completion of the period of iddat so as to ascertain that the woman is not carrying a child from her previous marriage, and then the woman is free to marry. Why did the parent of Gudiya marry her at the first place, when Arif was not traceable for 4 years? The causes were social and economical and had nothing to do with shariat. They had a young woman at home whose husband was missing for a long time. Women who have experienced a situation where their husbands are posted in a different city or abroad, would know how the Indian men have the tendency to consider them as available (this is a social and not a religious problem). If the parent had not married her daughter, the other situation would have been that they had to keep her with them for her entire life (this is a social as well as economical problem and nothing to do with religion). As it is difficult to marry a widow in India, and had they waited longer, who would have married her after she was past her prime (this is a social problem and nothing to do with religion). It is here that that the Islamic right of womens own decision to take talaq is better than the Indian law of waiting for 7 years before the husband is accepted as dead. A woman whose husband goes missing at the age of 30 has a greater chance of finding another match at that age than at the age of 37. Gudiya, a young girl exposed to enjoying a marital life, had to live for 4 years without a mate (a socio-psychological problem). Suppose Arif wouldnt have come at all!

The fact that Arif s elder brother too agreed that Gudiya be married elsewhere is sufficient reason to believe that even they considered their brother dead. Choosing a groom for a supposedly widow girl must not have been easy. With difficulty they must have found a man who was working as a computer operator (on salary around 2000-3000 and not more). If Taufeeqs family took a huge dowry as a condition to agree, we are not aware. Yet, Gudiya was married into a far poorer family, where she lived for a period of about a year, and during the course of time, became pregnant. At this time, Arif returned, as a hero from a Pakistani jail as against the previous position of a deserter. The problems that ensued too are more socioeconomical than religious. Taufeeq surely is not earning more than 3000 rupees a month. That too the job is private and not permanent. Arif must surely be getting more than 10,000, enjoyed respect because of his employment in the army (even Taufeeqs father referred to him as fauji) and will get all benefits as a house at the place of his posting, retirement and medical benefits, raises with years in service and what not. It is either this or the fact that Gudiya missed Arif even while living with Taufeeq, that are the real cause of attempts at reunion, something that nobody is saying. Either of the two causes is against the Shariat. If this is not so then why is it that Gudiyas father went running to the Deoband for a fatwa? If he followed Shariat to such an extent, why did he not go there to seek how to get the marriage annulled, when he was thinking of getting Gudiya married to Taufeeq at the first place? And particularly when the daughter is pregnant with the child of Taufeeq, why is he again thinking of remarrying her to Arif? Arif himself gave the answer to the puzzle during the course of his discussion with Alka on Zee TV,

something that went without discussion. He said that he was ready to divorce Gudiya but her father insisted that he return the amount of 5 lakh spent on marriage and dowry. Does the father of Gudiya not know that dowry is against Islamic shariat and if there are provisions for certain gifts to be given to the daughter, they cannot be demanded back at the time of talaq. Yes, mehr (which is the agreed amount to be paid by husband to wife) is to be given at the time of talaq and also the things that belong to the wife. Shariat prefers simple weddings and in no case are they supposed to demand back the amount spent on marriage ceremony like food to guests, their stay, decoration, etc. They being from the sarpanchs family (a social problem), they feel that they can demand back the money spent (an economic problem). Even if Gudiya and Taufeeq were not married as per Shariat due to Arif the first husband not giving talaq, the ideal way would have been to take talaq from Arif and remarry Gudiya to Taufeeq, as per the Shariat. Arif says he was agreeable to it but it was Gudiyas father who brought the subject of returning the money (an economical problem), perhaps at the behest of Gudiya (either due to economical reason or the reason that Arif was more virile than Taufeeq). This would have been a much better solution, for all, and particularly for the unborn child, but personal egos, economics, social taboos and perhaps sexual urge came in the way and the blame was put on Shariat to meet out these objectives. And Alka in the Zee TV studio was there to carry the discussion forward, towards shariat being vilified! Not once did she raise the question of army being responsible for the entire situation. Question is why did Zee TV not organize a similar discussion as regards to why the army leadership declared Arif a deserter? Was it not because Arif was a Muslim and the fight was against

Pakistan? Otherwise why is it that there are innumerable people from army who got missing in 65 and 71 wars and they have not been termed deserters even though Pakistan repeatedly denies that they are in their prison, while Arif was declared a deserter immediately after he went missing? Is there any proof that those missing in the 71 wars actually went missing? Is not the army responsible for the entire situation? As Arif was acknowledged a deserter, Gudiya was not getting the pension that she was supposed to get? Therefore, she was a burden both on her parent as well as her husbands family. What if Arif had died at an unknown place or never relieved from Pakistani jail? No pension would have been given. No next of kin recruited because of death on duty. No Vir Chakras, nothing! Most of the families of the Kargil war victims have today become richer than before because of generous grants of petrol pumps and gas agencies to their next of kin. At the same time Gudiya went through a turmoil that still continues to throw apart her world and that of two families and an unborn child. Insecurity and dearth of money being the reason for the entire problem! All caused by one order of the army, Arif is a deserter . One who wrote this order would perhaps never get the punishment that he deserves in the court of Men. God knows, why Zee would never debate this subject! In spite of all this criticism that we have done, India is still the best of place to live. And Indian Hindus the best of the cohabitants! Majority of them is God-fearing, peace loving and truth seeking. They are hard working and seekers of learning. Carriers of the true legacy of Rama and Krishna! Muslims can surely learn a lot many positive lessons from them. If only they try!

Muslims Too Are to Be Blamed

Muslims cannot pass the blame on a section of the other community and move on. Fact is that they are themselves more to be blamed than anybody else. Entry into Islams fold starts with saying There is no God, but Allah because Islam taught Muslims to take refuge only in Him and none else. This message was so vigorously denied by Islam that they couldnt created other Gods, but fact is that they do not worship that one God in the manner that He wants them to worship. As said, Islam is the best of religion and Muslims are the worst followers! It is evident that a majority do not take refuge in One Almighty God from the petty crimes that they commit, lies that they utter, violence that they commit, corruption that they indulge in, filth that they live in, marital and family discords that have found roots in their community, and endless other vices that are present. Islam says you are not a Muslim if people fear you or your tongue and terrorists and mafia kingpins emerge from them, not to speak of the foul language that comes out from their mouths. Islam says Acquire knowledge even if you had to go to China for it, considered the farthest place from Arabia during the time of Prophet, where they would have got all types of knowledge but never of Islamic scriptures. On the contrary, their madrasas confine themselves to teaching Quran in Arabic, a language that they dont understand, thereby meaning that they do not even fully know whats written in the Quran. Islam says you are not a Muslim if your neighbour up to 40 houses on all sides goes to sleep without food, and they usurp the food of others and eat it. Islam says you are not a Muslim if you see injustice

being committed and dont raise your voice of dissent and they themselves commit all kinds of injustices, even in the name of Islam. Imagine if all the Muslims of India were to say that they wont tolerate injustice, if it is in the form of corruption, bribery, oppression, crime against humanity, or whatever form of injustice that one can think of. Wont India be a better place to live then? Islam is the only religion that made it mandatory to wash face, hands and feet five times a day. It is mandatory to have a bath every time you had sex or even masturbated, or touched a corpse or on similar other occasions. It is also recommended to take bath on every Friday. Consider it keeping in mind not the Indian situation where water is in plenty, but on more universal terms, like in Arabia where there is dearth of water or in Britain where people dont bath for months due to cold season, and you will find that Islam gives the best of rules for cleanliness. How sad indeed that Muslims are seen as dirty by others? Islam talks of all under the banner of One God, and Muslims themselves are divided into so many sects and sub-sects that it is even difficult to count them, so vigorously following them that they go to the extent of attacking and killing the members of the other sect. How sad indeed that this was to happen to the followers of Mohammad, who said that even plucking a leaf from a tree without reason was not allowed, not to speak of wounding or murdering other human beings. Islam talks of saving lives of others even if you have to forego your obligatory prayers and they are bent on taking the lives of innocent men, women and children. Islam talks of righteous living, good conduct, seeking refuge in God for all actions, abstention from materialistic desires, truthfulness, piety, just and humane treatment to all, and leading the entire life be it doing business, having love with spouse, dealing with fellow human beings,

and all other acts of life while remembering God, whereas their acts reflect nothing but irreligious and immoral behaviour. In fact, no other religion has laid stress on reason and knowledge more than Islam, and they follow their religions blind-foldly, on the lines of how their fathers and forefathers followed it, without bringing their reasoning faculties into picture. And where Islam makes it obligatory to follow certain rules, they are found wanting in adhering to it, citing various reasons for their acts, as in the case of Gudiya and others, who were doing what they wanted, in the name of Shariat and Islam. There are some who point an accusing finger at Islam for failing to check family planning. Fact is that Islam is not against family planning but in fact supports it. However, those who want to denigrate Islam would continue to do so, even after reading this view of ours or articles saying so, published at various places. Such is the intensity of their attempt to create hatred against Islam. They forget that Islam is the only religion that has talked on the subject. And the only one who have tried to check family planning. If some sections of the Muslims continue to have views contrary to it, or those maintained by Jews of the period, Islam is not to be blamed. Fact is that even the Hindus, if they are practicing family planning, are doing so not because of religious consent but because of realizing its need. There is nothing in the Hindu scriptures that talk of this subject. In fact, this subject was too immaterial when loftier subjects like attaining salvation, building a relationship with God, and realizing the importance of the Self and the devatas that comprise it, were being discussed. Contrary to this, what we find in The Puranas is description of people

with 50 or 100 sons, or even more. Krishna, it is written, had more than 100000 sons. The number of daughters was not found worthwhile to discuss. If that had been the history of Islam, this too would have become a subject of criticism. Blaming Islam for all faults of the Muslims is wrong, that some sections of the society are hellbent on doing.

One God
Ultimate aim in Islam is to recognize that One God, who is also the creator of the Prophet and Imams. In no way should the man desist from worship of Allah. It is He alone who is to be remembered in all acts, without seeking any material rewards in return. We have to perform our duty towards God and if the rewards are to come, it is better that they come in the next world. This is in stark contrast to our present state in which prayers, if ever they are addressed, are made for worldly gains including wealth and fame. The Prophets and Imams showed through their own conduct how the Almighty God is to be worshipped. Lest none say that such a path cannot be followed. It is to Him that we are to return for a life that is eternal. Salvation, the ultimate aim of Gita too is the ultimate aim of Islam. As Imam Jafar Sadiq said:

Among things with which God, the Blessed and Exalted, exhorted Jesus (a) was: O Jesus! I am your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers. My Name is the One (al-Wahid), and I am one (Ahad) and single (Mutafarrid) in creating all things. All things are My handiwork, and all My creations shall return to Me. B IHAR AL - ANWAR , XIV, 289
Talking of the importance of remembrance of God, Imam Ali Raza, the eighth Imam said:

Engraved on the ring of Jesus, Peace be upon him, were two sentences from the Gospel: Blessed is the servant who remembers God for His sake, and woe unto the servant who forgets God for his own

sake. B IHAR
AL - ANWAR ,

XIV, 247

Al-Kafi narrates another quote from God to Jesus:

O Jesus! Remember Me within yourself and I will remember you within Myself, and remember Me publicly and I will remember you publicly in a public better than that of men. O Jesus! Soften your heart for Me and remember Me much in solitude, and know that My pleasure is in your fawning over Me, in an animated and not in an impassive manner. A L -K AFI , II, 502
Among things that were revealed by God to Jesus is:

Do not call upon Me except by praying humbly to Me and with all your heart. Then verily when you call upon Me thus I will answer you. B IHAR AL - ANWAR , XIV, 290
Says Aga Mahdi Puya: Yaqin is the state of conviction and certainty acquired through an unshakeable evidence or proof. The description of muttaqin begins with iman bil ghayb , a complete submission of mind and heart to the ghaybul mutlaq and ends with yaqin , an unshakeable firm conviction and certainty that the ultimate purpose of life in this world lies in the life after death in the direction unto the absolute. And Quran says (2:22):

Who made the earth a resting place for you and the heaven a canopy and (Who) sends down rain from the cloud then brings forth with it subsistence for you of the fruits; therefore do not set up rivals to Allah while you know.
Writes Aga Mahdi Puya: The structure of mans individual characteristics is the combination of physical

and spiritual influences. The spiritual aspect is heavenly and the physical aspect is worldly - the up and down or the heaven and the earth. In relation to human vision, the spiritual aspects take man towards the absolute and the physical aspects divert him away from it. The ultimate aim of the Quran is to convince man that all his needs and expectations receive fulfillment if he directs his attention towards the heavenly direction, instead of diverting his attention to the material world. The spiritual journey terminates in the absolute, the infinite, the equal of whom is inconceivable. So, devoted to Him, man must translate His will into practical life, particularly when the just idea of an equal to Him is inconceivable appeals to him. And Quran says:

Call upon Him with sincere (and exclusive) obedience. Q URAN , ARAF : 29
Turning to a ghayrallah (other than God) is as bad as surrendering to Shaytan who is an open enemy of man.

IYYAKA NA-BUDU WA IYYAKA NASTA-IN (Show us the true path) (QURAN , F ATIHAH : 4
For this reason recitation of Surah Fatihah has been made obligatory in every salat (namaz). One is born into this world through parents, and therefore he who is on the path of guidance cannot but do good to parents (Luqman: 13). Parents should be loved, respected, obeyed and looked after in health and sickness. To walk ahead of them, to shout in their presence, to lose temper on account of any of their actions, or even to look at them with displeasure is unworthy of a true believer. In a wider sense, teachers

and guardians are also parents - the spiritual source of guidance. The Holy Prophet said:

I and Ali are the fathers of the ummah.

In the Old Testament the covenant made with the Bani Israel has been referred to as under:

He announced the terms of His covenant to you, binding you observe the ten words. D EUT 4: 13 You shall have no other god to set against Me. E XODUS 20: 3
Worship the Lord your God.

E XODUS 23: 25 At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce for that year and leave it in your settlements so that the Levites, who have no holding or patrimony among you, and the aliens, orphans, and widows in your settlements may come and eat their fill. If you do this the Lord your God will bless you in everything to which you set your hand. D EUT 14: 28 AND 29
Says Pooya/Ali commentary: In this verse the significance of the religion of Allah, Islam, has been pointed out. If the commandments of this verse are carried out how peaceful and pleasant would life on earth be! Verse 2:107 from Quran further talks Allah:

Do you not know that Allahs is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?
This shows that the whole universe is Allahs kingdom; He is the owner, the sovereign. Therefore, it is a waste of time and energy, serving no purpose, if persons, i.e.

polytheists and idol-worshippers, worship imaginary gods or deities. And verse 2:163 says:

And your Allah is one Allah! There is no god but He; He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Says Pooya/Ali commentary: There is no god but Allah. There is only One God, and all attributes belong to Him. His main attribute is an all-encompassing beneficence and mercy. The unity of God is the main and single fundamental upon which the whole structure of the religion of Islam rests, through which all guidance and enlightenment emerge. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The word wahid (one) is not used in any numerical sense, nor in the sense of order (the first of any second), nor in the sense of the oneness of a genus or a species, nor in any other general term, but it is used in the sense that He is indivisible, unanalysable organically, chemically, geometrically, logically, mentally or physically, or in any sense whatsoever. This unity, in essence, does not correspond to any limitation. Since He is unlimited, a second, an equal, or an opposite to Him is not conceivable. Ibne Babwah writes in the book of Tawhid: In the battle of Jamal a Bedouin asked Ali: Do you say that God is One? Some companions did not like the idea of asking such a question at a time when Ali was fighting a war, and they rebuked him. But Ali b. Abu Talib said: Do not disapprove his question, because what he asks is the very object of this battle. We are demanding the true answer to this question (same faith in the unity of Allah) from our enemy. Then Ali gave the abovenoted description of Tawhid.

Verse 2:164 says:

Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who understand.
Pooya/Ali Commentary says: Having said that there is only one God, the creation and its duality is described. Natures diversity is caused by one source and it will revert to the same source. There are heavens and earth, day and night, land and sea, dryness and wetness, life and death; and man, who is the highest form of creation, is given the consciousness to experience all of these, to explore the meaning behind them. Whoever contemplates on the nature of creation, will reach the conclusion that it is one divine power that activates and enlivens all the diverse manifestations. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The harmony in the working of the universe is referred to in the Quran as a sign of the unity of the maker. Man is asked to reflect over this creation and realize the divine unity in the midst of diversity and amongst the various forces of nature that work in perfect harmony. As has been pointed out by Imam Musa bin Kazim to his disciple, Hisham bin Hakam:

Verily Allah perfected His arguments with reasoning, assisted His messengers with miracles, and proved His rububiyat with His signs.
Imam Jafar Sadiq has explained the part reasoning

plays in determining the relationship between man and God and its limitations. Reasoning (the internal) and the prophet (the external) are the two proofs Allah puts forward to let the people, who understand, have unshakeable faith in Allah. There is no use of the external proof (the prophet) if the heart and mind are not convinced through the internal proof (the reasoning). There may be religious doctrines beyond the grasp of limited human intellect but there should be no religious assertion contradictory to rational thinking. This shows that the only medium for understanding the absolute and securing nearness to Allah is sound logical reasoning. After reaching the final stage of the realization of His existence and unity, the medium between him and the absolute becomes the divine revelation. Prophet after prophet came and awakened man step-by-step and degree-by-degree. Finally the Holy Prophet, the brightest light, was sent to expose and explain the ultimate truth, as promised by Allah, to enlighten the human mind and heart with the knowledge through which man can become aware of the Lord God, but comprehends only what his power of contemplation can bear. Imam Ali says:

O He! O He whom none knows what He is, nor how He is, nor where He is, nor in what respect He is; except He. (Dua-e-Mashlul)
And verse 3:2 of Quran says:

Allah, (there is) no god but He, the Everliving, the Self-subsisting by Whom all things subsist.

Pooya/Ali Commentary comments on this in the following manner: Allah! There is no god save He, the ever-living, the self-subsisting. Hayy , the ever living, and qayyum , the self-subsisting, are the two attributes of Allah which break up and blot out the absurd doctrine of the divinity of Jesus Christ. He, who did not have an existence before his creation, like any other mortal, was brought into being by Allah, therefore, cannot be hayy , the everliving; and also he cannot be qayyum , the self-subsisting, because, according to the Christians, he was crucified. A great deal of metaphysical nonsense, based on conjecture and speculation, is put forward by the Christians in support of their claim, yet they themselves do not understand the doctrine of divinity of Jesus, which they take as true without examination or proof. Moreover, there is no consensus among their theologians. The most popular belief is triune, three in one, or a trinity in unity-God is a spiritual organism, having living components which can be called organs only so long as they remain united and interrelated to each other in the whole, therefore, God is one but has components which perform separate functions. Jesus has a mysterious double nature which makes him a member of the trinity. The idea of trinity or the doctrine of divinity of Jesus was not given by prophet Isa. All organisms are finite. To function in a harmonious whole the components must be interdependent. There must be an omnipotent will or a primal cause to keep the diverse components together, without being disunited, in order to let them work in harmony. The primal cause is God. None of the components or their whole can be God because they obey and follow the will of the primal cause. Hayy, the ever living is He who knows and acts freely without any limitations. Any organism whose

components are finite and dependent cannot be an ever living infinite. Qayyum, the self-subsisting, (a magnified form of the adjective qayam-standing and enduring) is He who stands (subsists) by Himself and all other stand (are subsisted) by His eternal endurance. Anything, composed of components with separate functions, is governed by the law of cause and effect; and that which needs reason or cause to be effective or sufficient cannot be self-subsisting, Allah is the selfsubsisting, means that to be effective or sufficient He does not need a reason or cause because He Himself is the prime cause. Now it becomes clear that the hypothesis of the scholars and the theologians of the Christian church not only fail to convince the seekers of truth but also create chaos and confusion. We have presented before you the view maintained by Pooya/Ali commentary. However, as regards to the subject of triune, we have already expressed earlier that we too are in favour of this concept, though our concept is definitely different from that of Christians. We started criticizing the Christian believes not knowing that our own Masooms formed that triune, and God has created them as self-subsisting. And verse 3:8-9 is again a prayer for guidance.

Our Lord! make not our hearts to deviate after Thou hast guided us aright, and grant us from Thee mercy; surely Thou art the most liberal Giver. Our Lord! surely Thou art the Gatherer of men on a day about which there is no doubt; surely Allah will not fail (His) promise.
Following Mohammad has been related with love for Allah in 3:31.

Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will

love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, MercifuL
Pooya/Ali Commentary says: Love of Allah is the basis and essence of Islam. Fear is not the motivating factor, because one who worships Him and obeys His commands out of fear, devoid of love for His grace, comes in the category of idol worshippers who worship the false deities to appease their anger. See the commentary of rahman and rahim in surah al Fatihah and know that the heathen syndrome has been destroyed and replaced with love, kindness and compassion by the religion of Allah, Islam. The phrase God-fearing actually means guarding oneself against evil with awareness of the boundaries laid down by Allah. Man must refrain from thinking or acting in a way which may hurt the feelings of the beloved whom he intensely loves, reveres and worships. It is made clear in this verse that he who loves Allah must follow the Holy Prophet. Sincere following of the Holy Prophet in the day-to-day life is the only proof of the love of Allah; otherwise it is an empty claim. Allah loves the true followers of the Holy Prophet and forgives their sins. One who loves his beloved also loves those whom his beloved loves; therefore, every sincere follower of Islam (Allahs lover) must love the Holy Prophet and those whom he loves. There are several authentic traditions reported in the books of history written by Muslim scholars, referred to in the commentary of many verses in this book, according to which the Holy Prophet had openly declared his exclusive love for Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain and their children; and in verse 23 of al Shura love of the Ahlebayt has been enjoined on all the true believers. In fact those who do not love the Ahlebayt are not the believers, therefore, the doctrine

of tawalla is one of the fundamentals of the true faith, Islam original or Shiaism. Likewise, in the light of verse 28 of this surah, it is the duty of every Muslim to avoid and dislike the enemies and the allies and friends of the enemies of the Holy Prophet, because a believer cannot be a friend of those who hated and opposed the Holy Prophet and his Ahlebayt. Therefore, the doctrine of tabarra is also one of the fundamentals of the true faith, Shiaism. The love of the Holy Prophet and his Ahlebayt makes man follow in their footsteps, which, in fact, is the love of Allah. Those who oppose them and follow their enemies go against Allah and His commandments. A true lover of Allah becomes a devotee of the Holy Prophet and his Ahlebayt, and mindful of the life after death, his true love activates him to always do that which pleases Allah, the Holy Prophet and his Ahlebayt, and refrain from acts of wickedness which certainly displease them; moreover, he remains attached with the Holy Prophet and his Ahlebayt and refrains from going near their ungodly enemies, be they his own kith and kin. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: According to Chapters An-am: 50; Araf: 203; Yunus: 15; Ahqaf: 9 and Najm: 3 and 4, since the Holy Prophet only followed the divine will, therefore, following in his footsteps is the only proof of the love of Allah, which alone entitles man to receive Allahs love. Any deviation from his word or deed means the deviator not only loses Allahs love but also earns His displeasure. Ali b. Abu Talib has said:

The words and deeds of the Holy Prophet, from the beginning to the end of his stay in this world, were the truest demonstration of the divine

revelations (nothing but a revelation revealed), and I did not follow any save him.
Therefore, Ali was the beloved of Allah and His prophet because he loved Allah and His prophet. Verse 3:79 further narrates the relationship between the One God and his messengers:

It is not meet for a mortal that Allah should give him the Book and the wisdom and prophethood, then he should say to men: Be my servants rather than Allahs; but rather (he would say): Be worshippers of the Lord because of your teaching the Book and your reading (it yourselves).
Says Pooya/Ali Commentary: Isa, as a prophet, did not teach people to worship him or to make him as co-equal with Allah in any sense of the word. Every prophet of Allah invited people to follow him to obey Allah, and surely not to worship his self. It is a false accusation and slander to say that any of the prophets had asked people to deify them. Rabbaniyyina (root is rabb) means those highly learned holy men who are wholly devoted to the Lord, and possess the wisdom of the Lord. Abu Rafi, one of the elders of the Jews of Najran, asked the Holy Prophet: Do you invite us to worship you? The Holy Prophet answered, I take refuge with Allah, neither I worship any god save Allah, nor I ask any one to worship any god save Allah. According to Minhaj al Sadiqin and Umdatul Bayan when the Holy Prophet completed his reply this verse was revealed. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Allah had made some of the prophets to excel others (Baqarah: 253), but all of them were the obedient servants of Allah because they were created beings, subordinate to His will and command.

People are advised to put into practice the divine commands mentioned in the book that the prophets of Allah used to preach, and reflect the lessons they taught, in letter and spirit, in their deeds. That which has been said in these two verses is fully incorporated in Islam, submission to the will of Allah, so it is a warning to the followers of the Holy Prophet also. This worship of God is the covenant that has been made with God by each one of us. Quran (2:83) says:

And when We made a covenant with the children of Israel: You shall not serve any but Allah and (you shall do) good to (your) parents, and to the near of kin and to the orphans and the needy, and you shall speak to men good words and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate. Then you turned back except a few of you and (now too) you turn aside.
Verses 3:80-81 too talks of a covenant between God and His Prophets. See:

And neither would he enjoin you that you should take the angels and the prophets for lords; what! Would he enjoin you with unbelief after you are Muslims? And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets: Certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom then a messenger comes to you verifying that which is with you, you must believe in him, and you must aid him. He said: Do you affirm and accept My compact in this (matter)? They said: We do affirm. He said: Then bear witness, and I (too) am of the bearers of witness with you.
Describing this, Aqa Mahdi Puya writes: Mithaq (covenant) in this verse refers to an individuals

accountability for his actions. It is argued by some commentators that wherever mithaq is used in the Quran, reference is made to the era prior to the existence of man in general, and the prophets in particular. As there is no possibility of retaining any kind of conscious state prior to the physical birth of man, this assumption will be discussed when ruh (soul) and nafs (self) are dealt with. Whatever is the grammatical implication (whether the phrase lima or lama is relative or conditional) the meaning remains as under: Allah had made a covenant with each of His prophets, as an individual and as the leader of his respective followers (saying)-that which I have given you of the book and wisdom, (and) when a prophet will come to you confirming that which is with you, you shall surely believe in him and help him. All the prophets accepted the conditions of the covenant and promised and witnessed that their followers will carry out the terms of the covenant. This promise was fulfilled by every prophet concerning his succeeding prophet (and every succeeding prophet confirmed his predecessor), so all the prophets and their followers have to believe in the last prophet and listen to him. A true follower of Musa should fulfill the covenant Musa made with his Lord by believing in Isa; likewise a true follower of Isa should fulfill the covenant Isa made with his Lord by believing in Mohammad. If the Jews and the Christians do not believe in the last prophet of Allah, they render the covenant, Musa and Isa made with the Lord of worlds, null and void. They will be punished for breaking the covenant, not Musa and Isa, who fulfilled their promise in letter and spirit.

Yoga, Worship and Namaz

William James once said, as a man acts and speaks so he becomes. This is perhaps the reason why the Prophet said: Namaz momin kee meraj hai. (Namaz is a faithfuls meeting with his God). Surely, finding time to remember God five times a day may start as a mere act with certain chants in a persons initial years of adulthood, but there is all likelihood that it would lead him to a habit of devoting all his actions in this worldly life to God. This is truly the purpose of namaz. Aga Mehdi Puya says: In Islam, the purpose of prayer is to please Allah, and nothing pleases Allah but that which is the most beneficial to His creatures. Therefore, no prayer is approved by Islam save that which has been prescribed by Allah, nothing less, nothing more, as man has no right to add, omit or alter the prescribed prayer. In Naradaparivrajaka-Upanishad, Brahma states: The functions of the fourteen organs, eye and others mutually dependent are the following: The eyes perceive forms, the ears, sounds; the tongue perceives taste; the nose, odours; the vocal organs speaks; the hand lifts; the leg walks; the anus excretes; the sexual organ enjoys; the skin feels; the buddhi perceives objects; being under the control of the organs; through buddhi, he understands; through chitta, he thinks; through ahankara, he says I. All these should be abandoned. Through the identification with the house (the body), he, like a householder, becomes a jiva thinking that the body is itself (Therefore) one should always utter I am Brahman alone. It is said that the jiva is not so (concerned with egoism), then it is not a fact. Through the abhimana of

the jiva, there is the abhimana of the body. And (conversely) through the abhimana of the body, there is the abhimana of the jiva Having known thus, if he should give up the identification with the body, then he does not identify himself with the body (i.e., not attain the state of jiva). A namazi remembers all these modes of action when he stands up in the midst of prayers, wherein he says: It is through the energy given by that One God that I get up and sit and bend down. It is to Him that I pray. It is to Him that I supplicate. Isnt it true that these sentences repeated several times a day during the fivetime prayers enough to kill the abhiman or false ego? Brahman says the same in NaradaparvrajakaUpanishad when he describes the result of meditation or remembering God continuously. The illusion of the universe disappears through meditation on union (or absorption) and sattva-bhava of Parameshvara always. Through knowing the Lord, avidya and the rest are destroyed. Through the removal of such pains, there is freedom from birth and death. Through the mediation of that Parameshvara, the third body is acquired after this (physical) body, all wealth is enjoyed, and he attains whatever should be attained. He should know with certitude that all the three things (viz.,) the enjoyer, the enjoyed, and enjoyment are nothing but Brahman, and are of the nature of his own Self. There is none but It to be known. All Atmic knowledge is through tapas (only). That, Brahman contains in itself all excellence. Having known thus, whoever meditates upon the (Atma-) svarupa, to him where then is grief? Where then is delusion? Likewise, Atharvan says in Sandilya-Upanishad, For the destruction of the chitta, there are two ways yoga and jnana. O prince of sages! Yoga is the (forcible) repression of the modifications of the mind, and jnana is the thorough inquiry into them. When the modification

of the mind are repressed, it (the mind) verily obtains peace. This may also be the reason why namaz has been made obligatory; the various actions that are component of the namaz serve as yoga and the praise of God and prayer to Him serve the purpose of leading him to think and inquire, about his relationship with the Creator and his role on earth. However, the condition is that one must understand what he is saying. Unfortunately, most Muslims in India who offer namaz offer it without knowing what they have said. Therefore, their mind wanders elsewhere even when they narrate the Quranic verses like a parrot with food in front of him. Sandilya-Upanishad later says: The mind should not be allowed by a clever man to rest on any other thing. One should not worship Vishnu during the day alone. One should not worship Vishnu during the night alone; but should always worship Him, and should not worship Him merely during day and night. By making obligatory the five times prayers, from the time one gets up till one goes to sleep, through this obligatory practice, the groundwork has been readied to remember Vishnu during the remaining time as well, when the person is interacting with others, doing business, having food, or even cohabiting with his wife. Namaz is the practice to become absorbed in Brahman (Allah). He is remembered all through, in Surahs like al-Hamd and Qulhowallah as well as through utterance of Allaho Akbar God is Great several times and saying: What to say and what praises should I speak of Allah (Brahman) who is the Greatest and the only one worthy of All Praise, while prostrating and bending down several times. Moreover, Sandilya Upanishad, while describing several postures of yoga that are good for us, mentions

actions like grasping the feet, inhaling the air through the nostrils, moving the tongue and the chitta (mind) both in the akash, stretching out the leg, sitting at ease with the body erect (Padma), resting your hands on the knees, spreading out the fingers, opening your mouth and carefully fixing your gaze on the tip of your nose, concentrating the mind between the two eyebrows, pressing the two ankles of the two feet firmly together against the Sivini (viz., lower part of the seed) and binding the knees firmly with the hands, resting the body upon the ground with both palms, placing the hollow of the left foot under the side of the right posteriors and the hollow of the right foot under the side of the left posteriors resembling Gomukha (cows face) several of these asanas pertaining to Siddha, and other modes of yoga, too are taken care of, if properly performed. See a devout namazi performing prayers and notice whether all these are not done, as said by Sandilya Upanishad: Inhaling the prana from outside and filling the stomach with it, centre the prana with the mind in the middle of the navel, at the tip of the nose and at the toes during the sandhyas (sunset and sunrise) [namazi offers prayers at both times], or at all times. (Thus) the yogin is freed from all disease and fatigue. By centring his prana at the tip of his nose [when standing erect], he obtains mastery over the element of air; by centring it at the middle of his navel [while prostrating in sijdah], all diseases are destroyed; by centering it at the toes [when bending down in ruku], his body becomes light. Also see what Tejobindu-Upanishad of Krishna-Yajur Veda says on this subject in Chapter I: Param-Dhyana (the supreme meditation) should be upon tejo-bind, which is the Atma of the universe. Yama (forbearance), niyama (religious observance), tyaga (renunciation), mouna (silence) according to time and place, asana (posture), mulabandha, seeing all bodies

as equal, the position of the eye, prana-samyamana (control of breath), pratyahara (subjugation of the senses), dharana, atma-dhyana and samadhi these are spoken of as the parts (of yoga) in order. That is called yama in which one controls all his organs (of sense and actions) through the vijnana that all is Brahman; this should be practiced often and often. Niyama, in which there is the supreme bliss enjoyed through the flowing (or inclination) of the mind towards things of the same (spiritual) kind, (viz., Brahman) and the abandoning of things differing from one another is practiced by the sages as a rule. In tyaga (renunciation), one abandons the manifestations (or objects) of the universe through the cognition of Atma that is Sat and Chit. This is practiced by the great and is the giver of immediate salvation. Getting up early in the morning when the bed beckons you to spend some more time, performing wuzu with water even in the coldest of mornings when you would not allow water to touch your face until sun comes up teaches forbearance. Remembering the time for prayer teaches religious niyama or religious observance. Finding time for prayer in ones hectic schedule or when one wants to sleep some more time or is tired not to do any more physical labour during the night teaches tyaga or renunciation. Mouna (silence) has to be according to time and place. Two of the five prayers, those performed at noon and afternoon, are offered silently. Various kinds of asanas (postures) that one adopts have already been described before. All parts of the body are brought to play while performing the prayers, thus enables a man to see each as equal. The wordings in praise of God, prayer to God to lead us to the right path and not using the senses for any purpose but for remembrance of God for a few minutes, five times a day, surely helps one in subjugating his senses. Scholars even describe where should ones position of eye be, while praying.

No doubt, namaz is a practice that, if performed properly, could facilitate ones progress on the path of selfrealization. Now see how Tejobindu-Upanishad describes the yoga and compare it with the namaz of a supplicant. Tejobindu-Upanishad says: One after having known the equality of the angas (or parts of yoga) point to one and the same Brahman, should be absorbed in that equal (or uniform) Brahman; if not, there is not that equality (attained). Then like a dry tree, there is straightness (or uniformity throughout). Making ones vision full of spiritual wisdom, one should look upon the world as full of Brahman. That vision is very noble. It is (generally) aimed at the tip of the nose; but it should be directed towards that seat (of Brahman) wherein the cessation of seer, the seen, and sight will take place, and not towards the tip of the nose. That is called pranayama (the control of breath), in which there is the control of the modifications (of mind) through the cognition of Brahman in all the states of chitta, and others. The checking of (the conception of the reality of) the universe is said to be expiration. The conception of I am Brahman is inspiration. The holding on (long) to this conception without agitation is cessation of breath. Such is the practice of the enlightened. The ignorant close their nose. That should be known as pratyahara, through which one sees Atma (even) in the objects of sense, and pleases chitta through manas. It should be practiced often and often. Through seeing Brahman wherever the mind goes, the dharana of the mind is obtained. Dharana is thought of highly by the wise. By dharana is meant that state where one indulges in the good thought, I am Brahman alone, and is without any support. This dhyana is the giver of supreme bliss. Being first in a state of changelessness, and then thoroughly forgetting (even) that state owing to the cognition of the (true) nature of Brahman this is

called samadhi. This kind of bliss should be practiced (or enjoyed) by a wise person till his cognition itself united in a moment with the state of pratyag (Atma). Then this King of Yogins becomes a Siddha, and is without any aid (outside himself). Then he will attain a state, inexpressible and unthinkable. When samadhi is practiced, the following obstacles arise with great force absence of right inquiry, laziness, inclination to enjoyment, absorption (in material object), tamas, distraction, impatience, sweat, and absentmindedness. All these obstacles should be overcome by inquirers into Brahman. Through bhavavrttis (worldly thoughts), one gets into them. But through the vrttis of Brahman, one gets fullness. Therefore one should develop fullness through this means (of Brahman). He who abandons this vrtti of Brahman, which is very purifying and supreme that man lives in vain like a beast. But he who understands this vrtti (of Brahman), and having understood it makes advances in it, becomes a good and blessed person, deserving to be worshipped by the three worlds. Those who are greatly developed through the ripening (of their past karmas) attain the state of Brahman; others are simply reciters of word. Those who are clever in arguments about Brahman, but are without the action pertaining to Brahman, and who are greatly attached to the world those certainly are born again and again (in this world) through their ajnana; (the former) never remain, even for half a moment without the vrtti of Brahman, like Brahma and others, Sanaka, etc., Suka and others. When a cause is subject to changes, it (as an effect) must also have its cause. When the cause ceases to exist in truth, the effect perishes through right discrimination. Then that substance (or principle) which is beyond the scope of words, remains pure. After that, vrtti jnana arises in their purified mind; through meditation with transcendental energy, there arises a firm certitude.

After reducing the visible into the invisible state, one should see everything as Brahman. The wise should ever stay in bliss with their understanding full of the essence of Chit. Thus ends the first chapter of Tejobindu. Islam too upholds the importance of prayers in highest esteem. Al-Kafi narrates from Imam Jafar Sadiq when he was asked about the best thing by which the servant may draw near to his Lord and what is most beloved by Allah. He said: I know of nothing, after knowledge (marifah), better than the ritual prayer (salat). Do you not see that the good servant Jesus the son of Mary (a) said: And He enjoined on me the ritual prayer (salat) and the alms tax (zakat) for as long as I live.?

A L -K AFI , III, 264

Imams answer shows there was a ritual prayer even in Christianity. And Quran (verse 2:43) says:

And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and bow down with those who bow down.
Says Pooya/Ali commentary: Due to the system of optional asceticism among the Jews and the Christians, only a very few could adopt the life of piety and devotion (essential for a human being to be initiated into the realm of spiritual bliss), leaving the rest of the majority of the people to sink deep into hypocritical ritual practices. Islam, on the other hand, educates every human being, through salat (namaz), to keep their involvement with the material gains and enjoyment at a reasonable level and give sufficient time to the worship of Allah in order to reach the heights of spiritual glory, which in fact is the purpose of existence in this world. Salat has been made obligatory for all believers because, on account of its style and substance, man gets rid of pride and arrogance. Zakat, giving in the way of Allah, has also been dealt with in detail therein. These injunctions make

every man join the stream of worshippers and seekers of nearness to the ultimate truth. A little later, it is said in Quran (2:45):

And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones,
Pooya/Ali commentary says: Wasta-inu (seek help) applies to worldly as well as spiritual matters. Sabr (patience) and salat (prayer) curb vain desires, pride and self-indulgence and lead to humility, acceptance and obedience. The Arabic word sabr has many shades of implied suggestions - willingness to endure, submission, self-control, serenity, poise, and ability to continue. Salat too is essential part. To liberate the human ego from the clutches of the excessive attachment to bodily wants and material success, a refined discipline has to be built through subordinating the body to the control of the spiritual energy, otherwise mere formal rituals and recitation of chants and charms do not help man to rise above the level of animal life, as has been shown by Ali b. Abu Talib. The whole world bears witness to the fact that in wisdom, spiritual achievements, and bodily strength there is no one who can be compared with him. He stands high and above in the select company of the most devoted servants of Allah. The lives of the Holy Prophet, Bibi Fatima, his daughter and the Holy Imams is a brilliant light which throws light on the path to be followed by the sincere faithful who seek assistance (wasta-inu) to build up the balanced character mentioned above, and referred to in this verse. It is reported that whenever the Holy Prophet or any of the holy Imams, or Bibi Fatima faced any difficulty, they prayed salat and sought Allahs help. The importance of salat (namaz) is also held in high esteem in verse 2:3 of Quran:

Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says: The literal meaning of salat is the middle of the backbone. When used as a verb, it means the bending and unbending of the backbone. It is particularly employed when an animal is curved at the time of delivery. Figuratively, it was used for a bending posture at the time of giving or taking something. From this, it was adopted for prayer, to signify a submissive attitude. The Quran has drawn on this word to describe mans praying attitude towards Allah, as well as Allahs turning towards His creatures. The natural religious tendency of man, as the result of self-love, makes him bend before the absolute, in prayer, to express his wants and needs in order to obtain fulfillment. The bending of the absolute means His turning towards the supplicant to give that which he deserves. Now see verse 2:114:

And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them? (As for) these, it was not proper for them that they should have entered them except in fear; they shall meet with disgrace in this world, and they shall have great chastisement in the hereafter.
As regards to the religious beliefs of the Indo-Aryans, we have seen in our study of the Vedas how actions of Imams when they were offering their namaz were seen as the best of yajnas. This shows that even the God of Vedas knows that the actions being performed by Imams are highly desirable. On the other hand, we see that a concept of daily prayers in the form of Sandhyavandana was there, which were performed at the rising or setting

sun. Further, we have mentioned in Part-III how fiveoblations too were considered essential for a Brahman. Chapter XVI of Matsya Purana says:

The sraddhas are of three kinds, viz.: Nitya (daily), Naumittika (occasional) and Kamya (optional).
The fact that there is an optional sraddha proves that the other two are mandatory. Matsya Purana also states that the Karma Yoga as taught by Vishnu means one has to perform the five sacrifices every day viz. (i) worshipping the Devas, (2) the Pitris, (3) feeding men (4) and the lower creatures, (5) and honouring the Rishis. Five sacrifices every day have continued from time immemorial, which can still be seen in the five times offering of prayers by the Muslims. The presence of honouring the Rishis, among the five is an indicator that the five sacrifices have been added as an afterthought. Even if the five are true, one thing is certain, that the sacrifices were never ritual worship as taken to mean during a later period. Even The Vishnu Purana confirms that there were certain morning rites of devotion that were performed by the men in general when it says:

Maittreya, having saluted him reverentially, thus addressed Parasara, the excellent sage, the grandson of Vasishtha, who was versed in traditional history, and the Puranas; who was acquainted with the Vedas, and the branches of science dependent upon them; and skilled in law and philosophy; and who had performed the morning rites of devotion.
The Components of Prayer

We invite you to see what all is said in the prayers that is so important that the Prophet said:

Namaz is a faithfuls meeting with his God.

And Quran said that the prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds. (Verse 29:45) We present before you the meanings of various verses recited during Namaz.

The Azaan and the Eqamah

It is strongly recommended to say the azaan (the call to prayer) and the eqamah (the declaration of standing for prayer) before every daily prayer. This is the translation of phrases that make up the azaan : (1) God is greater (4 times) (2) I bear witness that there is no god by Allah (2 times) (3) I bear witness that Mohammad is the Messenger of God (2 times) (4) I bear witness that Ali is Gods favoured one (2 times) (not obligatory but recommended) (5) Make haste to the prayer (2 times) (6) Make haste to salvation (2 times) (7) Make haste to the best of actions (2 times) (8) God is greater (2 times) (9) There is no god but Allah (2 times) Eqamah is more or less similar to azaan , with very little difference.

What is offered in the prayers?

Standing position
Sura al-Fatiha of Quran, which means:

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Praise belongs to God, Lord of the World, the

Merciful, the Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgment; We worship only You, and from You alone do we seek help. Lead us on the straight path, the path of those whom You have blessed, not of those on whom is (Your) wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
Sura al-Ikhlas of Quran, which means:

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say: He is God, the One, God the Eternal and Besought of all, Neither begetting nor begot, Nor is there anything comparable or equal to Him.
In ruku, when the hands are kept on the knees while standing:

Glory be to my Lord, the Great, and praise belongs to Him.

And while standing:

God hears the one who praises Him.

While in the position of sujud, when the head is on the ground:

Glory be to my Exalted Lord, and praise belongs to Him.

When is sitting in kneeling posture, with the hands placed on the knees:

I ask forgiveness of God, my Lord, and turn towards him.

In between this process, several time one says:

Allaho Akbar, God is Greater.

The same process is repeated in the second rakah . This rakah also contains qunut , where hands are lifted up in sky for supplication. Any dua can now be recited. Translation of some of the common ones is as follows:

There is no god apart from Allah, the Forgiving, the Merciful. There is no god apart form Allah, the Exalted, the Magnificent. Glory to the Lord of the seven heavens and the seven earths, the Lord of all that is contained therein, the Lord of the Exalted Throne. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the World.
Or it is said:

O God, grant pardon to us and have mercy on us, protect us, save us (from hardship) in this world and the next. Indeed, You are Powerful above all things.
In the second rakah , when one performs the sujud , tashahud is said while sitting in kneeling position.

I bear witness that is no god apart from Allah, Who is unique and without partners. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Prophet. O God, bless Mohammad and the progeny of Mohammad.
Then Taslim is recited which says:

Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Gods mercy and blessing. Peace be upon us, and upon the righteous servants of God. Peace be upon you (all), and Gods mercy and blessing.
The prayer finishes with three times saying:

God is Greater.
If it is a three or four rakah prayer, it is said thrice while standing, in each of the 3 rd and 4rh rakahs:

Glory be to God, and praise be to God; there is no god but Allah, and Allah is greater.

Supplication to God
Supplication to God and looking at Him for everything even in this world is the teaching of all Messengers of God, be it Krishna and Ram or Mohammad and divinely appointed successors. The fact that we have created masters for ourselves in this world is the root cause of all problems. We give here some of the oft-used duas or supplications that the Muslims often resort to, in order to seek wishes from God. Before doing so, we wish to narrate before you how Ali narrated the importance of seeking ones wishes from God (as mentioned in Bihar al-Anwar).

Whoever puts his hope in some one other than Me, I will cut off his hope, will dress him in the robe of disgrace and wretchedness, will deprive him from My Nearness, will cut off communication with him and will hide his memory. Woe be upon him, who takes shelter in other than Me during difficulties, while the solution of difficulties rests with Me. Does he hope in others while I remain Living and Eternal? Does he go to the homes of human beings for solutions of his problems while the gates of their houses are closed? Does he leave the door of My house while its gate remains always open? Was there any one who trusted Me and was betrayed? The hopes of My servants are tied to Me, and I take care of their hopes. I have filled the sky with those who never tired of My praise, and have ordered the angels never to close the door between Me and My servants. Does not, the one who face the problem, know that no one

can solve it except with My permission? Why does not the servant approach Me for his needs, while I had already blessed him with favour without his being asked for them? Why does not he ask me instead of asking others? Does he imagine that in the beginning I bestow My favours upon the servant and will now deprive him after his request? Am I miser that My servants regard me as miserly? Do not the world and Hereafter belong to me? Do not the mercy and benevolence are my characteristics? Do not the blessings and favours rest in My hand? Do not all the desires end with Me? Who has the power to terminate them? I swear with My majesty and splendour that if all the needs of all of the worlds habitants are summed up, and if I bestow upon them in accordance to their wants, not equivalent even to the weight of a tiny particle will be decreased from My kingdom. Whatever is bestowed by Me, how could be a susceptible to loss or reduction? Hoe destitute and wretched is the one who is hopeless of My Blessings? How helpless is the one disobeys me, indulges into forbidden deeds, disregards My limits and transgresses?
After saying this Ali told how he prayed to God.

Oh God! If I adore you it is because of Your Mercy and Compassion; if Glorify you it is because of Your commandments; if I sanctify and attribute inviolability to you it is because of your energy; if I chant the world of Monotheism with my tongue it is because of Your Power; if I raise my eyes see Your Blessings all over; if I practice thriftiness it is because to save Your

Bounties; oh Lord! Whoever, You do not engage in Your invocation, and bestow upon him the grace of journeying towards Your countenance life becomes for him like death, and death becomes for him a regret, repentence, and disaster. Oh Lord! Those who are able to see look towards You with their esoteric eyes, mysteries of their hearts became manifested and their wants are granted; the veils of ignorance have been removed between You and them; your Divine illumination has enlightened their hearts; they breath the breeze of Your Blessings; Your Majesty and Splendour has overwhelmed their hearts; they witness the signs of Your Absolute Power every where; there souls have reached near Your Sacred Throne and with dignity, tranquility, and humility engage themselves in Your invocations. Like a friend You pay attention towards them, listen to their words, grant their wants, and communicate with them. Please bestow upon me similar position as attained by them, let the veils of ignorance be uplifted so that my soul could see the Divine illumination of Your Celestial Kingdom, and may receive an exalted position therein. Indeed You have the absolute power over all things. Oh God! How fearsome and terrible is journeying on the road which does not terminate in you. Whoever, chooses a shelter of other than you would certainly be disappointed. Whoever puts his trust in other than you is like sitting upon an unstable base. Oh God! Who had induced hope within the hearts of all the hopeless ones and have removed their pains and sufferings, please do not deprive me

from the grace of performing righteous deeds and preserve me the shelterless and destitute in your shelter. How come those, who put their trust in Your Mercy could be inflicted with deprivation? While you remain absolutely free from the need of inflicting loss upon sinners. Oh God! All sweetness and pleasures eventually get terminated except the pleasure of faith which increases every day. Oh God! My heart is looking towards You with plenty of desires, please let my heart taste the sweetness of seeing those desires granted. Indeed You have absolute power over all things. Oh God! As some one who has reached near the enlightenment of Your Essence, I beg You, to bestow upon me all the blessings which are worthy of a believer. And protect me from all sort of evils and calamities the way You protect all Your favourite servants. In deed You have absolute power over all things. Oh God! My request to you is like the request of a confused beggar who does not have any shelter or support and except from you does not seek the help of any other helper. I request by the name, which became manifested for Your favourite saints, thus, enabling them to become enlightened about Your Holy Essence, comprehended You as One, and worshipped You with sincerity indeed; please bestow upon me too the learning to comprehend Your Holy Essence, so that I may admit the reality of Your Divinity and Godhood, and do not include me among them who worship Your Name only without paying attention to its meanings,

And allocate at least a certain moments (among various moments) to pay attention towards me thus, enlightening my heart about Your Sacred Essence as well as the essence of your favourite saints. Indeed you have absolute power over all things. BIHAR AL -A NWAR, VOL . 94, P-94
We are giving here few of the duas (supplications) given to the Shias by their worthy Imams. The One God and his praise are vividly described here, glimpse of which can only be seen in description of God in the words of Siva and others in the Upanishads. What these supplications also do further is that they tell us the way to supplicate, to pray, to ask, from the One and Only Master of ours. One thing that we wish to specify is that translation never has the power to reveal the greatness of the original work. In spite of this, if you find the highest form of narration, it speaks of the greatness and high position of the Ahlebayt. Dua-e-Mashlul is most effective against illness, disease, etc. and prevents against accidents, mishaps, etc. Dua-e-Sabah is for betterment in this world and the next; and Dua-e-Kumayl is for those who wish God to cleanse all the past sins as well as for benefits in this world. It has been seen that the prayer sought with servitude and devotion and if it is in the human interest seeking the prayer, never remain unanswered.
Dua-e-Mashlul

(The Supplication of the Lame Man) In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the AllCompassionate

1. Oh God, verily I ask Thee by Thy Name 2. Oh Possessor majesty and splendor! 3. Oh Living! Oh Self-subsistent! Oh Living! 4. There is no god but Thou! 5. Oh He! Oh He whom none knows what He is, nor how He is, nor where He is, nor in what respect He is but He! 6. Oh Possessor of the dominion and the kingdom! Oh Possessor of might and invincibility! 7. Oh King! Oh All-holy! Oh All-pervader! Oh Allfaithful! Oh All-preserver! Oh All-Mighty! Oh All-compeller! Oh All-sublime! 8. Oh Creator! Oh Maker! Oh Shaper! Oh Benefiter! Oh Director! Oh Severe! 9. Oh Originator! Oh Returner! Oh Destroyer! Oh All-loving! Oh All-praiseworthy! Oh All-worshipful! 10. Oh Far! Oh Near! Oh Responder! Oh Watcher! Oh Reckoner! Oh Innovator! Oh Exalter! 11. Oh Inaccessible! Oh all-hearing! Oh All-knowing! Oh All-clement! Oh all-generous! Oh All-wise! Oh Eternal! 12. Oh All-high! Oh All-tremendous! Oh All-commiserating! Oh All-gracious! Oh Condemner! Oh Recourse! 13. Oh All-majestic! Oh All-beautiful! Oh Guardian! Oh Surety!

Oh Annuller! Oh Obtainer! Oh All-noble! Oh Leader! 14. Oh Guide! Oh All-apparent! Oh First! Oh Last! Oh Outward! Oh Inward! 15. Oh All-steadfast! Oh Everlasting! Oh Knower! Oh Decider! Oh Judge! Oh Just! Oh Separator! Oh Joiner! 16. Oh Pure! Oh Purifier! Oh All-Powerful! Oh All-able! Oh All-great! Oh All-sublime! 17. Oh One! Oh Unique! Oh Everlasting Refuge! Oh He who begets not and was not begotten, and equal to whom is none (CXII 3-4) 18. and who has no consort (VI 101). With Him is no vizier. 19. nor has He taken any adviser, 20. nor needs He any assistant, nor with Him is any god but He 21. there is no god but Thou, so exalted art Thou above what the evildoers say, a great exaltation! 22. Oh All-high! Oh All-lofty! Oh All-towering! Oh All-opener! Oh All-diffuser! Oh All-restful! Oh Bestower of relief! Oh Helper! 23. Oh Victorious! Oh Comprehender! Oh Destroyer! Oh Avenger! Oh Upraiser! Oh Inheritor!

24. Oh Seeker! Oh Vanquisher! Oh He from whom no fugitive can escape! 25. Oh All-relenting ! Oh All-forbearing! Oh Allbestower! Oh Originator of all means! Oh Opener of all doors! 26. Oh He who answers wherever He is called upon! 27. Oh All-pure! Oh All-thankful! Oh Exempter! Oh Forgiver! Oh Light of light! Of Director of affairs! 28. Oh All-subtle! Oh All-aware! Oh Protector! Oh Illuminator! Oh All-seeing! Oh All-aiding! Oh All-great! 29. Oh Alone! Oh Solitary! Oh Eternity without end! Oh Support! Oh Everlasting Refuge! Oh All-Sufficient! Oh All-healing! Oh All-fulfilling! Oh All-relieving! 30. Oh All-kindly! Oh All-gracious! Oh All-benevolent! Oh All-bountiful! Oh All-beneficent! Oh All-Solitary! 31. Oh He who is exalted and dominates! Oh He who is master and exercises power! Oh He who is inward and aware! 32. Oh He who is worshipped and thankful! Oh He who is disobeyed and forgives! Oh He who is not encompassed by thoughts, 33. nor perceived by vision and from whom no trace remains hidden! Oh Provider of mankind!

34. Oh Determiner of every lot! Oh Lofty of place! Oh Firm in supports! 35. Oh Transformer of Time! Oh Accepter of sacrifices! Oh Possessor of graciousness and benevolence! 36. Oh Possessor of might and force! Oh All-compassionate! Oh All-merciful! 37. Oh He who is every day upon some labour (LV 29)! 38. Oh He who is not distracted from one labour by another! Oh Tremendous in rank! 39. Oh He who is in every place! Oh He who hears all sound! 40. Oh He who answers all supplications! Oh He who fulfills all entreaties! Oh He who provides all needs! 41. Oh He who sends down blessings! Oh He who has mercy upon tears! 42. Oh He who annuls slips! Oh He who removes troubles! Oh He who sponsors good things! 43. Oh He who exalts in rank! Oh He who bestows requests! Oh He who gives life to the dead! 44. Oh He who gathers all scattered things! Oh He who is aware of all intentions! Oh He who brings back what has passed away! 45. Oh He for whom sounds are never indistinct! Oh He who never becomes annoyed at requests 46. nor covered by shadows!

Oh Light of the earth and the heavens! 47. Oh Amble in blessings! Oh Repeller of adversities! Oh Maker of the breaths of life! 48. Oh He who gathers together the nations! Oh Healer of illnesses! Oh Creator of light and darkness! 49. Oh Possessor of munificence and generosity! Oh He upon whose Throne no foot treads! 50. Oh Most Munificent of the most munificent! Oh Most Generous of the most generous! 51. Oh Most Hearing of the hearers! Oh Most Seeing of the viewers! Oh Protector of those who seek protection! 52. Oh Sanctuary of the fearful! Oh Asylum of the refugees! Oh Sponsor of the believers! 53. Oh Helper of those who seek aid! Oh Goal of the seekers! 54. Oh Companion of every stranger! Oh Intimate of everyone alone! Oh Refuge of every outcast! 55. Oh Shelter of every wanderer! Oh Custodian of everyone astray! 56. Oh He who is merciful to old men! Oh He who provides for small infants! 57. O He who sets broken bones! Oh He who releases every prisoner! 58. Oh He who enriches the miserable pauper!

59. Oh He who safeguards the fearful seeker of protection! Oh He who governs and determines! 60. Oh He for whom the difficult is simple and easy! Oh He who never needs an explanation! 61. Oh He who is powerful over everything (V 120 et al.)! Oh He who is aware of everything! 62. Oh He who sees everything! Oh Sender of the winds! 63. Oh Cleaver of the dawn! Oh Dispatcher of the spirits! Oh He who possesses munificence and forbearance! 64. Oh He in whose hands is every key! Oh He who hears every sound! Oh He who takes precedence over everything that passes away! 65. Oh He who gives life to every soul after death! Oh my Provision in my hardship! 66. Oh my Maintainer in my exile! Oh my intimate in my lonesomeness! Oh my Sponsor in my blessings! 67. Oh my Cave when the ways make me weary, when relatives deliver me up 68. and when every companion forsakes me! Oh Backing of him who has no backing! 69. Oh Support of him who has no support! Oh Store of him who has no store! 70. Oh Sanctuary of him who has no sanctuary! Oh Cave of him who has no cave!

71. Oh Treasure of him who has no treasure! Oh Pillar of him who has no pillar! 72. Oh Help of him who has no help! Oh Neighbour of him who has no neighbour! 73. Oh my adjacent Neighbour! Oh my sturdy Pillar! Oh my God in truth! 74. Oh Lord of the Ancient House! Oh All-affectionate! Oh Friend! 75. Deliver me from the chains of strictures, turn away from me every care, grief and distress, 76. protect me from the evil of that which I cannot bear and help me in that which I am able to bear! 77. Oh He who returned Joseph to Jacob! Oh He who removed the affliction of Job! 79. Oh He who forgave the sin of David! 79. Oh He who caused Jesus son of Mary to ascend and delivered him from the hands of the Jews! 80. Oh He who answered Jonahs call in the darkness! Oh He who chose Moses by spoken words! 81. Oh He who forgave Adam his slip and raised Idris to a high place through His mercy! 82. Oh He who saved Noah from drowning! 83. Oh He who destroyed Ad, the ancient, And Thamud, and did not spare them, 84. and the people of Noah beforecertainly they were more unjust and more rebellious 85. and al-Mutafikah He also overthrew. (LIII 503)

Oh He who destroyed the people of Lot 86. and crushed the people of Shuayb! Oh He who took Abraham for a friend! (IV 125) 87. Oh He who took Moses for an object of His words 88. and took Mohammad God bless him and all his household for a beloved! 89. Oh He who gave Loqman wisdom 90 and bestowed upon Solomon a kingdom such as may not befit anyone after hi! (XXXVIII 35) 91. Oh he who gave Zulqarnain victory over the tyrannical kings! 92. Oh He who gave Khizar Life 93. and returned the sun of Joshua son of Noon after its setting! 94. Oh He who strengthened the heart of Moses mother 95. and guarded the virginity of Mary, daughter of Imran! 96. Oh He who fortified John son of Zakaria against sins 97 and calmed the anger of Moses! Oh He who gave Zakaria the good tidings of John! 98. Oh He who ransomed Ishmael from the sacrifice with a mighty sacrifice! (XXXVII 107) 99. Oh He who accepted the sacrifice of Abel 100. and placed a curse upon Cain! 101. Oh He who routed the parties for Mohammad God bless him and his household! 102. Bless Mohammad, the household of Mohammad, all the messengers,

103. Thy angels brought nigh and all those who obey Thee! 104. An I ask Thee with every asking with which any of those that have passed Thee has asked Thee, 105. such that Thou has decreed for him compliance. Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! 106. Oh All-merciful! Oh All-merciful! Oh Allmerciful! Oh All-compassionate! Oh all-compassionate! Oh All-compassionate! 107. Oh Possessor of majesty and splendour! Oh Possessor of majesty and splendour! Oh Possessor of majesty and splendour! 108. By Him! By Him! By Him! By Him! By Him! By Him! By Him! 109. I ask Thee by every Name with which Thou hast named Thyself or which Thou has sent down in one of Thy scriptures or kept for Thyself in the knowledge of the Unseen with Thee, 110 by the junctures of might for Thy Throne, by the utmost limit of mercy from Thy Book, 111. and by the fact that, though all the trees in the earth were pens and the sea seven seas after it to replenish it, yet would the words of God not be spent. God is All-might, All-wise. (XXXI 27) 112. And I ask Thee by the Names most beautiful that Thou hast described in Thy book, 113. for Thou said:

To God belong the Names most beautiful, So call Him by them! (VII 180) 114. And Thou said: Call upon Me and I will answer you. (XL 60) And Thou said: And when My servants ask thee about Me, Verily I am near. I comply with the call of the caller when He calls Me. (II 186) 115. And Thou said: Oh my people you have been prodigal against yourselves, 116. do not despair of Gods mercy. Surely God forgives all sins, Surely He is the All-forgiving, the All-compassionate. (XXXIX 53) 117. And I ask Thee, my God, I call Thee, my Lord, I have hope in Thee, my Master, 118. and I desire for Thee to comply with me, my Protector, just as Thou hast promised me 119. for I have called Thee just as Thou hast commanded me. 120. So do with me what is worthy of Thee, oh Allgenerous! 121. Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all the worlds inhabitants! 122. And God bless Mohammad and all his household.

Dua as-Sabah

(The Suplication for the Morning) In the Name of God, The All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate 1. Oh God, Oh He who extended the mornings tongue in the speech of its dawning, 2. dispatched the fragments of the dark night into the gloom of its stammering, 3. made firm the structure of the turning spheres in the measures of its display 4. and beamed forth the brightness of the sun through the light of its blazing! 5. Oh He who demonstrates His Essence by His Essence, Transcends congeniality with His creatures 6. and is exalted beyond conformity with His qualities! 7. Oh He who is near to the passing thoughts of opinions, far from the regards of eyes 8. and knows what will be fore it comes to be! 9. Oh He who has put me at ease in the cradle of His security and sanctuary, 10. awakened me to the favours and kindness that He has bestowed upon me 11. and held back form the claws of evil with His hand and His force! 12. Bless, oh God, the guide to Thee in the darkest night, 13. him who, of Thy ropes, clings to the cord of the longest nobility 14. him whose glory is evident at the summit of stout

shoulders 15. and whose feet were entrenched in spite of slippery places in ancient time; 16. and (bless) his household, the good, the chosen, the pious, 17. and open for us, oh God, the leaves of mornings door with the keys of mercy and prosperity! 18. Clothe me, oh God, with the most excellent robes of guidance and righteousness! 19. Plant, of God, through Thy tremendousness, the springs of humility in the watering place of my heart 20. Cause to flow, oh God, because of Thy awesomeness, tears of moaning from the corners of my eyes! 21. And chastise, Oh God, the recklessness of my clumsiness with the reins of contentment! 22. My God, if mercy from Thee does not begin with fair success for me, Then who can take me to Thee upon the evident path? If Thy deliberateness should turn me over to the guide of hope and wishes, Then who will annul my slips from the stumbles of caprice? 23. If Thy help should forsake me in the battle with the soul and Satan. 24. then They forsaking will have entrusted me to where there is hardship and deprivation. 25. My God, dost Thou see that I have only come to Thee from the direction of hopes 26.or clung to the ends of Thy cords when my sins have driven me from the house of union?

27. So what an evil mount upon which my soul has mounted- its caprice! 28. Woe upon it for being seduced by its own opinions and wishes! 29. And destruction be upon it for its audacity toward its Master and Protector! 30. My God, I have knocked upon the door of Thy mercy with the hand of my hope, 31. fled to Thee seeking refuge form my excessive caprice 32. and fixed the fingers of my love to the ends of Thy cords. 33. So pardon, oh God, the slips and errors I have committed 34. and release me from the foot-tangling of my robe. 35. For Thou art my Master, my Protector, my Support and my Hope 36. and Thou art the object of my search and my desire in my ultimate end and stable abode. 37. My God, how couldst Thou drive away a poor beggar who seeks refuge in Thee form sins, fleeing? 38. Or how could Thou disappoint one seeking guidance Who repairs to Thy threshold, running? 39. Or how couldst Thou reject a thirsty man who comes to Thy pools to drink? 40. Never! For Thy pools are full in the hardship of drought, 41. Thy door is open for seeking and penetration

42. and Thou art the goal of requests and the object of hopes. 43. My God, these are the reins of my soul I have bound them with the ties of Thy will. 44. These are the burdens of my sins I have averted them with Thy pardon and mercy. 45. And these are my caprices that lead astray I have entrusted them to the threshold of Thy gentleness and kindliness. 46. So make this morning of mine, oh God, descend upon me with the radiance of guidance, 47. and with safety in religion and this world! And (make) my evening a shield against the deception of enemies 48. and a protection against the destructive blows of caprice! 49. Verily Thou art able over what Thou wilt! 50. Thou givest the kingdom from who Thou wilt; 51. and Thou seized the kingdom form whom Thou wilt; 52. in Thy hand is the good; Thou art powerful over all things. 53. Thou makest the night to enter the day, and thou makest the day to enter into the night; 54. Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, And Thou bringest forth the dead from the living; 55. and Thou providest whomsoever Thou wilt without reckoning. (III. 26-7) 56. There is no god but Thou! Glory be to Thee, oh God, and Thine is the praise! 57. Who knows Thy measure without fearing Thee?

58. Who knows what Thou art without awe of Thee? Through Thy power Thou hast joined disparate things, through Thy gentleness Thou hast cleaved apart the daybreak and through Thy generosity Thou hast illumined the dark shrouds of night. 59. Thou hast made waters, sweet and salt, flow forth from hard shining stones, 60. sent down out of rain-clouds water cascading (LXXVIII 14) 61. and appointed the sun and moon a blazing lamp for the creatures, 62. without experiencing in that which Thou originate wither weariness or effort. 63. So, oh He who is alone in might and subsistence and dominates His slaves with death and annihilation, 64. Bless Mohammad and his household, the god fearing, answer my supplication hear my call, destroy my enemies 65. and actualize through Thy bounty my hope and desire. 66. Oh best of those who is called to remove affliction and object of hope in every difficulty and ease I have stated my need, 67. so do not reject me, oh my master, despairing of Thy exalted gifts, 68. Oh All-generous! Oh All-generous! Oh Allgenerous! By Thy mercy, oh Most Merciful of the merciful! 69. And God bless the best of His creatures, Muhammad, and all his household! Then he should prostrate himself and say:

70. My God, my heart is veiled, 71. my soul is deficient, 72. my intelligence defeated, 73. my caprice triumphant, 74. my obedience little, 75. my disobedience much 76. and my tongue acknowledges sins. 77. So what am I to do? Oh He who covers defects! 78. Oh he who knows the unseen things! 79. Oh He who removes troubles! 80. Forgive my sins, all of them, 81. by the sacredness of Mohammad and the household of Mohammad! 82. Oh All-forgiver! Oh All-forgiver! Oh All-forgiver! 83. By Thy Mercy, oh Most Merciful of the merciful!
Dua-e-Kumayl

(The Supplication of Kumayl ibn Ziyad) 1. Oh God, I ask Thee by Thy mercy, which embraces all things (VII 156); 2. by Thy strength, through which Thou dominatest all things, toward which all things are humble and before which all things are lowly; 3. by Thy invincibility, through which Thou overwhelmest all things; by Thy might, which nothing can resist; 4. by Thy tremendousness, which has filled all things; 5. by Thy force, which towers over all things;

by Thy face, which subsists after the annihilation of all things; 6. by Thy Names, which have filled the foundations of all things; 7. by Thy knowledge, which encompasses all things; and by the light of Thy face, through which all things are illumined! 8. Oh Light! Oh All-holy! Oh First of those who are first and Last of those who are last! 9. Oh God, forgive me those sins which tear apart safeguards! 10. Oh God, forgive me those sins which draw down adversities! 11. Oh God, forgive me those sins which alter blessings! 12. Oh God, forgive me those sins which hold back supplications! 13. Oh God, forgive me those sins which cut down the hopes! 14. Oh God, forgive me those sins which draw down tribulation! 15. Oh God, forgive me every sin I have committed and every mistake I have made! 16. Oh God, verily I seek nearness to Thee through remembrance of Thee, I seek intercession from Thee with Thyself, 17. and I ask Thee through Thy munificence to bring me near to Thy proximity, to provide me with gratitude toward Thee 18. and to inspire me with Thy remembrance.

19. Oh God, verily I ask Thee with the asking of a submissive, abased and lowly man To show me forbearance, to have mercy on me 20. and to make me satisfied and content with Thy apportionment and humble in every state. 21. Oh Go, I ask Thee with the asking of one whose indigence is extreme, Who has stated to Thee in difficulties his need 22. and whose desire for what is with Thee has become great. 23. Oh God, Thy force is tremendous, Thy place is lofty, Thy deception is hidden, Thy command is manifest, 24. Thy domination is overwhelming, Thy power is unhindered and escape from Thy governance is impossible 25. Oh God, I find no forgiver of my sins, no concealer of my ugly acts, 26. no transformer of any of my ugly acts into good acts but Thee. There is no god but Thou! 27. Glory be to Thee, and Thine is the praise! I have wronged myself, I have been audacious in my ignorance 28. and I have depended upon Thy ancient remembrance of me and Thy favour toward me. 29. Oh God, Oh my Protector! How many ugly things Thou hast concealed! How many burdensome tribulations Thou hast abolished! 30. How many stumbles Thou hast prevented!

How many ordeals Thou hast repelled! 31. And how much beautiful praise, for which I was unworthy, Thou hast spread abroad! 32. Oh God, my tribulation is tremendous, my bad state is excessive, 33. my acts are inadequate, my fetters have tied me down, 34. my farfetched hopes have held me back from my gain and this world with its delusions, 35. my own soul with its offences and my delay have deceived me. 36. Oh my Master! So I ask Thee by Thy might not to let my evil works and acts veil my supplication from Thee, 37. not to disgrace me through the hidden things Thou knowest of my secrets 38. and not to hasten me to punishment for what I have done in private: 39. my evil acts in secrecy, my misdeeds, my continuous negligence, my ignorance, 40. my manifold passions and my forgetfulness, 41. And by Thy might, oh God, be kind to me in all states and gracious to me in all affairs! 42. My God and my Lord! Have I any but Thee from whom to ask removal of my affliction and regard for my affairs? 43. My God and my Protector! 44. Thou put into effect through me a decree in which I followed the caprice of my own soul 45. and did not remain wary of adorning my enemy. 46. So he deluded me through my souls caprice and therein destiny favoured him.

47. So in what was put into effect through me in that situation I transgressed some of Thy statutes 48. and disobeyed some of Thy commands. So Thine is the argument against, me in all of that 49. and I have no argument in what Thy destiny put into effect through me therein. 50. nor in what Thy decree and Thy tribulation imposed upon me. 51. Now I have come to Thee, my God, after my shortcoming and my immoderation toward myself, 52. proffering my excuse, regretful, broken, apologizing, asking forgiveness, repenting, acknowledging, submissive, confessing. 53. I find no place to flee from what occurred through me, 54. nor any place to escape to which I may turn in my affairs, other than Thy acceptance of my excuse 55. and Thy entering me into the compass of Thy mercy. 56. Oh God, so accept my excuse, have mercy upon the severity of my affliction and release me from the tightness of my fetters, 57. My Lord, have mercy upon the weakness of my body, 58. the thinness of my skin and the frailty of my bones. 59. Oh Thou who gave rise to my creation, to the remembrance of me, to the nurture of me, to the goodness toward me and to nourishment of me, 60. bestow upon me for the sake of Thy having given rise (to me) with generosity and Thy previous goodness to me! 61. My God, my Master and my Lord!

Canst Thou see Thyself tormenting me with Thy fire after I have professed Thy Unity? 62. After the knowledge of Thee my heart has embraced, 63. the remembrance of Thee my tongue has constantly mentioned and to love of Thee to which my mind has clung? 64. After the sincerity of my confession and my supplication, humble before Thy lordship? 65. Far be it from Thee! Thou art more generous than that Thou shouldst squander him whom Thou hast nurtured, 66. banish him whom Thou hast brought nigh, drive away him whom Thou hast given an abode 67. or submit to tribulation him whom Thou hast spared and shown mercy. 68. Would that I knew, my Master, my Go and my Protector, 69. whether Thou wilt give the Fire dominion over faces fallen down prostrate before Thy Tremendousness, 70. tongues voicing sincerely the profession of Thy Unity and giving thanks to Thee in praise, 71. hearts acknowledging Thy Divinity through verification, 72. minds encompassing knowledge of Thee until they have become humble 73. and bodily members speeding to the places of Thy worship in obedience 74. and beckoning for Thy forgiveness in submission. 75. No such opinion is held of Thee! 76. Nor has such been reported thanks to Thy

bounty concerning Thee, oh All-generous! 77. My Lord, and Thou knowest my weakness before a little of this worlds tribulations and punishments 78. and before those ordeals which befall its inhabitants, 79. even though it is a tribulation and ordeal whose stay is short, whose subsistence is but little and whose period is but fleeting. 80. So how can I endure the tribulation of the next world and the great ordeals that occur within it? 81. For it is a tribulation whose period is long, whose station endures 82. and whose sufferers are given no respite, since it only occurs as a result of Thy wrath, Thy vengeance and Thy anger, 83. and these cannot be withstood by the heavens and the earth. 84. My Master, so what about me? For I am Thy weak, lowly, base, wretched and miserable slave. 85. My God! My Lord! My Master! My Protector! 86. For which things would I complain to Thee and for which of them would I lament and weep? 87. For the pain and severity of chastisement? Or for the length and period of tribulation? 88. So if Thou takest me to the punishments with Thy enemies, 89. gatherest me with the people of Thy tribulation 90. and separatest me from Thy friends and saints, 91. then suppose, my God, my Master, my Protector and my Lord, 92. that I am able to endure Thy chastisement.

How can I endure separation from Thee? 93. And suppose that I am able to endure the heat of Thy fire. How can I endure not gazing upon Thy generosity? 94. Or how can I dwell in the Fire while my hope is Thy pardon? 95. So by Thy might, my Master and my Protector, I swear sincerely, if Thou leavest me with speech, 96. I will lament to Thee from the midst of the Fires inhabitants with the lamentation of the hopeful; 97. I will cry to Thee with the cry of those crying for help; I will weep to Thee with the weeping of the bereft; 98. I will cry to Thee with the cry of those crying for help; I will weep to Thee with the weeping of the bereft; 99. Oh Aid of those who seek assistance, Oh Friend of the hearts of the sincere 100. and oh God of all the worlds inhabitants! Canst Thou see Thyself Glory be to Thee my god, and Thine is the praise 101. hearing within the Fire the voice of a slave surrendered to Thee, imprisoned there because of his violations, 102. tasting the flavour of its torment because of his disobedience 103. and confined within its levels because of his sin and crime, 104. while he laments to Thee with the lament of one hopeful for Thy mercy, calls to Thee with the tongue of those who profess Thy Unity and entreats Thee by Thy lordship?

105. My protector, so how should he remain in the chastisement while he has hope for Thy previous clemency? Or how should the Fire cause him pain While he expects Thy bounty and mercy? 106. Or how should its flames burn him while Thou hearest his voice and seest his place? 107. Or how should its groaning encompass him while Thou knowest his weakness? 108. Or how should he be convulsed among its levels while Thou knowest his sincerity? 109. Or how should its keepers torture him while he callest out to Thee, Oh Lord? Or how should he have hope of Thy bounty in freeing him form it while Thou abandonest him within it? 110. Far be it from Thee! That is not what is expected of Thee, nor what I swell-known of Thy bounty. 111. nor is it similar to the goodness and kindness Thou hast shown to those who profess Thy Unity. 112. So I declare with certainty that were it not for what Thou hast decreed concerning the chastisement of Thy deniers and what Thou hast foreordained concerning the everlasting home of those who stubbornly resist, 113. Thou wouldst make the Fire, all of it, coolness and safety, 114. and no one would have a place of rest or abode within it. But Thou holy are Thy names hast sworn that Thou wilt fill it with the unbelievers, both jinn and men, 115. and that Thou wilt place those who stubbornly

resist therein forever. And Thou majestic is Thy eulogy said at the beginning and wert gracious through kindness as a favour, What? Is he who has been a believer like unto him who has been ungodly? They are not equal. (XXXII.18) 116. My God and My Master! So I ask Thee by the power Thou hast apportioned 117. My God and my Master! So I ask Thee by the power Thou hast apportioned 118. and the decision which Thou hast determined and imposed 119. and through which Thou hast overcome him toward whom it has been put into effect. that Thou forgivest me in this night and at this hour every offence I have committed, 120. every sin I have performed, every ugly thing I have concealed, 121. every folly I have enacted whether I have hidden it or announced it, whether I have concealed it or manifested it 122. and every evil act which Thou hast commanded the Noble Writers to record, 123. those whom Thou hast appointed to watch over what appears from me and whom Thou hast made, along with my bodily members, witness against me. 124. And Thou wast Thyself the Watcher (V 117) over me from behind them, and the Witness of what is hidden from them, 125. but through Thy bounty Thou concealed it and through Thy bounty Thou veiled it. 126. (And I ask Thee) that Thou bestowest upon

me an abundant share of every good Thou sendest down, kindest Thou conferrest, goodness Thou unfoldest, provision Thou spreadest out, sin Thou forgivest or error Thou coverest. 127. My Lord! My Lord! My Lord! My God! My Master! My Protector! Owner of my bondage! 128. Oh He in whose hand is my forelock! Oh He who knows my affliction and my misery! 129. Oh He who is aware of my poverty and indigence! 130. My Lord! My Lord! My Lord! 131. I ask Thee by Thy Truth, Thy Holiness and the greatest of Thy Attributes and Names, 132. that Thou makest my times in the night and the day inhabited by Thy remembrance 133. and joined to Thy service and my works acceptable to Thee, 134. so that my works and my litanies may all be a single litany 135. and my occupation with Thy service everlasting. 136. My Master! Oh He upon whom I depend! Oh He to whom I complain about my states! 137. My Lord! My Lord! My Lord! Strengthen my bodily members in Thy service, 138. fortify my ribs in determination and bestow upon me earnestness in my fear of Thee 139. and continuity in my being joined to Thy service, 140. so that I may move easily toward Thee in the battlefields of the foremost, 141. hurry to Thee among the prominent, desire fervently Thy proximity among the fervently

desirous, 142. move near to Thee with the nearness of the sincere, fear thee with the fear of those who have certitude 143. and gather with the believers in Thy vicinity. Oh God, whoever desires evil for me desire (it) for him! And whoever deceives me deceive him! 144. And make me one of the most excellent of Thy slaves in portion from Thee, 145. the nearest of them in station to Thee and the most elect of them in proximity to Thee. 146. For that cannot be attained except by Thy bounty. Grant generously to me through Thy munificence, 147. incline toward me with Thy splendour and protect me with Thy mercy! 148. Make my tongue remember Thee without ceasing 149. and my heart enthralled by Thy love! Be gracious to me by answering me favourably, nullify my slips and forgive my lapses! 150. For Thou hast decreed Thy worship for Thy servants, commanded them to supplicate Thee and assured them that they would be answered. 151. So toward Thee, my Lord, I have turned my face; 152. and toward Thee, my Lord, I have extended my hand, So by Thy might, comply with my supplication 153. and make me attain my desires!

Do not, if it pleases Thee, sever my hopes, 154. and spare me the evil of my enemies from among the jinn and men! 155. Oh He whose pleasure is quickly achieved! Forgive him who owns nothing but supplication, 156. for Thou dost what Thou wilt Oh He whose Name is a remedy, Whose remembrance is a cure 157. and whose obedience is hope 158. and whose weapon is tears! Oh Ample in blessings! Oh Repeller of adversities! 159. Oh Light of those who are lonely in the darkness! Oh Knower who was never taught! 160. Bless Mohammad and Mohammads household and do with me what is worthy of Thee! 161. And God bless His messenger and the holy Imams of his household 162. and give them abundant peace!

Dua-e-Tawassul

(About which it is said that it never happens that it is recited concerning any problem without soon seeing the effect of Gods answer .) answer.) In the Name of God, the All-merciful, the Allcompassionate O God, I ask Thee and I turn toward Thee through Thy Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy, Mohammad God Bless him and his household and give them

peace! Oh Abul-Qasim, Oh Messenger of God Oh Imam of Mercy, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession, and seek access through thee to God, We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou who hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abul Hasan, Oh Commander of the Faithful, Oh Ali ibn Abi Talib, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession, and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou who hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Fatima the Radiant, Oh daughter of Mohammad, Oh light of the Messengers eye, Oh our lady and patroness, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession, and see access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou who hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abu Mohammad, Oh Hasan ibn Ali, Oh chosen of God,

Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession, and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou who hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abu Abdullah, Oh Husain ibn Ali, Oh martyr, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession, and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou who hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abul-Hasan, Oh Ali ibn al-Husain, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abu Jafar,

Oh Mohammad ibn Ali, Oh al-Baqar, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abu Abdullah, Oh Jafar ibn Mohammad, Oh al-Sadiq, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abul Hasan, Oh Musa ibn Jafar, Oh al-Kazim, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs,

Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abul Hasan, Oh Ali ibn Musa, Oh a-Reza, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abu Jafar, Oh Mohammad ibn Ali, Oh al-Taqi al-Jawad, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abul Hasan, Oh Ali ibn Mohammad, Oh al-Hadi al-Naqi, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master,

We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Abu Mohammad, Oh Hasan ibn Ali, Oh al-Zaki al-Askari, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! Oh Inheritor of al-Hasan, Successor, Proof, Oh awaited Qaim, al-Mahdi, Oh son of Gods Messenger, Oh Proof of God over His creatures, Oh our lord and master, We turn to thee, ask thy intercession and seek access through thee to God. We place thee ahead of our needs, Oh thou hast standing with God! Intercede for us with God! [Then the supplicant should mention his needs; they will be taken care of God willing.)

Dua-e Noor Saghir

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. In the name of Allah, the Light. In the name of Allah, the Light of light. In the name of Allah Who is light above light. In the name of Allah, who directs and controls all affairs. In the name of Allah, who created light form light. All praise is due to Allah, who created light from light. And sent down light on Tur, mentioned in the broad leaves of the guarded tablet, and on Him, All praise is due to Allah, who is spoken of with respect and who is famous for His Honour. And Who deserves thanks both in happiness and sorrow. And may Allah bless our leader Mohammad and all his holy descendants.

Document of Instruction
(English translation from Arabic text of the letter sent by Imam Ali to his newly appointed Governor to Egypt, which is regarded as one of the greatest charters on good governance.)

Written for Malik-e-Ashtar, when the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib had appointed Malik-e-Ashtar as the Governor of Egypt (38 A.H.) and the surrounding areas; it is the longest document and contains the greatest number of beautiful sayings. In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful This is what Allahs servant Ali, Amir al-Muminin, has ordered Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar in his instrument (of appointment) for him when he made him Governor of Egypt for the collection of its revenues, fighting against the enemies, seeking the good of its people and making its cities prosperous. He has ordered him to fear Allah, to prefer obedience to Him, and to follow what he has commanded in His Book (Quran) out of His obligatory and elective commands, without following which one cannot achieve virtue, nor (can one) be evil save by opposing them and ignoring them, and to help Allah the Glorified, with his heart, hand and tongue, because Allah whose name is Sublime takes the responsibility for helping him who helps Him, and for protecting him who gives Him support. He also orders him to break his heart off from passions, and to restrain it at the time of their increase, because the heart leads towards evil unless Allah has mercy.

The qualifications of a governor and his responsibilities

Know, O Malik, that I have sent you to an area where there have been governments before you, both just as well as oppressive. People will now watch your dealings as you used to watch the dealings of the rulers before you, and they (people) will criticize you as you criticized them (rulers). Surely, the virtuous are known by the reputation that Allah circulates for them through the tongues of His creatures. Therefore, the best collection with you should be the collection of good deeds, to control your passions and check your heart from doing what is not lawful for you, because checking the heart means detaining it just half way between what it likes and dislikes. Habituate your heart to mercy for the subjects and to affection and kindness for them. Do not stand over them like greedy beasts who feel it is enough to devour them, since they are of two kind, either your brother in religion or one like you in creation. They will commit slips and encounter mistakes. They may act wrongly, willfully or by neglect. So, extend to them your forgiveness and pardon to you, because you are over them and your responsible Commander (Imam) is over you while Allah is over him who has appointed you. He (Allah) has sought you to manage their affairs and has tried you through them. Do not set yourself to fight Allah because you have no power before His and you cannot do without His pardon and mercy. Do not repent of forgiving or be merciful in punishing. Do not act hastily during anger if you can find way out of it. Do not say: I have been given authority, I should be obeyed when order, because it engenders confusion in the heart, weakens the religion and take one near ruin. If the authority in which you are placed produces pride or vanity in you then look at the greatness of the realm of Allah over you and His

might the like of which might you do not even possess over yourself. This will curb your haughtiness, cure you of your high temper and bring back to you your wisdom which had gone away from you. Beware of comparing yourself to Allah in His greatness or likening yourself to him in his power, for Allah humiliates every claimant of power and disgraces every one who is haughty. Do justice for Allah and do justice towards the people, as against yourself, your near ones and those of your subjects for whom you have a liking, because if you do not do so you will be oppressive, and when a person oppresses the creatures of Allah then, instead of His creatures, Allah becomes his opponent, and when Allah is the opponent of a person He tramples his plea; and we will remain in the position of being at war with Allah until he gives it up and repents. Nothing is more inductive of the reversal of Allahs bounty or for the hastening of His retribution than continuance in oppression, because Allah hears the prayer of the oppressed and is on the look out for the oppressors.
Ruling should be in favour of the people as a whole

The way most coveted by you should be that which is the most equitable for the right, the most universal by way of justice, and the most comprehensive with regard to the agreement among those under you, because the disagreement among the common people sweeps away the arguments of the chiefs can be disregarded when compared with the agreement of the common people. No one among those under you is more burdensome to the ruler in the comfort of life, less helpful in distress, more disliking of equitable treatment, more tricky in asking favours, less thankful at the time of giving, less appreciative of reasons at the time of refusal and weaker in endurance at time of the discomforts of life than the

chiefs. It is the common people of the community who are the pillars of the religion, the power of the Muslims and the defense against the enemies. Your leanings should therefore be towards them and your inclination with them. The one among the people under you who is furthest from you and the worst of them in your view should be he who is the most inquisitive of the shortcomings of the people, because people do not have shortcomings and the ruler is the most appropriate person to cover them. Do not disclose whatever of it is hidden from you because your obligation is to correct what is manifest to you, while Allah will deal with whatever is hidden from you. Therefore, cover shortcomings so far as you can; Allah would cover those of your shortcomings which you would like to remain under cover from your subjects. Unfasten every knot of hatred in the people and cut away from yourself the cause of every enmity. Feign ignorance from what is not clear to you. Do not hasten to second a backbiter, because a backbiter is a cheat although he looks like those who wish well.
About counselors

Do not include among those who consult a miser who would keep you back from being generous and caution you against destitution, nor a coward who would make you feel too weak for your affairs nor a greedy person who would make beautiful to you the collection of wealth by evil ways. This is because although miserliness, cowardice and greed are different qualities yet they are common in having an incorrect idea about Allah. The worst minister for you is he who has been a minister for mischievous persons before you, and who joined them in sins. Therefore, he should not be your chief man, because they are abettors of sinners and

brothers of the oppressors. You can find good substitutes for them who will be like them in their views and influence, while not being like them in their views and influence, while not being like them in their sins and vices. They have never assisted an oppressor in his oppression or a sinner in his sin. They will give you the least trouble and the best supporter. They will be most considerate towards you and the least inclined towards others. Therefore, make them your chief companions in privacy as well as in public. Then, more preferable among them for you should be those who openly speak better truths before you and who support you least in those of your actions which Allah does not approve in His friends, even though they may be according to your wishes. Associate yourself with God fearing and truthful people; then educate them, so that they should not praise you or please you by reason of an action you did not perform, because and excess of praise produces pride and drive you near haughtiness. The virtuous and the vicious should not be in equal position before you because this means dissuasion of the virtuous form the virtue and persuasion of the vicious to vice. Keep everyone in the position which is his. You should know that the most conducive thing for the good impression of the ruler on his subjects is that he should extend good behaviour towards them, lighten their hardships, and avoid putting them to unbearable troubles. You should therefore, in this way follow a course by which you will leave good impression with your subjects, because such good ideas will relieve you of great worries. Certainly, the most appropriate for good impression of the you is he to whom your behaviour has not been good.

Do not discontinue the good lives in which the earlier people of this community had been acting, by virtue of which there was general unity and through which subjects prospered. Do not innovate any line of action which injures these earlier ways because (in that case) the reward for those who had established those ways will continue but the burden for discontinuing them will be on you. Keep on increasing your conversations with the scholars and discussions with the wise to stabilize the prosperity of the areas under you, and to continue with that in which the earlier people had remained steadfast.
The different classes of people

Know that the people consist of classes who prosper only with the help of one another, and they are not independent of one another. Among them are the army of the Allah, then the secretarial workers of the common people and the chiefs, then the dispenser of justice, then those engaged in law and order, then the payers of head tax (jizyah) and land tax (kharaj) from the protected unbelievers and the common Muslims, then there are traders and the men of industry and then the lowest class of the needy and the destitute. Allah has fixed of them and laid down His precepts about the limits of each in His Book (Quran) and the sunnah of His Prophet by way of a settlement which is preserved with us. Now the army is, by the will of Allah, the fortress of the subjects, the ornament of the ruler, the strength of the religion and the means of peace. The subjects cannot exist without them while the army can be maintained only the funds fixed by Allah in the revenues through which they acquire the strength to fight the enemies, on which they depend for their prosperity, and with which they meet their needs. These two classes cannot exist without the third class namely the judges, the executives and the secretaries who pass the judgments

about contracts, collect revenues and are depended upon in special and general matters. And these classes cannot exist except with the traders and men of industry, who provide necessities for the, establish markets and make it possible for others not to do all this with their own hands. Then is the lowest class of the needy and the destitute support of and help for whom is an obligation, and every one of them has (a share in) livelihood in the name of Allah. Every one of them has a right on the ruler according to what is needed for his prosperity. The ruler cannot acquit himself of the obligations laid on him by Allah in this matter except by striving and seeking help from Allah and by training himself to adhere to the right and by enduring on that account all that is light or hard.

1.

The Army

Put in command of your forces the man who in your view is the best well wisher of Allah, His Prophet and your Imam. The chastest of them in heart and the highest of them in endurance is he who is slow in getting enraged, accepts excuses, is kind to the weak and is strict with the strong; violence should not raise his temper and weakness should not keep him sitting. Also associate with considerate people from high families, virtuous houses and decent traditions, then people of courage, valour, generosity and benevolence, because they are repositories of honour and springs of virtues. Strive for their matters as the parents strive for their child. Do not regard anything that you do not do to strengthen them as big nor consider anything that you have agreed to do for them as little (so as to give up), even though it may be small, because this will make them your well-wishers and create a good impression of you. Do not neglect to attend to their small matters, confining yourself to their important matters, because

your small favours will also be of benefit to them while the important ones are such that they cannot ignore them. The commander of the army should have such a position before you that he renders help to them equitably and spend from his money on them and on those of their families who remain behind so that all their worries converge on the one worry for fighting the enemy. Your kindness to them will turn their hearts to you. The most pleasant thing for the rulers is the establishment of justice in their areas and the manifestation of the love of their subjects, but the subjects love manifests itself only when their hearts are clean. Their good wishes prove correct only when they surround their commanders (to protect them). Do not regard their positions to be a burden over them and do not keep watching for the end of their tenure. Therefore, be broad-minded in regard to their desires, continue praising them and recounting the good deeds of those who have shown such deeds, because the mention of good action shakes the brave and rouses the weak, if Allah so wills. Appreciate the performance of every one of them, do not attribute the performance of one to the other, and do not minimize the reward below the level of the performance. The high position of a man should not lead you to regard his small deeds as big, nor should the low position of a man make you regard his big deeds as small. Refer to Allah and His Prophet the affairs which worry you matters which appear confusing to you, because, addressing the people whom Allah the Sublime, wishes to guide, He said: O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Prophet and those vested with authority from among you; and then if you quarrel about anything refer it to

Allah and Prophet if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day (of Judgment). (Quran, 4:59) Referring to Allah means to act according to what is clear in His Book and referring to the Prophet means to follow his unanimously agreed sunnah in regard to which there are no differences.

2.

The Chief Judge

For the settlement of disputes among people select him who is the most distinguish of your subjects in your view. The cases (coming before him) should not vex him, disputation should not enrage him, he should not insist on any wrong point, and should not grudge accepting the truth when he perceives it; he should not lean towards greed and should not content himself with a cursory understanding (of a matter) without going thoroughly into it. He should most ready to stop (to ponder) on doubtful points, most regardful of arguments, least disgusted at the quarrel of litigants, most patient at probing into matters and most fearless at the time of passing judgment. Praise should not make him vain and elation should not make him lean (to any side). Such people are few. Then, very often check his decisions and allow him so much money (as remuneration) that he has no excuse worth hearing (for not being honest) and there remains no occasion for him to go to others for his needs. Give him that rank in your audience for which no one else among your chiefs aspires, so that he remains safe form the harm of those around you. You should have a piercing eye in this matter because this religion has formerly been a prisoner in the hands of vicious persons when action was taken according to passion, and worldly wealth was sought.

3.

Executive Officers

Thereafter, look into the affairs of your executives. Give them appointment after tests and do not appoint them according to partiality or favouritism, because these two things constitute sources of injustice and unfairness. Select among them those who are people of experience and modesty, hailing from virtuous houses, having been previously in Islam, because such persons possess high manners and untarnished honour. They are the least inclined towards greed and always have their eyes on the ends of matters. Give them an abundant livelihood (by way of salary) because this gives them the strength to maintain themselves in order and not to have an eye upon the funds in their custody, and it would be an argument against them if they disobeyed your orders or misappropriated your trust. You should also check their activities and have people who report on them who should be truthful and faithful, because your watching their actions secretly will urge them to preserve trust with and to be kind to the people. Be careful of assistants. If any one of them extends his hands towards misappropriation and the reports of your reporters reaching you confirm it, that should be regarded enough evidence. You should then inflict corporal punishment on him and recover what he has misappropriated. You should put him in a place of disgrace, blacklist him with (the charge of) misappropriation and make him wear the necklace of shame for his offence.

4.

The Administration of Revenue

Look after the revenues (kharaj or land tax) affairs in such a way that those engaged in it remain prosperous because in their prosperity lies the prosperity of all others. The others cannot prosper without them, because all

people are dependent on revenue and its payers. You should also keep an eye on the cultivation of the land more than on the collection of revenue because revenue cannot be had without cultivation and whoever asks for revenue without cultivation, ruins the area and brings death to the people. His rule will not last only a moment. If they complain of the heaviness (of the revenue) or of diseases, or dearth of water, or excess of water or of a change in the condition of the land either due to flood or drought, you should remit the revenue to the extent that you hope will improve their position. The remission granted to you for the removal of distress from them should not be grudged by you, because it is an investment which they will return to you in the shape of the prosperity of your country and the progress of your domain in addition to earning their praise and happiness for meeting out justice to them. You can depend on their strength because of the investment made by you in them through catering to their convenience, and can have confidence in them because of the justice extended to them by being kind to them. After that circumstances may so turn that you may have to ask for their assistance, when they will bear it happily, for prosperity is capable of bearing whatever you load on it. The ruin of the land is caused by the poverty of the cultivators, while the cultivators become poor when the officers concentrate on collection (of money), having little hope for continuance (in their posts) and deriving no benefit from objects of warning.

5.

The Clerical Establishment

Then you should take care of your secretariat workers. Put the best of them incharge of your affairs. Entrust those of your letters which contain your policies and secrets to him who possess the best character, who is not elated by honours, least he dares speak against

you in common audiences. He should also not be negligent in presenting the communications of your officers before you and issuing correct replies to them on your behalf and in matters of your receipts and payments. He should not make any damaging agreements on your behalf and should not fail in repudiating an agreement against you. He should not be ignorant of the extent of his own position in matters because he who is ignorant of his position is (even) more ignorant of the position of others. Your selection of these people should not be on the basis of your understanding (of them), confidence and your good impression, because people catch the ideas of the officers through affectation and personal service and there is nothing in it which is like well-wishing or trustfulness. You should rather test them by what they did under the virtuous people before you. Take a decision in favour of one who has a good name among the common people and is the most renowned in trustworthiness, because this will be a proof of your regard for Allah and for him on whose behalf you have been appointed to this position (namely your Imam). Establish one chief for every department of work. He should not be incapable of big matters, and rush of work should not perplex him. Whenever there is a defect in your secretaries which you overlook, then you will be held responsible for it.

6.

Traders and Industrialists

Now take some advice about traders and industrialists. Give them good counsel whether they be settled (shopkeepers) or traders or physical labourers because they are sources of profit and the means of the provision of useful articles. They bring them from distant and far-flung areas throughout the land and sea, plane or mountains, from where people can not come

and where they do not dare to go, for they are peaceful and there is no fear of revolt from them, and they are quite without fear of treason. Look after the affairs before yourself or what ever they may be in your area. Know, along with this, that most of them are very narrow minded, and awfully avaricious. They hold goods for profiteering and fix high prices for goods. This is source of harm to the people and the blot on the officers incharge. Stop people from hoarding because Messenger of Allah has prohibited. The sale should be smooth, correct weights and prices, not harmful to either party, the seller or the purchaser, whoever commits hoarding after you prohibited it, give him exemplary but not excessive punishment.

7.

The Lowest Class

(Fear) Allah and keep Allah in view in respect of the lowest class, consisting of those who have few means: the poor, the destitute, the penniless and the disable; because in this class are both the discontented and those who beg. Take care for the sake of Allah of his obligations towards them for which He has made you responsible. Fix for them a share from the public fund and a share from the crops of land taken over as booty for Islam in every area, because in it the remote ones have the same share as the near ones. All these people are those whose rights have been placed in your charge. Therefore, a luxurious life should not keep you away fro them. You cannot be excused for ignoring small matters because you were deciding big problems. Consequently do not be unmindful of them, nor turn your face from them out of vanity. Take care of the affairs of those of them who do not approach you because they are of unsightly appearance or those whom people regard as low. Appoint for them some trusted people who are God fearing and

humble. They should inform you of these peoples conditions. Then deal with the sense of responsibility to Allah on the day you will meet Him, because of all the subjects these people are the most deserving of equitable treatment, while for others also you should fulfill their right so as to render account to Allah. Take care of the orphans and the aged who have no means (for livelihood) nor are they ready for begging, this is heavy on the officers; in fact, every right is heavy. Allah listens it for those who seek the next world and so they endure (hardships) upon themselves and trust on the truthfulness of Allahs promise to them. And fix a time for complainants where in you make yourself free for them, and sit for them in common audience and feel humble therein for the sake of Allah who created you. (On that occasion) you should keep away your army and your assistants such as the guards and the police so that anyone who like to speak may speak to you without fear, because I have heard the Messenger of Allah say in more than one place. The people among whom the right of the weak is not secured from the strong without fear will never achieve purity. Tolerate their awkwardness and inability to speak. Keep away from you narrowness and haughtiness; Allah would, on this account, spread over you the skirts of His mercy and assign the reward of His obedience for you. Whatever you give, give it joyfully, but when you refuse, do it handsomely and with excuses. Then there are certain matters which you cannot avoid performing yourself. For example, replying to your officers when your secretaries are unable to do so, or disposing of the complaints of the people when your assistants shirk them. Finish every day the work meant of it, because every day has its own work. Keep for yourself the better and greater portion of these periods for the worship of Allah, although all these items are

for Allah provided the intention is pure and the subjects prosper thereby.
Communion with Allah

The particular thing by which you should purify your religion for Allah should be the fulfillment of those obligations which are especially for Him. Therefore, devote to Allah some of your physical activity during the night and day, and whatever (worship) you perform for seeking nearness to Allah should be complete, without defect or deficiency, whatsoever physical exertion it may involve. When you lead the prayers for the people it should be neither (too long as to be) boring nor (too short as to be) wasteful, because among the people there are the sick as well as those who have needs of their own. When the Messenger of Allah sent me to Yemen I enquired how I should offer prayers with them and he replied, Say the prayers as the weakest of them would say, and be considerate of the believers.
On the behaviour and action of a Ruler

Then, do not keep yourself secluded from the people for a long time, because the seclusion of those in authority from the subjects is a kind of narrow-sightedness and causes ignorance about their affairs. Seclusion from them also prevents them from the knowledge of those things which they do not know and as a result they begin to regard big matters as small and small matters as big, good matters as bad and bad matters as good, while the truth becomes confused with falsehood. After all, a governor is a human being and cannot have knowledge of things which people keep hidden from him. No writ is big on the face of truth to differentiate its various expressions from falsehood. Then you can be one of two kinds of men. Either you may be generous

in granting rights; and then why this hiding in spite of (your) discharging the obligations and good acts that you perform? Or you are a victim of stinginess; in that case people will soon give up asking you since they will lose hope of generous treatment from you. In spite of that there are many needs of the people towards you which do not involve any hardship on you, such as the complaint against oppression or the request for justice in a matter. Further, a governor has favourites and people of easy assess to him. They misappropriate things, are highhanded and do not observe justice in matters. You should destroy the root of evil in the people by cutting away the causes of these defects. Do not make any land grants to your hangers on or supporters. They should not expect from you the possession of land which may cause harm to adjoining people over the question of irrigation or common services whose burden the grantees place on others. In this way, the benefit will be rather theirs than yours, and the blame will lie on you in this world and the next. Allow rights to whom so ever it is due, whether near you or far from you. In this matter, you should be enduring and watchful even though it may involve your relations and favourites, and keep in view the rewards of that which appears burdensome on you because its reward is handsome. If the subjects suspect you of high-handedness, explain to them your position openly and remove their suspicion with your explanation, because this would mean exercise for your soul and consideration to the subjects while this explanation will secure your aim of keeping them firm in truth. Do not reject peace to which your enemy may call you and wherein there is the pleasure of Allah,

because peace brings rest to your army and relief from your worries and safety for your country. But after peace there is great apprehension from the enemy because often the enemy offers peace to benefit by your negligence. Thereafter, be cautious and do not act by a wishfulness in this matter. If you conclude an agreement between yourself and your enemy or enter into a pledge with him then fulfill your agreement and discharge your pledge faithfully. Place yourself as a shield against whatever you have pledged because among the obligations of Allah there is nothing on which people are more strongly united despite the difference of their ideas and variations of their views than respect for fulfilling pledges. Besides Muslims, even unbelievers have abided by agreements because they realized the dangers which would come in the wake of violation (thereof). Therefore, do not deceive your enemy, because no one can offend Allah save the ignorant and the wicked. Allah made His agreement and pledged the sign of security which He has spread over His creatures through His mercy and an asylum in which they stay in His protection and seek the benefit of nearness to Him. Therefore, there should be not deceit, cunning or duplicity in it. Do not enter into an agreement which may admit of different interpretations and do not change the interpretation of vague words after the conclusion and confirmation (of the agreement). If an agreement of Allah involves you in hardship do not seek its repudiation without justification, because the bearing of hardships through which you except relief and a handsome result is better than a violation whose consequence you fear, and that you fear that you will be called upon by Allah to account for it and you will not be able to seek forgiveness for it in this world or the next.

You should avoid shedding blood without justification, because nothing is more inviting of Divine retribution, greater in (evil) consequence, and more effective in the decline of life prosperity and cutting short of life then the shedding of blood without justification. On the Day of Judgment Allah the Glorified, would commence giving his judgment among the people with the cases of bloodshed committed by them. Therefore, do not strengthen your authority by shedding prohibited blood because this will weaken and lower your authority, moreover destroy it and shift it. You cannot offer any excuse before Allah or before me for willful killing because there must be the question or revenge in it if you are involved in it by error and you exceed in the use of your whip or sword, or are hard in inflicting punishment, as sometimes even a blow by the fist or a smaller stroke causes death then the haughtiness of your authority should not prevent you from paying the blood price to the successor of the killed person. You should avoid self-admiration, having reliance in what appears good in your self and love of the exaggerated praise because this is one of the most reliable opportunities for Satan to obliterate the good deeds of a virtuous. Avoid showing (the existence of) obligation on your subjects for having done good to them or praising your own actions or making promises and then breaking them, because showing (the existence of) obligation destroys good, self praise takes away the light of truth and breaking promises earns the hatred of Allah and of the people. Allah the Glorified, says Most hateful is it unto Allah that you say what you (yourselves) do (it) not. (Quran. 61:3) Avoid haste in matters before time, slowness at their proper time, insistence on them when the proprietary of action is not known or weakens when it becomes

clear. Assign every matter its proper place and do every job at the appropriate time. Do not appropriate to yourself that in which the people have an equal share, nor be regardless of matters which have come to light with the excuse that you are accountable for others. Shortly, the curtains of render redress to be oppressed. Have control over (your) sense of prestige, any outburst of anger, the might of your arm and the sharpness of your tongue. Guard against all this by avoiding haste and by delaying severe action till your anger subsides and you gain your self-control. You cannot withhold yourself from this unless you bear in mind that you have to return to Allah. It is necessary for to recall how matters went with those who preceded you, be it a government or a great tradition or a precedent of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and descendants) or the obligatory commands contained in the Book of Allah. Then you should follow them as you have seen us acting upon them and should exert yourself in following that I have enjoined upon you in this document in which I have exhausted my pleas on you, so that if your heart advances towards its passions you may have no plea in its support. I ask Allah through the extent of His mercy and the greatness of His power of giving a good inclination that he may prompt me and you to advance a clear plea before Him and His creatures in a manner that may attract His pleasure along with handsome praise among the people, good effect in the country, an increase in prosperity and heightening of honour; and that he may allow me and you to die a death of virtue and martyrdom. Surely, we have to return to Him. Peace be on the Messenger of Allah may Allah show His blessings and plentiful salutation on him and his pure and chaste descendents; and that is an end on the matter.

Imam Ali and the Quest for Economic Justice

(The following article by Prof. Mahmoud M. Ayoub, Professor of Islamic Studies, Department of Religion, Temple University, Philadelphia (USA) talks of attempts by Imam Ali to create a system of economic justice)

Introductory Remarks

Makkan society before Islam was governed not by a religious and moral value system, but by time-honoured customs and civic virtues which allowed it to achieve a good measure of social and economic stability. These customs, moreover, embodied moral values of kindness, patience, hospitality and reliability. Islam transformed these values into principles of faith and social responsibility and endowed them with deep religious meaning. It enjoined kindness not only to ones next-of-kin but to the orphan, the needy and the wayfarer. It called for patience and steadfastness not only in times of adversity, but also in resisting oppression and wrongdoing whatever it may be. Through the obligatory alms (zakat) Islam made social responsibility a religious duty and an act of worship and purification. In its narrow application, the zakat is an act of worship (ibadah). But in its broad sense of unspecified charitable giving (sadaqah), it is an act of devotion and drawing near to God. The Quran and the tradition (sunnah) of the Prophet and the Imams together offer a well-constructed, well-balanced and just economic system. The rapid spread of Islam which began during the Prophets life greatly accelerated after his death. This led to an even more rapid growth of Muslim power,

which in turn led to an unparalleled expansion of the Muslim state. The consequences of this growth of Islam and its power were deep economic and political conflicts. We shall discuss briefly this struggle for economic and political power only as background for the main concern of this study, namely Imam Alis economic policies and their consequences for his own political authority and for Muslim history in general.
The Crisis of Succession and Its Economic Consequences

Muslim historians and traditionists have differed sharply over the question of succession to the Prophet. They also disagreed as to the extent of the authority of the would be successor to Mohammad, peace be upon him and his family, whose prophetic authority represented Gods authority in His earth. The first manifestation of this deep crisis of authority in the Muslim ummah was the conflict between the Ansar, or Helpers of Medina, and the Quraish aristocracy of Makkah. As the Prophet lay dying, with Imam Ali alone at his bedside, the Ansar met to choose an Amir, or leader, for them. Abu Bakr, Umar b. al-Khattab and Abu Ubaydah b. al-Jarrah hastened to the meeting and succeeded in securing the allegiance of most of the assembled men to Abu Bakr, as the first successor (khalifah) to the Messenger of God. In this, both they and the Ansar went against the Prophets designation of Imam Ali as the Imam of the Muslims after him. Historians have generally presented the conflict between the Quraish and the Ansar as one of political authority and economic power. This point is clearly brought out in an argument ascribed by Hubab b. al-Mundhi of the Aus tribe. Seeing the division of the Ansar along tribal lines, Hubab exclaimed, So you have done it, O men of the Ansar! By God, I can see your sons standing

at their doors begging with outstretched hands but they are not even given water to drink! Hubabs prediction soon came true, and the Helpers (Ansar) of the Prophet of Islam and his protectors were humiliated and killed by Muawiyahs mercenaries as we shall see below. One of the problems which Abu Bakr and his successors had to face was the management of the treasury (bayt al-mal) and distribution of its contents. Abu Bakr was able to avoid economic problems by observing strict equality in the distribution of wealth and booty. He divided wealth equally among all the people and allowed himself and his family the sum of three dirhams a day. This he justified on the grounds he could no longer make his living by trade and farming. We are told that before his death, Abu Bakr directed that a date palm orchard he owned be sold to pay his debt to the public treasury. Describing his attitude towards wealth and worldly possessions, Abu Bakr declared: I have acquired nothing of your world. I have acted with regard to Gods wealth and the affairs of the Muslims as would a guardian over the wealth of an orphan: if he enjoys riches he retrains himself, and if he suffers want he observes decency and moderation (maruf) in what he consumes of it. Before his death, Abu Bakr is said to have predicted the expansion of the Muslim state and the wealth it will bring. He may have appointed Umar as his successor, at least in part, in order to forestall the conflicts that may arise in choosing a new caliph to succeed him. This is because neither he nor the other men of the Quraish aristocracy would favour Imam Ali. Abu Bakr addressed the Muslims on his deathbed saying: You anticipate great worldly wealth and prosperity, although prosperity has not yet come. Indeed it shall come, so that you shall sleep on cushions of silk brocade

behind silk curtains. By God, it is better for a man to have his head cut off, without it being a punishment (hadd) for a transgression, than to be swept up in the pleasures of this world! You shall be the first among the people to go astray and to hinder others from the straight way. It cannot be ascertained whether these prophetic words were actually uttered by Abu Bakr or more likely ascribed to him by later tradition. Nevertheless, they describe well the life-style of the Muslim aristocracy after him, made richer by lucrative posts in an everexpanding state. They express as well the negative feelings of many pious Muslims towards all political authority, including that of the caliphal office. Abu Bakrs brief rule was occupied with internal problems, which left him little time for state affairs. Therefore, the real founder of the Muslim state was Umar b. al-Khattab, who ruled for ten years, (13-23 A.H./634-44 A.D.). Umars first significant administrative achievement was to fix the Islamic calendar for the purpose of dating state records and important events and documents. As state revenues increased due to conquests, Umar turned his attention to the thorny problem of allotment (ata) of this vast wealth. He is reported to have consulted two of the Companions on this matter, Ali and Usman. Ali proposed that whatever wealth is accumulated be equally divided among all the Muslims, without keeping anything in the treasury. Usman counseled that records be kept of what everyone was to receive, and that the treasury be not left empty, there being enough wealth for all. Umar accepted Usmans advice, and established financial state registers (diwans) and recruited a professional army of paid soldiers. In this he followed the pattern of state administration which he observed in Syria.

Umar did not, as did his two predecessors the Prophet and Abu Bakr, distribute the wealth of the Muslims equally among them. This fact was t have far-reaching consequences as it set a precedent for later and far more flagrant violations of the Quranic principle of strict equality among Muslims regardless of ethnic or genealogical considerations. Umar generally followed a graded approach of preference in the allotment of wealth. He preferred those who had priority in accepting Islam over other Muslims, the Muhajirun of the Quraish over other immigrants, all the Muhajirun over all the Ansar, and the Aus of the Ansar over the Khazraj. He also preferred the Mudar of the Arabs over those of Rabiah and Yaman, Arabs over non-Arabs and freemen over their slaves or clients (mawali). Among the Prophets wives, Umar likewise preferred the daughters of the men of Quraish over others. Umars general principle was to begin with the nearest blood or marriage relatives to the Prophet in the allotment of wealth. He insisted, however on placing himself and his family farthest removed from the Prophet. Nor did he give himself or his family any priority on the ground of his status as the Commander of the Faithful. In the end Umar realized the inequity which this principle of social stratification entailed. He thus declared: I had sought to placate people by preferring some of them over others. But if I live this year, I will observe equality among all people, and will not prefer any person over another. I will follow the example of the Messengers of God and Abu Bakr. Umar died before he could implement this important measure of social and economic reform. Thus his principle of preference, which implied the superiority of some men of the Quraish over others, of the Quraish over all the Arabs and of Arabs over non-Arabs, took precedence over the Quranic principle of the equality

of all the people of faith, a principle which the Prophet had used to distinguish between the Jahiliyah, or time of folly and wrongdoing, and Islam. Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali and others of the Prophets companions regarded the caliphate not as an office for material gain and social status, but as a commitment to the service of Gods and his servants. Others, however, regarded the caliphate as kingship (mulk), Gods wealth as their wealth and Gods servants as their subservient subjects. Thus the office of the representative (khalifah) of the Messenger of God was transformed into an autocratic power. Imam Ali rejected this process and sacrificed his life in his effort to stop it. This transformation began in reality during Usmans rule. Although he was a man of pious and general disposition, and perhaps the first man of wealth and prestige to accept Islam, Usman saw himself as a king rather than a caliph. He, however, rapidly lost his grip on power and thus was manipulated by his scheming relatives. During his reign, we are told, many Companions became exceedingly wealthy. They built large and luxurious mansions, owned numerous slaves and livestock and amassed great wealth. Masudi contrasts this new state of affairs with the austere and harsh rule of Usmans precessor: This was not the case during the time of Umar b. Khattab. Rather it was then a clear and straight way. By way of illustrating this point, Masudi reports that Umar and his son Abd Allah spent sixteen dinars on their hajj pilgrimage. Umar reproachfully observed, We were extravagant on this journey. [Fact is that deviation had started right after Prophets death. Umar did not pay heed to Alis advice to distribute all the wealth among Muslims. Ali perhaps had the foresight to note that in future, these very accumulated riches would be turned into personal wealth by a few conniving and corrupt. Also, the concept of

professional paid army mitigated the entire concept of Jehad in Islam. This army was utilized by latter successors to the caliphate (read throne) to conquer territories. Fact is that the paid army became an investment whose job was to bring back war booties, as much as possible. Islam was defaced across the world, while the rulers lived a lavish life, all the time taking Gods name, but seldom obeying to His commands. Moreover, the armys services were utilized to kill anybody that was opposed to the rulers, even so they were Prophets companions or righteous men who were opposing the rulers over flaunting of principles laid down in Islam. If all this happened to the extent that even Husain and his followers as well as several Companions of the Prophets were killed or tortured at the hands of the oppressors, it was truly because the rights of the one Divinely appointed were usurped right at beginning.] Perhaps to compensate for the gradual loss of the moral and religious character of the caliphal office, Usman increasingly stressed the power, rather than the moral persuasion, of the caliph, and the duty of the people to render him absolute obedience. Seeking to justify some of his serious departures from the conduct of the first who caliphs, Usman asserted: Abu Bakr and Umar decided with regard to this public wealth to observe frugality towards themselves and their families. But I have decided to be generous towards my next-of-kin. In his effort to forestall any criticism of this policy, Usman reminded a disaffected assembly of the men of Medina of their duty to obey those who are in authority over them (see Quran, 4:59). He continued: Fear God your Lord, therefore, and know that the prerogative of the caliphate is a grave matter, far greater than you think. Historians present a long list of grievances which the people held against Usman, and which indicate a serious break with the moral and social tradition of the

Prophets Companions. Usman was faulted for rehabilitating his uncle al-Hakam b. Abi al-As who was banished by the Prophet from Medina, and whom neither Abu Bakr nor Umar would pardon. Usman also granted al-Hakams son, Marwan the fifth, of all the revenues of the province of Africa. This act was criticized on the ground that the Quran clearly stipulates that the fifth of any kind of booty belongs to God, His Messenger, the next-of-kin, the orphans and the destitute. (Quran: 8:48.) The elders of the Immigrants and Helpers also objected to Usmans lavish mansions of which he built seven for his wives and daughters, as well as the palaces which Marwan built with his ill-gained African wealth. Moreover, Usman ordered his collector of the alms of the merchants of the market of Medina to turn over the accumulated wealth to al-Hakam, but the man refused. Usman reprimanded him saying: You are only our treasurer. If, therefore, we favour you with any thing, then accept it gratefully, but if we leave you alone, then keep silent. The man objected: I am not your or your family s treasurer; I am the treasurer of the Muslims. He then angrily threw the keys of the treasury to the assembled Muslims while Usman was delivering the Friday prayer sermon. Among the most vocal critics of Usmans economic policies was Abuzar Ghaffari, a man well known for his insistence on social and economic justice, as well as his unwavering support for Imam Alis right to the caliphate. Abuzar is reported to have accused Usman and his Umayyad kinsmen of usurping Gods wealth and authority. This imprudent behaviour, Abuzar asserted, was predicted and denounced by the Prophet. Usman made large monitory gifts to his Umayyad relatives, gifts which he justified on their being surplus wealth. He argued: Do you not have his rightful share of the wealth?

Why then can I not do with the surplus whatever I wish? Otherwise, why am I the leader (Imam)? Usmans threat was reinforced by Muawiyas warning to the Companions to beware the might of his Syrian armies. He said: I commend my elder (shaykh) to you that you treat him well. By God, if his killed among you, I would fill the city with horses and men against you. [And proclaim myself as Caliph and rule over you, something that Muawiya obviously meant by didnt say.] Muawiya as well as Usmans other kinsmen regarded themselves not as functionaries of a state, representing the moral, political and economic interests of the Muslim community, but as feudal landlords and rulers in their own right. This attitude is well typified in a provocative remark which Saad b. Al-As, Usmans governor of Kufa, made in the presence of some of Imam Alis supporters: Certainly this Sawad (that is the rich agricultural lands of the two Rivers) is a garden for the people of the Quraish. Incensed by this remark, Malik Ashtar, a Yemenite resident of Kufa and close confident of Ali, challenged him saying: You mean that this Sawad which God has granted us through our own swords is a garden for you and your people? By God, no share that any of you shall have of it will ever exceed that of any of us. Following the sharp encounter between the men of Kufa and Saad b, al-As over the Sawad, the people rebelled and Usman was forced to dismiss him and appoint instead Abu Musa al-Ashari, a well-known Companion of the tribe of Qays of the Yemen. Abu Musa was a respected man, but of weak and indecisive personality. Like many other Companions, he feared sedition and was willing to sacrifice anything, including the principles of justice and moral integrity for unity and order. Usmans

inequitable and nepotistic policies were widely discussed and calls for his deposition were openly voiced. This was in fact the sentiment of the Kufans whom Abu Musa attempted to mollify, but with little success. He addressed the angry mob saying: O men, hold your peace! I heard the messenger of God say: Anyone who rises up in rebellion when the people have an imam and by God, he did not say a just imam seeking thereby to create sedition and disunity, you must kill him. [See how anybody who occupied the Caliphate had begun to be called Imam, in clear contrast to Prophets words, who was even trying to identify who that Imam would be.] In spite of the efforts of Imam Ali and other Companions to defend Usman who was besieged in his house by an angry mob, he was in the end murdered by unknown men, whose identity remains a matter of debate among historians. An important facto in the sedition (fitnah) which led to the death of Usman and the civil strife which ensued was his nepotistic and unjust economic policies. Usman was generous, dignified and pious old man who fell victim to the intrigues of his greedy kinsmen.
Imam Alis Quest for Economic Justice and its Consequences

It should be clear from our discussion thus far that social justice and economic equity were among the first priorities for Imam Ali. This important principle will be further demonstrated in the remaining pages of this study. It should be observed, however, that the quest for economic justice was not an isolated principle; rather it was an integral part of Imams philosophy of leadership. Imam Ali in fact made justice, and particularly economic equity the sole condition for assuming caliphal responsibilities. Historians are unanimous in reporting that Ali was

chosen by public acclamation. He insisted that his bayat take place in the mosque publicly and with the consent of all the men present. Thus Ali was the first and only popularly elected caliph in Muslim history. A number of the notables of the Quraish, however, left Medina as the rebellion against Usman intensified. Historians have widely differed as to who of the remaining members of Umars (shura) council actually witnessed Alis bayat. Imam Ali was not simply a political successor (khalifah) to the Prophet, but also his heir (wasi) as the spiritual head (imam) of the community. He considered his caliphal responsibility a divine trust, and was thus determined to be just and equitable in all his dealings. As a precondition for accepting the caliphal office he declared: I have no desire to rule over you, but you would not have it otherwise. I hold no special authority over you, except that I keep the keys to your public treasury. But I will not take even a small coin (dirham) from it above you share. Do you consent? Yes, they replied. Ali said, O God, bear witness over them! [The chief reason why Ali was not willing to accept the Caliphate after the demise of the third Caliph has been given by him here. The position of Caliphate was a Divine Authority and exercised complete control over men, their lives and dealings. This Divine Caliphate had been reduced to a level where the Caliphs chief responsibility was that he merely had the keys to the public treasury. The Upanishads have clearly said that the Imams chief objective was to lead men on the true path to God. And it is this which they endeavoured for all their lives. It was this reason because of which Ali used to go with Fatima in attempt to convince people to accept his caliphate. It was this reason why Husain accepted the invitation of the Kufans. But when the meaning of the Caliphate itself had been brought to ground till the time of the death of Usman, and that is why Ali refused to

accept the Caliphate until he was compelled by the people.] Ali wanted to abolish the social stratification which Umar had established and which Usman used to the advantage of his own kinsmen. He not only wished to distribute wealth equally, but also to assign government posts not on the basis of noble lineage or social prestige, but on the basis of personal piety and administrative honesty. He thus planned to dismiss Usmans governors and to reclaim for the central treasury all the wealth which some had illicitly accumulated during Usmans rule. His motto was, You are all Gods servants and all wealth is Gods wealth which will be equally divided among you. With regard to those who saw their lineage or priority in Islam as a source of power and high status, his view was: Anyone who answers the call of God and the Messenger, and thus accepts our faith, embraces our religion and faces our qiblah (direction of prayer) is entitled to the rights of Islam, and is subject to its religious and legal punishments (hudud). Few among Alis fellow Companions shared his idealism, and fewer still agreed with his seemingly unwise reform policies. The case of Talha and Zubayr is both typical and highly instructive. They are reported to have been among the first Companions to pledge allegiance to Ali. But they also were the first to revoke it. Yaqubi reports that they complained to Ali that they suffered deprivation after the Prophet. They demanded therefore that Ali make them partners in his authority. Ali replied, You are indeed my partners in strength and uprightness and my helpers in times of weakness and incapacity. He then wrote an appointment deed for Talha as governor over the Yemen and for Zubayr as governor over the districts of Yamamah and Bahrain. But they demanded rich gifts from the central treasury as an expression of

kindness to a near relative. Ali angrily revoked their appointment saying, But I have shown kindness to you by appointing you trustees over the affairs of the Muslims.
The Battle of the Camel

Having failed to achieve their objective by peaceful means, Talha and Zubayr asked permission of Ali to go to Makkah for the lesser pilgrimage (umrah), but in fact they went to organize an insurrection against him. The conflict known as the Battle of the Camel which ensued soon after Imam Ali took office demonstrates the sharp deterioration of the moral and religious basis of the caliphate and marks the beginning of the triumph of real politics over the values on which the Prophet Mohammad established the first Islamic commonwealth in Medina. Muslims were then motivated by their faith and the promise of Paradise. But after the vast conquests which these motivations achieved and the rich revenues they brought, the life of this world, which the Quran calls an ephemeral pleasure, tempted many away from their faith and turned others away form the world, including the political life of their own society. The Battle of Camel against Imam Ali was led by Talha, Zubayr and Ayesha, daughter of Abu Bakr, wife of the Prophet and mother of the faithful. It was fought outside the city of Basra in the southern Iran around Ayeshas camel, hence designation Battle of the Camel. This bloody battle was brief, lasting about four hours, yet it claimed the lives of many pious Muslims. Among the men who lost their lives in this conflict were its two main protagonists, Talha and Zubayr. Talha was killed by an arrow shot by Marwan b. al-Hakam who held him responsible for Usmans death. Seeing Talhas fate, Zubayr left the battlefield. He was, however, pursued and killed by a man of the tribe of Tamim at

the instigation of al-Ahnaf b. Qays, a notable of the Ansar and one of Alis devoted supporters. Al-Ahnaf was angry with Talha and Zubayr for bringing Ayesha out of her seclusion in the Prophet house. As Imam Ali continued to relentlessly pursue his policy of economic and political reforms, tensions between him and the political establishment which he inherited from Usman intensified. Ibn Abbas discerned the dangers inherent in the Imams uncompromising idealism and counseled political realism, but to no avail. Before the Battle of the Camel, Ibn Abbas advised the Imam to grant Talha and Zubayr lucrative posts, simply to assuage their love of power and material wealth. But Ali revoked their appointments precisely because of their attachment to them. The Battle of Camel precipitated a moral and religious crisis for pious Muslims. It put into serious question the integrity, and hence leadership role, of some of the Prophets closest and most venerated companions. It raised anew the old issue of religious verses tribal loyalty which bedeviled the caliph office from its inception. It stirred as well the old blood feuds which devasted pre-Islamic Arab society, and which Islam came to eradicate.
Muawiyas Opposition

The conflict between Ali and Muawiya rested on Alis conviction of the unquestionable legitimacy of his caliphal authority and Muawiyas increasing insistence on his right to be the heir (wali) of Usman in demanding retaliation for his blood. This claim, moreover, became the basis of Muawiyas bid for the caliphate. Ibn Qutaybah reports that Muawiya received the allegiance of the people of Syria as Usmans successor soon after Ali had assumed the caliphal office.

These points of contention are clearly set forth in a long letter which Ali wrote to Muawiya, as reported by Nasr b. Muzahim (d. 213 A.H./828 A.D.), one of the earliest historians of the civil war of Siffin. Ali argued: My bayat (oath of allegiance) from the people of Medina is binding upon you even though you are in Syria. This is because they are the people who gave the same oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr, Umar and Usman. Thus others who were present had no choice in this matter, and those who were far away had no right to object, for the prerogative of consultation (shura) belongs only to the muhajirun and Ansar. Once they had agreed on a man as the imam and declared him by name, their decision must be accepted. If, moreover, anyone deviates from their decision either by denouncing it or coveting (the caliphate for himself), they must bring him back. If he resists, they must fight him, for he would have followed not the way of the people of faith. Ali then recounted the fate of Talha and Zubayr after they had revoked their bayat. As for the murderers of Usman, the Imam counseled Muawiya to join the Muslims in their pledge of fealty to him and promised to judge among them in accordance with the Book of God. Ali concluded by reminding Muawiya that he was one of those who were pardoned by the Prophet on the day of the conquest of Makkah; hence he had no legitimate claim to the caliphate. It was observed above that one of the primary causes of the insurrection of Talha and Zubayr, and hence the Battle of the Camel was their desire for wealth and prestige. We also saw that Imam Ali was uncompromising in his refusal to grant any favours either to buy loyalty, or neutralize opposition. His strict egalitarian justice with regard to the distribution of wealth made many of the elders of the Quraish, including some of his own relatives

and strong supporters turn against him. Perhaps in anticipation of a direct confrontation with Muawiya, Ali is reported to have written to his governors calling on them for support against him. Ali admonished al-Ashath b. Qays, one of Usmans governors whom he confirmed in their posts, saying Your administrative post is not a private source of wealth for you to devour but a trust. You have in your hands some of Gods wealth, and you are one of its treasurers until you surrender it to me. I will not be the worst of your masters if you act uprightly. Al-Ashath was a pragmatic old man, who was, generally lukewarm in his loyalty to the Imam. He was troubled by Alis letter because he feared that he would bring him to account for large sums of the revenues of Azarbaijan, which al-Ashath had illicitly absconded during his tenure as governor of that province under Usman. He thus contemplated going over to Muawiya, but his close associates rebuked him and compelled him to remain loyal to Imam Ali instead. Far more instructive is the case of Alis own brother Aqeel b. Abu Talib who went to him in Kufa requesting financial help to support his large family. Ali offered to give his own stipend (ata) when he receives it, but Aqeel insisted on large sums from the central treasury. The Imam asked his brother to stay with him till the following Friday, and after the prayers he asked, What would you say about a man who betrays the trust of all these people? Evil indeed is such a man, Aqeel replied. Ali retorted, But you are asking me to defraud them all by granting you illicit wealth. Aqeel angrily left his brother and went to Muawiya. On the day of his arrival, Muawiya made him a generous gift of hundred and seventy thousand dirhams. He then asked, O Abu Yazid (Aqeels kunya) who is better for

you, I or Ali? Aqeel answered, I found Ali more concerned with his soul than with me, but I found you more concerned with me than with your own soul. From the start of caliphal rule we witness a growing clash between economic and political interests and the fundamentals of Islam. This clash during Alis caliphate is graphically portrayed in two anecdotes. The first was a brief exchange between him and his nephew Abd Allah b. Jafar b. Abu Talib. Abd Allah asked for financial help from the central treasury, for he was forced to sell the fodder of his animals to feed his children. Ali replied, No, by God, I have nothing to give you, unless you command your uncle to steal and give you. The second was Alis reply to the advice of some of his followers to favour the notables of the Arabs, and particularly those of the Quraish over non-Arab clients (mawali) in the allotment of stipends, as Muawiya. In this way, they argued, Ali would secure the loyalty of the Arabs and strengthen his own authority. But Ali answered: Do you wish me to seek victory through oppression? By God, I will never do that so long as the sun rises and stars appear in the sky. For, by God, had this wealth belonged to me, I would distribute it equally among them. How much more is this imperative when these revenues are theirs by right. Muawiya strengthened his chances of success in his bid for power by enticing Amr b. As to be his close collaborator in the fight against Ali. The account of Amrs acceptance of Muawiyas invitation may be largely apocryphal. It is, nonetheless, a clear demonstration of the way Muawiya and all his successors used the wealth of the Muslims to buy power, and Imam Alis refusal to seek victory through oppression. This is because for him the unjust distribution, and unlawful acquisition of

wealth is a form of oppression of zulm, which is a great sin. Unable to make up his mind as to whether he should accept Muawiyas invitation or not, Amr is reported to have asked his two sons for advice. Abd Allah, a pious Companion and respected traditionist, said: I see that the Prophet of God died and was still pleased with you, as were the two caliphs (Abu Bakr and Umar) after him. Furthermore, Usman was killed while you were away from him. Therefore, stay in your house, for you will never be chosen for the caliphate, nor should you yourself choose to be one of Muawiyas retinue for a meager portion of this world, which may be the cause of your wretchedness and perdition. [See how Caliphate had become something that all and sundry wanted to acquire. Just like in various countries today, politics, power and wealth had become the means to acquire it. Our view is that even now, if the Muslim world is giving up tyrants like Saddam or Sauds, and if Islam has become a pariah religion in the eyes of few, it is because of errors committed right after Prophets death. Had the institution of Muslims leadership remained in the hands of the Divinely appointed successors to Prophet, the world history would have surely been written differently.] Mohammad, Amrs younger and worldly-minded son, advised his father to join the people of Syria in demanding vengeance for the blood of Usman, so that he may be a head rather than a tail in any effort to resolve this important matter. Amr observed As for you, Abd Allah, you have advised me to do that which is best for me in the hereafter. But you, Mohammad, you advised me to do that which is best for me in this world. Still unable to make up his mind, Amr ordered Wardan, a pious and perceptive servant of his, first to

set out and then to stop and unload. Perceiving his masters perplexity, Wardan commented: This world and the world to come are fighting over your heart and you stand confused between the two. You say with Ali is the hereafter but not this world, yet the hereafter has much to compensate for the loss of the goods of this world. With Muawiya, on the other hand, is this world, but this world is no substitute for the world to come. Wardan advised his master not to go. For, he said, if the people of religion prevail, you would live in the clemency of their faith. But if the people of this world prevail, they will surely seek your advice. Amr saw his venture with Muawiya purely as an opportunity to regain authority over Egypt and its fabulous wealth, having himself conquered it during Umar s caliphate. Thus he asked Muawiya, What would you give me if I collaborate with you in your fight against Ali? I shall give you Egypt, as a tasty morsel for you to devour, Muawiya answered.
The Battle of Siffin

The battle of the Camel was a serious but brief encounter largely between Alis Kufan supporters and his Basran opponents. The Battle of Siffin, in contrast, involved the populations of Syria and Iraq and was a protracted and bloody conflict which dragged on for weeks. Furthermore, while the two conflicts arose from similar motives and circumstances, that of Siffin had far more reaching consequences and claimed many more lives. In fact, the Siffin civil war irreparably deepened the split of the Muslim community and changed the face of its history. More blatantly than in the battle of the Camel, power and wealth were the primary motives behind the

first civil war in Islam, commonly referred to as the Battle of Siffin. It is beyond the scope and purpose of this study to go into the details of this tragic conflict. It must, however, be observed that Ali engaged in the war of Siffin because he could not shirk his responsibility to preserve the Islamic ideal of justice, as well as Islams polity intact, while for Muawiya and Amr b. As, it was a way to gain power and wealth. This contrast in the motives of the Imam and his opponents may be clearly discerned in the conduct of the two parties. Imam Ali is reported to have written to the leaders of the army which he dispatched ahead of him to Siffin, enjoining them not to transgress against people in their towns and villages. They should not disturb them except when in dire need of food, or to ask for a guide in case they lose their way. He said: God has made you all equal before the truth, the black and the red of you (that is everyone regardless of ethnicity and lineage). He likewise made your relationship to the ruler (wali) like that of a father to a child, or a child to the father. Your right over him is that he should act justly among you and refrain from usurping your lawfully gained booty (fay). If he does that, then it is incumbent upon you to obey and support him in whatever is consonant with the truth, and that you defend Gods authority. For, your are Gods defenders in the land. Be, therefore, Gods helpers and supporters of His religion. The Imam concluded with the Quranic injunction, Do not spread corruption in the earth after it has been set right, for God loves not those who spread corruption. The Imams problems at Siffin did not arise only from Muawiyas lavish bribes with which he bought the hearts and consciences of men, but also from the radical and often aggressive individualism of the tribesmen in

his camp and the obedience of the more urbanized Syrian army to Muawiyas every command. This radical individualism, which often expressed itself in spontaneous and hasty emotional actions, was an important component of the clash of narrow tribal politics with religious morality in early Islam. This clash was clearly illustrated by an event which occurred at the banks of the Euphrates prior to the encounter of the two armies at Siffin. Muawiyas soldiers preceded Ali and his fighters to the water and vowed to block their way to it at all cost. Their determination was expressed by al-Walid b. Uqbah who vowed: I shall deny them water as they did deny it Usman b. Affan. They besieged him for forty days and denied him the taste of cool water and good food. I shall kill them with thirst, may God kill them. [Note that the weapon being used by the proponents of evil was still peoples emotional attachment to religion and Islam. They used it to their advantage so much so that even in Karbala, there were some who wanted to kill Husain in the name of Islam. This was the result of the continued propaganda drive against Ali and his family and vigorous attack on their personality, even if it meant falsely implicating Ali of the murder of Usman, by those who themselves were suspicious of being involved in the crime.] Yaqubis report of this event demonstrates more sharply the point under discussion. Muawiyas own men pleaded with him not to let the people die of thirst, for there were among them the (innocent) slave, handmaid and hired-hand. But he insisted, May God not allow me and Abu Sufyan to drink from the Spring (hauz) of the Messenger of God if they ever drink of this water. But when Alis fighters quickly drove them away from the riverbank, Muawiyahs men were greatly alarmed. Amr b. As, who strongly objected to this unseemly

behaviour, reassured Muawiya, saying, Ali would not deem it lawful to do to you and your men what you and your men did to them. [It is clear that Amr b. As, despite being on the Muawiyas side, knew the true nature of Ali. Yet they opposed Ali because politics demanded that they opposed him, if they wanted to go for their desired benefits in this world. Amr b. As even knew Ali to such an extent that when he fell down in an armed conflict with Ali and was about to be killed, he opened up his lower garment and Ali turned away in disgust. Despite this, he did everything in his power to weaken Ali and was even instrumental in killing the governor appointed by Ali to Egypt.] The Siffin civil war did not represent a conflict among the different Arab tribes, but a clash between two religious, social and political ideologies. It was a conflict between the caliphate as an old Arab and Islamic institution, represented by Ali, and an oligarchical rule, represented by Muawiya. The shift towards this new and unfamiliar form of government was initiated by Usman and developed into an autocratic authority by his Umayyad and Abbasid successors. Alis caliphate may therefore be regarded as a brief, but violent interlude in this inevitable development. Tribal affiliations and interests [that had resurfaced during the time of the previous three Caliphs, another great evil that the first three Caliphs could be held accountable for] greatly influenced both the course and outcome of the conflict of Siffin. Many of the fighters on both sides were motivated wither by the pre-Islamic zeal (hamiyah) to preserve tribal honour at any cost, or by wealth and boot. Men from both sides would meet between the two lines of battle to recite pre-Islamic panegyrics boasting of the high prestige and noble lineage of their tribal ancestors. Driven by this tribal zeal, Ibn Muzahim observes, they steadfastly stood their ground,

being so ashamed of running away that war nearly consumed them. Ibn Muzahim relates that Muawiya gave generous stipends to the men of the Yemenite tribe of Akk for which alone they agreed to fight. The men of Iraq coveted such rich gifts, and therefore greedily turned their gaze towards Muawiya. This is because, Ali would not violate his principle of equity in the distribution of wealth, even in times of war. Sensing this, Muawiya vowed to buy Alis most trusted men saying, By God, I will distribute wealth so abundantly among them that my world shall overcome their hereafter. [Note that those fighting for revenge of Usmans murder in the name of Islam paid no heed or respect to the life after death. All this accounts are also important because they can give an indication how the true teachings of Krishna as well as the sages of post-Vedic period could have been hijacked by those aspiring for this world. If Sankaracharyas of today may be said to have involved in gross crimes in order to protect their control over wealth and power, isnt it nave to think that all the so-called sages of the previous times, including the likes of Bhishma and Drona, were equally God-fearing.] The war of Siffin ended inconclusively through Amrs clever stratagem by having Muawiyas soldiers lift copies of the Quran on the tips of their spears and call on the Book of God to judge between the two armies. He resorted to this plot just when Imam Alis men were about to win the war. Amrs scheme succeeded because the fighters on both sides wanted an end to the bloodshed. Muawiya and his men wanted the war to end because there were losing it. Imam Alis fighters were divided into several factions. The majority argued for answering the call to let the Book of God judge between the two opposing parties. Others argued for an immediate end to hostilities at any cost, as they were convinced

that the war threatened the very existence of the Arabs and their Arabo-Islamic state. A large number of Alis soldiers demanded that he accept the call of Muawiya and his men to let the Book of God judge between them. They threatened O Ali, answer the call of the people to the Book of God, or we shall kill you as we killed Usman b. Affan. By God, we shall do it if you do not heed their call. Ali cautioned them not be to deceived by this seemingly pious act. He said, It is a word of truth (they utter), but intend only falsehood by it. He begged them to fight on for only another hour, as victory was so near at hand, but they absolutely refused. In desperation he concluded: I have indeed been fighting them in order that they abide by the judgment of the Quran I have informed you that that they have deceived you, for it is not abiding by the Quran that they desire. [Note what blind faith can do to ones reasoning faculties, something that is the hallmark of Wahabism.] These dissenters were pious men who spent their nights in prayers and the recitation of the Quran. Their uncompromising piety, however, was combined with intractable individualism and strict egalitarianism. They were not, moreover, just a few hardheaded men, but thousands of brave and persuasive warriors. They constituted a cohesive opposition not only to Ali, but to the whole caliphal establishment. Hence, they came to be known as khawarij, those who went out, that is of Alis camp. But in reality, they seceded from the Muslim ummah altogether. The Khawarij then insisted on the appointment of two arbiters to consider the matter in light of the Quran and judge between Imam Ali and Muawiya. Again the Imam tried in vain to dissuade them, but to no avail. At last Muawiya appointed Amr b. As as his representative,

but the Imams Yemenite men insisted on Abu Musa alAshari instead of Ibn Abbas, who was the choice of the Imam. Their argument was that they would not accept two Mudarite men to lord over them. In contrast with Amr b. As, who was unreservedly committed to Muawiyas cause [because of the promise for control of Egypt], Abu Musa was an unwilling arbiter who cared little for either Ali or Muawiya. This, of course, placed the Imam at a definite disadvantage, even before the start of the arbitration process. Ali in fact compromised his position by accepting arbitration in the first place, regardless of its outcome. This is because the arbitration was not between a legitimate Imam of the Muslims and a rebellious governor, but between two contending amirs. As the two arbiters could reach no mutually acceptable verdict, Amr again resorted to clever subterfuge. He first tried to convince Abu Musa to nominate Muawiya for the caliphate on the grounds of his honoured status in the Quraish, his companionship (suhabah) with the Prophet and the fact that he was the brother of Umm Habibah, the Prophets wife. But Abu Musa argued that the caliphal office should be conferred on the basis not of honour but of righteous conduct and moral probity. He continued, Were I to confer the caliphate on the most highly honoured man in the Quraish, I would grant it to Ali Ibn Abu Talib. Amr then promised Abu Musa that if he were to side with Muawiya, the latter would reward him with the governorship of any province he wished, but Abu Musa refused. He suggested instead that they depose both Ali and Muawiya and appoint as caliph called Abd Allah b. Umar, because he stayed out of the conflict altogether. But Amr objected, This office requires a man with a strong tooth who knows how to eat himself and how to feed others, and Abd Allah is not such a man. Finally the two men agreed to depose Ali and

Muawiya and call for the election of a new caliph through general consultation. The two men then came before a large gathering who anxiously awaited their verdict. Abu Musa announced that he and Amr have come to a decision which, they hoped would bring peace and concord to the Ummah. Amr assented and called on him to speak. But Ibn Abbas warned Abu Musa that Amr means to trick him. If they have actually come to an agreement, Ibn Abbas cautioned, let Amr speak first. Abu Musa, however, stepped forward and said: My companion and I have agreed to remove both Ali and Muawiya and face anew this matter through general consultation among the Muslims, so that they appoint anyone they choose to manage their affairs. I therefore depose both Ali and Muawiya. Take charge of this matter yourselves and bestow the caliphate on whomever you deem worthy of it. Amr then arose and said: You have all heard what this man has said, and that he had deposed his companion. I too depose him as he did and confirm my companion Muawiya in the caliphate. This is because he is Usmans heir and requiter of his blood, and therefore most worthy of his station. Abu Musa retorted angrily. What is the matter with you, may God not aid you! You have acted wickedly and treacherously; you are like a dog, if you scold him he pants and if you leave him he pants (Quran, 7:176). Amr sarcastically retorted, You are like a donkey loaded with scrolls (Quran, 62:5). After a brief outbreak of general chaos, the men on both sides dispersed and the war of Siffin, which Imam Ali was about to win, ended in Muawiyas favour. Following the war of Siffin, the Imams authority was challenged first by the disaffection of many of his

supporters and then by the loss of a number of important regions to Muawiyas marauding armies and political deceptions. The loss of the important province of Egypt along with two of his closest supporters left the Imam virtually alone. Muawiya succeeded in turning Ali against his faithful governor of Egypt, Qays b. Sad through a mixture of threats, promises of lucrative posts and large bribes, as well as false rumours. The Imam dismissed Qays and sent Mohammad b. Abu Bakr as governor of Egypt. In the meantime, Muawiya had sent Amr b. As as the head of a large army, including fighters of his own private police force to secure that province for him. Amr defeated Mohammad b. Abu Bakr and took charge of Egypt. He then had the son of his fellow Companion killed and burnt in the skin of a dead donkey. After considering restoring Qays to his old post, the Imam decided to send Malik Ashtar to deal with Egypts thorny problem. But Muawiya sent one of his men who befriended al-Ashtar, as he was on his way to Egypt and provided him with food and fodder for his animals. The man then treacherously offered al-Ashtar a poisoned honey drink which killed him. The death of al-Ashtar was a great loss to the Imam, for it deprived him of a faithful friend and a brave warrior. Muawiya likewise sent military contingents to different regions to intimidate the people and coerce them into pledging allegiance to him. To this end, he dispatched his trusted commander Busr b. Abi Artah alAmiri at the head of a considerable force to the region of Yemen by way of the Hijaz. Busr threatened and insulted the Ansar of the Prophets City saying: You company of Jews and sons of slaves, by God, I shall inflict upon you such a reprisal as would comfort the hearts of the people of faith and of the family of

Usman. By God, I shall make of you tales like those of bygone nations. Busr then forced the people of the holy City including its venerable governor Abu Ayyub al-Ansari to choose between death or giving bayat to Muawiya. He then dismissed Abu Ayyub and installed the well-known hadees transmitter Abu Hurayrah as Muawiyas governor in his place. [It is unfortunate that a section of Muslims consider the narrations coming from sources like Abu Hurayrah as true, when his lineation towards this world as against the Gods world is evident. Under Umayyad rule, several narrators like Abu Hurayrah emerged, who were patronized by Muawiya or his successors, and who chiefly coined narrations to denigrate the Ahlebayt, household of the Prophet.] Thus the prediction of Hubabs of the humiliation of the Ansar at the hands of Abu Bakrs successors came true. The city of Makkah also suffered a similar humiliation. Needless to say, these and other problems impeded the Imams efforts to reestablish the just economic framework which the Prophet had legislated for any Islamic state, regardless of its size and complexity. Another source of trouble for the Imam was The Kharijite uprising, which involved him in yet another bloody battle. The Kharijites based their opposition to Imam Ali on three points. The first was his consent to delete the title of Commander of the Faithful from the truce document with Muawiya. The second was his failure to strike them with the sword when they rebelled against him and demanded arbitration, until they return to Gods command. Their third objection was to his refusal to repent as they did and return to Gods judgment. [See instead of being led by Ali, majority wanted to lead Ali as per their own view, yet, in truth, they were all blind worshippers.]

As for the first objection, Ali argued that he only followed the example of the Prophet in the truce of Hudaibiya. Secondly, he did not strike them with the sword, because, he continued, they were a large multitude, while he and the men of his household were few, and God says, Cast not yourselves with your own hands into perdition (Quran, 1:195). With regard to the third objection, namely his refusal to abjure arbitration, Ali argued, that arbitration was necessary, as God enjoined the arbitration of just men even in the case of a rabbit, worth no more than a quarter dirham. The opposition of the Kharijites appears to have been primarily not to the way the Imam dealt with arbitration, but again to his quest for economic justice in Muslim society. This is demonstrated by the following exchange between them and the Imam, just before the battle of Nahrwan. This battle, which took place on 9th Safar, 40 A.H. (17 July, 658), marks the beginning of Kharijite opposition not only to Alis rule, but to the Quraishite caliphate altogether. Ali advanced against them with a large army. But before the start of battle, he faced them and cried out, O people, I am Ali ibn Abu Talib, speak and tell me the reasons for your indignant opposition to me. The Kharijites were angry with Ali on three counts. Their first point of contention was that they fought with him the people of Basra in the Battle of the Camel, but when his fighters defeated them, he allowed the fighters only to pillage what the enemies had in their camp and forbade them to take their women and children captive. The Imam answered that the people of Basra started the fighting; thus when he defeated them he divided the booty of those who fought. He did not take the women and children captive because the women did not fight and the children were born in the faith of Islam. He

added that since the Prophet pardoned the people of Makkah on the day of conquest, while they were still associators (mushrikun) of other things with God, they should not fault him on showing the same clemency towards Muslims. The second point was their objection to Alis deleting his title from the truce document, as has already been observed. They contended, If you are not the Commander of the Faithful, then you must be the commander of the rejecters of faith. Since we are people of faith, you cannot be our commander. [However, it is evident that Ali, who was first of all opposed to arbitration itself, accepted for deletion due to preserve the unity in the ranks of Muslims. Moreover, there was a precedence in front of him when the Prophet had removed the title Prophet of God from his name at the time of the Peace treaty of Hudaibiya, when the Makkans had objected to it. Why did they not object at the prophethood of Mohammad, if he allowed the name to be deleted? Such trifle issues have always been blown up by the misguided and continue to plague the Islamic world till today.] They finally objected to Alis instructions to the two arbitrators to search the Book of God and, in accordance with its precepts, confirm him in the caliphate if they deem him more worthy than Muawiya. But if they find Muawiya to be more worthy than him, then they should confirm him instead. If , they argued, you have doubt concerning yourself, and that Muawiya may be more worthy than you. Our doubt in you is even greater. Ali argued that he did this in order to play fair with Muawiya, for had he simply told the arbitrators to judge in his favour, Muawiya would not consent. Ali then invoked in support of his argument the mubahila encounter between the Prophet and the Christians of Najran, where the Prophet did not say, Come let us pray and lay Gods

curse upon you, but upon the liars. Nahrwans was Imam Alis last battle. In vain he tried to enlist support for an army to stop Muawiyas excursions into the regions of the Islamic domains, which he carried out with increasing impunity. On his way back from Nahrwan, Ali encamped in Nukhaylah, a suburb of Kufa, and sent his son Imam Hasan to convince the men of the City to join him in a decisive battle against Muawiya, but to no avail. Even the men who were with him, surreptitiously deserted him and stole away to their homes in Kufa. Ibn Hilal al-Thaqafi reports that most of the notables of Kufa were insincere towards Ali, and were inclined towards Muawiya. This was because Ali did not give anymore than his rightful share of the state revenues (fay), while Muawiya allocated an extra sum of two thousand dirhams as preferential gifts to those of noble lineage. Furthermore, Ali used to distribute the contents of the house of the central treasury (bayt al-mal) every Friday. Then he would wash its floor with water to purify it and perform two cycles (rakahs) of prayer in it and say, these will testify for me on the day of Resurrection. This he did in emulation of the Prophet and Abu Bakr, as he said: My intimate friend (khalil) the Messenger of God never withheld any wealth for the morrow, and Abu Bakr did likewise. But Umar had a different opinion, in that he established state registers and withheld wealth from one year to the next. As for me, I shall do what the Messenger of God did.
Conclusion

Imam Ali spent the last months of his life frustrated and virtually deserted. Day after day, he would call upon the men of Kufa to rise up against Muawiya, whose soldiers continued to intimidate the people and coerce

them into pledging allegiance to him, but no would listen. The Imams appeals and exhortations have been preserved in moving orations, which remain among the great gems of Arabic literature. Finally, he convinced his long-time devotee Jariyah b. Qudama to restrain Busrs incursions against the peoples of the Yemen and the Hijaz with a force of over two thousand horsemen. Imam Ali was martyred as this final effort to oppose wrongdoing and establish justice in Mohammads community was going on. Umar, Usman and Ali, all died for the quest for economic justice. But while Umars well-intentioned inequity in the distribution of wealth and Usmans irrational adherence to the principle of kindness to the next-of-kin (silat al-rahim) were the immediate causes of their death, Ali died in the Jehad to undo the mistakes of his two predecessors. He died in the struggle to return to the practice of his intimate friend the Messenger of God. [Is any more proof needed that the political happenings at Saqifa on the day of Prophets death distorted the face to Islam, which continued getting distorted till it reached its intensity on the day of Karbala, the manifestations of which can still be seen in the Islamic world in the form of modern day Osamas, Saddams and Sauds. After Alis death, people recognized Hasan as caliph. But they were the same people who had disenchanted Ali and Hasan was no different than Ali in character. He too had to face the ingratitude of them, as they wanted to be part of worldly gains, and not indulge in sacrifices. Therefore, it is evident that Ali lived and died for God even in the midst of those who only had this world to seek. Gita describes such persons

perfectly and also the Absolute Man that Ali and Hasan were. Consequently, as a result of a treaty between Hasan and Muawiya, the latter became the Caliph of the entire Muslim world. The traitor of Islam and the one who had rebelled against the Caliph became the Caliph of Islam. Several historians even showered praises of Muawiyas conduct and wrote narrations extolling his virtues. So much so that the greater percentage of Muslims accept Muawiya as caliph right till this day. There are clear lessons in this for those who regard all the literature that they possess, right from smritis, puranas and Vedas till Gita as equally sacred; it being far older and there is no way to ascertain the facts but through giving it a test of reason.] Shias celebrate the Day of Ghadir Khum as Eid. This was the day when, by the command of Allah, the Holy Prophet appointed Imam Ali, as his successor. This is a day of Eid (rejoicing) and it has out-standing merit over all other eids. This is the Eid of Allah the Almighty, and the Eid of the progeny of Mohammad. The name of this Eid in heavens is, Eid-e-Mahood. On earth it is called, Eid-e-Meesaq. People congratulate each other by saying: All praise is due to Allah, Who placed us among those who steadfast in accepting the accepting the leadership of Ali and his successors. Also it is recited: All praise is due to Allah Who perfected His religion and showered His blessings by appointing Leader of the faithful, Ali bin Abu Talib, peace be on him as our guardian.

Ah Woman! Aha Woman!

Whether you agree to it or not, the truth is that today, the entire world is enamored by the West. Such is the influence of the West on our thinking, life and actions. Our youth wish to live like their Western counterparts, eat like their Western counterparts, dress like their Western counterparts and are so much in awe of their lifestyle, that they view everything that comes from the West with respect. Fact is that this is a recent phenomenon. Though traces of it were evident during the period of British occupation, it certainly was not so widespread during those times. There are some who call it as a psychological problem due to our remaining occupied by them for such a long period. However, when we find that there are those countries, which have never been ruled by the British or the Americans but are enamoured by the Western culture, we are forced to believe that there is surely some other reason for it. There are those like Iranians who publicly show their hate for the West and particularly the US yet you will find that most of the Iranian youths retain a secret desire for American lifestyle. Even when USSR was a communist country, the Russian youths secretly admired the Americans and their way of life. Economy or wealth is also never the reason as a lot many countries that have higher per capita income than the US too are not bereft of this problem. And the youths of countries like Cuba, who till today follow a communist form of Government, were never attracted as much to the lifestyle of the people of USSR as they are to that of the US. What is it that the US and the West Europe offer that we do not have? Spirituality of the West is certainly not the reason, as we find that more and more

Westerners are today getting attracted towards Indian spirituality. Take the US as the case? Neither does it have a richer history than us, nor a philosophy, neither the art nor a 5000-year-old culture like us, and neither it has more beautiful people than the tanned, salty skins of the people of the Indian sub-continent. If you want your beauties to be fairer and matching American standards, Iranian ladies would any day beat the Americans. Money, we have said, is not the criteria as countries like Sweden have higher per capita income. Nor is power the criteria, as till recently there were two superpowers, perceived to be equally powerful and such hysteria for Russian lifestyle has never been witnessed. It is extremely unfortunate that nobody has tried to solve this mystery as well. Perhaps the people are themselves so overawed by the Western culture that they are unable to come to any conclusion. Or perhaps the all-powerful Western media is responsible which throttle all such thoughts and never allow them to propagate. Neither in India, with its variety of thinkers ranging from religious to leftists, the Communists and the pro-West nobody has written on the subject, at least to our knowledge. We find that there is nothing great in the West that others dont have. And the only reason why the West attracts so much of attention, it is because of sex or at least the perceived notion that following all that is associated with them makes availability of sex easier. Remove the perceived notion that the West is synonymous of a lifestyle where sex is easy to get, and you will find that all the attraction of the West would diminish. Fact is that we all possess a love of sex. Reading that psyche, even the Indian newspapers have started giving sexy pictures as a rule, even if it means that they would have to download sexy pictures from the net, and create stories around it (it is noteworthy that a few

like The Hindu are an exception even now). You talk to the marketing guy in one of these newspapers and he would confirm that even the elderly stop at those pictures for a while, whereas a lot many youths read the paper only because of these pictures. There is a leading Hindi daily whose sale nearly gets doubled on those days when it prints the sexy pictures on cover, that too on glossy paper. There is an Indian movie director who is on record saying that there is lot of sex in his movies because the people wish to see sex. Just seeing the splurge of sex scenes in our movies and you will know that most of the directors agree to his view. Osho too realized it during his stay in the US and knowing well that his religion had otherwise no great thought to make it appealing, inbuilt sex to add to its attraction. So much so that people started finding extraordinary depth in his philosophy. Not only that, women themselves have fallen prey so much so that several of them consider this as their ticket to fame and money. So much so that the tennis star Sharapova is chosen as a sex-symbol to market womens tennis. Writes Times of India (Nov. 16, 2004) in an article lifted from the The Sunday Times, London: As Sharapova sank to her knees at winning the Wimbledon title four months ago, she provided the perfect solution for the people who market womens tennis. She is attractive and talented. However, unlike another fairhaired Russian who maximized her attributes, she can also win titles. It seems certain attributes are more important and that she can win titles is an added advantage. Further it writes: Which tournament director wouldnt use her image to promote an event? Those attempting to increase interest in the season finale WTA Tour Championships were no different. Crowds at this event featuring the top eight ranked female players are usually dismal, and something needed to be done

to avert swathes of empty seats at the Staples Centre, home of basketballs LA Lakers. And as for political correctness, the nearby Convention Centre will soon stage the United States annual trade fair for adult entertainment. If we say that the Governments too gain from this image, you should give this a serious thinking. Unfortunately women too are part of this menace, with or without their choice. Serena Williams says: Its a wonderful picture. But its unfortunate that if youre a female actress or singer, its the sexiest ones that sell more tickets. I hate it but sex sells. It was long back that Freud had revealed the importance of sex. He went on to say that all our lives, all our relations were governed by sex; so much so that if it had not been taboo due to social restrictions, we would be having sex with the closest of our relatives. Somebody somewhere understood the truth in Freuds logic and decided to put it into practice. Soon, the West began to be perceived as a haven for sex, and all across the world, people belonging to all faiths, all cultures, all societies realized that the best options for sex were available in the West. Once this got established, it was easier to sell their products, the more they were sold, the more was their hegemony over the rest of the world was established. At this stage we are reminded of the Urdu verse:

Badi mushkil hai ke halaat kee guthee suljhe Ahle daanish ne bohut soch ke uljhaai hai.
(It is very difficult that the mystery of the things get solved. The intellectuals have puzzled it after much thought.) Very much like Mumbai which used to draw people in hordes to Mumbai, till the mass media and easy mode of conveyance shattered those myths; very much for

the reason why American movies are popular even when they are devoid of a proper theme or subject; and very much like those who found lofty thoughts in Oshos religion, consequent to being drawn because of sex people started finding all the positive things in the West and its people. Their mode of economy, about which we have written later that it is bound to fail in Indian circumstances, is accepted as the only course. The inbound tourism increases leaps and bounds and even the educational institutions get students in hordes not to speak of the job-seekers, which led to the phenomena of brain-drain. Based on this perceived view of sex, their language, their culture, their fashion and more importantly their products are accepted, even among people who otherwise harness a deep-rooted hatred to the US and its policies. And since everything with their tag is accepted blindly, their newspapers sell, who are also propagating sex the best they can, and simultaneously, their views of the world and the interpretations of major happenings all across the globe reach the tables of editors in other countries, who use them in their respective papers in the same manner as they download the readily available pictures and use them in the newspapers. We are told that the Jews control the leading media in the US. Somebody even told this writer that it was the Jews who started it all and the proof of this claim is that despite the fact that they control the media in the US, their own colonies and their own country is free from this menace. However, since this writer is yet to ascertain this, it should not be accepted as true unless put to a proper check. But one thing is certain! The same American media that sells sex so extensively, also labels Khomeini as a terrorist, protects Rushdi who only tried to add sex to the life of the Prophet and comments on the US policies and elections, keeping the Jewish interests in mind.

Did we ever realize what is it that we are serving our near and dear ones along with the breakfast every morning? Semi-nude pictures of those whose reason for being there is that they have worked in a porn movie, of those who have featured on the cover of a leading sex magazine, of those whose breast popped out, of those who were wearing the most revealing dress, of those who were spotted kissing, etc. in public, of those who were clicked with a long-distance camera while they were holidaying somewhere, of those whose only reason for fame is the availability of nude pictures on the net, of those who had sex with many, of those who are eyeing someone else while still married to another, and of those who possess the biggest this and the sexiest that or the best this and the voluptuous that. Internet has now given them much more easier access to the living rooms of the people. So much so that what they couldnt show through magazines and TV is now easily available on the Internet, hidden behind reams of material on all other sciences and subjects, including the views related to major happenings around the world. We forget that those whom we marvel and look upon in such esteem the Westerners are getting attracted towards us, after being fed up of Western culture and after first-hand experiencing its ill effects. We also do not realize what are we giving to our children? A legacy of a society where fathers name is least important, where divorce, extra-marital relations, rape, homosexuality, lesbianism and crime are common. Of a society where children take real guns to schools! Where psychiatrists are reaping rewards to the best possible and where obesity, heart-ailments, diabetes, etc. are more common than us. No doubt American citizens are suffering because of the selfish interests of their own rulers, and there is no way out for them.

They too got enamoured by the evils and vices because of the astute planning of leading men of their own society and fell for materialism. This led them to a state that unlike India were our soldiers fight for the honour of the country, half their forces fight for money and the remaining half, for the Green Card that would give them entry to the world full of sex. Is there any doubt that the US too is doing it for similar purposes? American citizens got these ailments and vices because of the selfish interests of their policy planners and certain leading men of their own society. Today they are fed up and want to get out but have few choices. We have the choice to say no, yet we are still drifting towards them, lured by nothing else but sex.
Corrupting the Faith

Over and above the reasons mentioned above, one chief reason behind propagating sex extensively is its potency as a tool to corrupt the faith of others. A man governed by lust or desire has no other cause to concern about but to satisfy his list or quench his desire. People in the West may be forsaking their way of life and looking for religions with more spirituality, our youths have become wayside Romeos, who take pride in passing lewd comments or eyeing lustfully at the women of other households. Subject of discussion revolve around sex, objective of the life seem to be to have more sex. Women too have fallen victim. The fashion houses of the West design clothes only to enhance their sexuality revealing butt, falling hemlines, visible navel, not to speak of legs or backs are common. All the cosmetics are sold in the name of enhancing their sexuality. And our people gladly take to them, some becoming their most passionate brand ambassadors. If breasts or thighs or legs are arguably the womans sexiest parts, the man has only his sexual organ to

compete. Why is it that no garment is ever stitched to reveal or enhance the size of that part? Why is it that no garments are stitched or no accessories designed for it? On the contrary, the breasts are shown as much as possible. And even a pseudo-feminist drive initiated which makes the women believe that they are doing so in the name of equality. So women willingly reveal the breasts because men can reveal their chests, they show their thighs and legs because men can do that, all to the delight of the man. Women wear garments which reveal the shape and size of their organs explicitly without realizing that they have fallen victim to the male design. And without giving a thought that the impact that their breasts, their legs or thighs are having on their counterpart is different from the effect they would have upon seeing the breast, legs or thighs of a man. Likewise, the impact of seeing the contours of the body would be adverse in the case of men. Woman is the greatest creature that reveals the beauty of nature. Instead of being proud of their assets, courtesy the nature, they are degrading themselves by being puppets in the hands of men, that too in the name of feminism and equality. They never give it a thought that they are being taken for granted in the name of feminism. Sex is being used as a weapon for achieving certain motives and women have become an easy tool in the hands of the propagandists. The end result too is disastrous for them. If we take recourse to Freuds theory about sex being the greatest mover, then how can we expect that all the sex visible around them wont have affect on the poor men. All are bound to be effected; perhaps the mother, the sister, the aunt would be spared, but how can it be guaranteed of the distant cousin, the others wife, the friend, the friends friend. Those with faith or deeprooted social customs try to look the other way, those

loose on these fall easy prey. To whom they fall prey, are themselves preys. Imam Jafar Sadiq once said:

For a human being there is nothing worst than sin because it wages war against heart until taking over its control. This condition of heart is called inverted or upside down heart. BIHAR
AL -A NWAR , VOL .

73, P-312

It seems sex too is that sin which corrupts human beings ability for rational thinking. So much so that the women, who out of their love for material benefits readily show their material parts, dont realize of the harm that they are giving to the society. Neither they seem to have any guilt left in their mind. Take the quote of former Miss World Diana Hayden in Outlook, November 22, 2004, made perhaps to justify her way of life: every second Indian male has been leading an adulterous life since time immemorial. Diana may be right in her assumption but since this quote was mentioned along with a glamorous picture of Diana, numbed all rational thinking so that none gave it a thought at least one readily available woman is required to lead an adulterous life, and in most cases, the woman knows that the man, with whom she is having sex, is married to another woman like her. One chief reason for jeopardized marital relationships is the sex that we are being subjected to. It is this that is the cause of several divorces, and also several extra-marital affairs and cases of adultery, if not to speak of rape. The relation get more strained also when our women are called traditional and backward and the so-called progressive ladies are praised for accepting the concept propagated by the West. The attack is far more vigorous on those who still cling to burqa or chadar. End result: not only the safety and security, but

also the religious believes and faiths are not secure, when sex is the weapon.
The World Knows that Sex Sells

Taking cue from the West, selfish people all over the world grabbed this opportunity to reap benefits. Sex was introduced in to various cultures to such an extent that sex alone is culture. Businessmen started selling their products, newspapers and TV channels too realized the importance of sex and based their marketing programs around it. Consequently, the entire society, like in India, started drifting towards freer sex. None realized the harmful effects of it. Not even the women felt that it was disgraceful. After all, one of the important aspects of this was directly related to their vanity it aimed at making them glam-dolls, courtesy the modern developments in the field of cosmetics. The condition is so acute and has made inroads into our thinking to such an extent that the greater amount of body parts the women of a particular country reveals, the more is that country considered progressive. And those countries that were lagging behind in this arena, like China, too are now realizing the importance of sex, if they want to sell their products to the people and put a stop to the attraction that the West generates among its people. What they dont realize that the women of the West have sold their conscience to such an extent that boob-popping too is becoming part of that great culture? Unfortunately, instead of drawing a parallel of such American women with the inhabitants of our own Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who are far more advanced than the West in this arena, our women too have started their journey towards a more naked external self. It is shameful that the women dont realize that it is shameful for them? Men are using them and they

are being used. If we bring Freud here, men would even like the boob-popping habit in their own mothers, and the Western man is fast removing the taboos attached with that. After all, those were the boobs they first saw when they arrived in this world. It is possible some of you wont fully agree with our view. The problem is not so severe, you may say. But we can give innumerable examples to prove that the dreaded culture has already begun. An example: In a news item, presumably lifted from the internet, and published in the Hindustan Times, Nov. 2, 2004, the US actress Angelina Jolie says that My son is scared to see me on screen. It goes on to say that the actress had to comfort her young son when they watched her movie Alexander because he was frightened seeing her on the screen. It further says: TheTomb Raider star admitted she had to keep hold of adopted son Maddox when he watched her latest film because he got scared watching his mother on the screen. She said: He was terrified seeing his mom in the movie. I had to give him a big hug to calm him down. A clear reason for this is not given and the news-item even says that the threeyear old Maddox was upset and confused also when he heard the voice of his mother in the movie Shark Tale, in which Angelina had lent her voice. This proves nothing, you may say. Now we invite you to read another news item appeared in The Times of India, the very next day to the earlier one, perhaps also lifted from the same source as the one earlier. Titled As bare as it gets, it says: Ever wondered how stars handle being naked on the sets? If crewmembers get a shooting schedule and a date as to when Angelina Jolie is going to play nude, everyone wants to be there. According to sources, Angelina lays claim to being the only Hollywood actress to have maximum fans wanting to watch her as she makes love to any actor on the sets. In the words

of a close friend, there have been moments when people are seen pushing each other just to see how Angelina kisses. This is proof that the sex culture is still not embedded in the West and people are being offered that so as to desist them from thinking other serious issues like God, spirituality, justice and universal equality. Psychiatrists, we are sure, would also relate this to Maddoxs unusual behaviour upon seeing the naked mother (due to the demands of the script), on screen, while watching the movie in a theatre. Enhancing or guaranteeing sales is another reason why this culture is being imposed on a nave society. We just give one example here, concerned with China. Times of India dated November 20, 2004 gives a story titled Chinese media turns a new leaf . We give you excerpts: Scantily clad models strut their stuff as the audience leers, whistles and chooses the hottest looker. What sounds like just another cheesy American TV game-show is, in fact, something rather new: a cheesy Chinese TV gameshow. And that is not the only thing new about the show. In Women in Control, the contestants are men and the judges are women (perhaps scantily dressed and oozing sex). But even more surprising is that, in a land of propaganda films and bland melodramas, the censors are allowing it to be aired at all. This week, the Chinese government was due to announce more details about its loosening of the rules. The overhaul is badly needed. China has over 2000 newspapers, some 9000 magazines and 568 publishing houses, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce More than 700m Chinese listen to 1000 radio stations, while 200 TV stations broadcast 2900 channels. China Central Television (CCTV), the

state broadcaster, claims an audience of over 1 billion people Yet Chinese media has long been loss making due to their propaganda role The government is determined to eliminate losses by attracting more advertising and more paying users. (And it found only one way to do so, as per this article). Policymakers now recognize that unless Chinese media can win and hold viewers and readers they will ultimately be unable to influence public opinion. (From now on) Chinas media may be increasingly vibrant (read have more sex), but it is a long way from being open (as the Western media or the likes of Times of India in our country have become in terms of freely using sex to sell themselves).
Women We Cannot Know

Just look at the picture of Virgin Mary (Maryam). Doesnt she portray far more grace than all the Western women together? Doesnt the picture itself reveal inner beauty, composure, strength and dignity? We must remember that the picture is a recreated image out of an artists brush. If all these characteristics are revealed out of an artificial picture, just imagine the forcefulness of personality that Mary must have possessed. Her picture reveals all this because it does not show any trace of evident sexuality. It is unfortunate that many of her followers do so in the name of equality. Just think for a while whether Mary would have commanded the same respect in clothes that you have taken to wear. Who else but Isa is the greatest proponent of equality? Yet, the Church sees this entire happening and do not muster the courage to speak. It knows that sex is more appealing to a lot of them than the charm

of church. It has no choice but to silently watch all the evils happening. Church too has been made a puppet in the hands of these propagators of sexuality, so much so that it is being forced to accept priests known for their homosexual leanings. Men in Europe and America hijacked womans cause when she was waking up and raising her voice as equal citizens of society. So much so today when we have to refer to the European woman, it is the one introduced through films, magazines, television and sexy movies by writers who have given them sex. They are introduced to us as a universal type of European woman. Why is it that we love Aishwarya Rai more than Arundhati Roy? Why is it that the likes of Medha Patkar or Sheila Dikshit, Ela Bhat or even Sonia Gandhi cannot sell products? The same is described by Ali Shariati in the following narration, telling why the woman of today is accepting the male dictated version of their lifestyle with a vengeance: We have no right to know the European girl who at the age of 16 went to the deserts of Nubi, Africa, the deserts of Algeria and Australia. She spent all of her life in wild places. She lived with the threat of sickness, death and wild tribes. Throughout her youth and old age she studied the waves emitted from the antennae of ants and the antennae which receives them. When she grew old, her daughter carried on her work. The second generation of this European woman returned to France at the age of 50. At the university she said, I discovered the language of the ants and I learned some of their sings of communication. We have no right to come to know Madame Guashan who spent her whole life studying and finding the roots of philosophical ideas and the wisdom of Avicenna, ibn Rushd, Mulla Sadra and Haji Mulla Hadi Sabzevari in Greek philosophy and many of the works of Aristotle

and then compared them. She showed what our philosophers received from them. She corrected that which they had badly translated and incorrectly understood for the 1000 years of Islamic civilization. We have no right to know the Italian Mme. De la Vida. One of her works was to edit and complete the Science of the Soul of Avicenna from the ancient Greek manuscript of Aristotle on the soul. We have no right to know Mme. Curie who discovered quantum and radioactivity or Resass Du La Chappelle who knew more about the sanctity of Ali than all the Islamic scientists and even all the Shiites who claim today to be aware of Ali and the Alavis. She was a young, beautiful, free Swedish girl, born far from Islamic culture. She was distant from Shiite behaviour and beliefs. Form the beginning of her youth, she devoted her life to knowing that spirit which had remained unknown in the structure of Islam. She followed a man who had been covered over by the hatred of his enemies, and caught in traps laid by hypocrites and embellished by poetic praises and meaningless friends. She discovered the most correct manuscripts about Ali. She came to know the most subtle waves of his spirit, the depth of his feelings and his highest leaps in ideas. For the first time, she felt his anger, pain, loneliness, brokenness, fear and needs. Not only did she show Ali in the Battles of Ohud, Badr and Honein, but she found Ali praying in the mihrab of the mosque in Kufa. She discovered his nights and his complaining around the wells of Medina. She gathered together the Nahjul Balagha. We only have the right to know Mme. Twiggy! And as the final level of the ideal manifestation of Western civilization, the Queen of 71, and along with her, the highest form of European woman, Jacqueline Onassis, who uses her money as a means of exchange for everything, B.B. and the Queen of Monaco and all of

the 7 female guards around James Bond. They are the sacrifices of the departments of the production of Europe. They are the toys and wind-up dolls of the wealthy and the slaves of the new civilization for the houses of the new merchants. This very European woman whom we have come to know is a woman of today. She delivered herself but she is the progeny of the Middle Ages. She is reacting to the inhuman treatment and fanaticism of the priests of the Middle Ages, who, in the name of Christianity and religion, misguided women and cursed and enslaved them. They even showed her to be hated by God. There were the activators of corruption. She was the main cause of Adams fall from Paradise to the earth! In the Middle Ages, they asked the priest: If there is a woman in a house, should a man, who is not related, enter? They said, Never. Because if the man is not related and he enters the house where there is a woman, even if he does not see the woman, still he has sinned. In other words, if an unrelated man goes to the second floor of the house and a woman is in the basement, sin occurs. It seems that the sins of women spread through the air. St. Tomas Dakin said, If God should see the love for a woman upon a mans face, even if the woman is his wife, he becomes angry because no love, other than the love of God, should sit upon his heart. Christ lived without a wife and a man can be a Christian, never having touched a woman. This is why Christian brothers and spiritual fathers and even Christian sisters never marry, because marriage is a tie which arouses Gods anger. We should only join with God through Jesus Christ because two loves do not fit into one heart. Only those who remain unmarried can carry the Holy Ghost. In Christianity, the first sin was the sin of woman.

Every man, as the child of Adam, who turns towards a woman, even if that woman be his wife, as Eve was the wife of Adam, repeats the first, primordial sin. The sin and disobedience of Adam is renewed in the memory of God! Thus one must do something so that God will forget Adam and his sin! This is why a woman in the thoughts of the people of the Middle Ages is so hated, weakened and held back from the ownership of anything. It even extended to the point that when a woman, owning property, went to her husbands house, she lost the rights to her own property. Her ownership was of itself transferred to her husband. A woman had no legal status. The effects of this can still be found in European civilization, which is completely unacceptable to us. Even today, if a woman marries, she changes her name. This is not just for use in her home or unofficially. Her education certificates, her identification, her passport, everything is replaced from carrying her fathers name to her husbands name. This means that a woman herself is nothing. She has no essential existence. A name is significant. A creature who lacks significance stands through others. In her parents home, she uses her fathers name. She lives with her first owner. When she goes to her husbands home, the name of another woman, her new owner, distinguishes her. She does not possess sufficient value or credit to have a name. This tradition has also influenced our country because it is a European tradition. Their traditions are better than ours. Even if it is tradition from the slave age, even if it is nonsense, a detested and ugly action, the very fact that it has a foreign mark upon it, is sufficient for our modernists, characterized by their impotent imitation. In the official European marriage forms, the two people to be married are asked, Name? Secondly,

girls family name. In answering the first question, the family name which will be taken after marriage, that is, the family name of the husband-to-be is recorded. In answer to the second question, her unmarried family name, the name of her father, is recorded. In other words, a woman belongs to the owner of the house. Even if a house had originally belonged to her, she could not continue to own it because she is a woman. In her fathers house, it was his name and in her husbands house, it is his name which is used. This is why she officially changes her name through marriage. Our so-called modernists ridiculously, unconsciously act and think like a foreigner because they cannot distinguish. This is why we say pseudo-foreigners have been born into our modern society who do not resemble foreigners and pseudo-Europeans have come into existence for which no example in Europe exists. According to the present divorce law in France, when a woman separates from her husband, she has absolutely no right to her children. Whereas in Islam, form the very beginning, the purest form of Islam, not the present composite form of Islam, she is completely independent in respect to womans rights. She can even seek payment from her husband for nursing her child. She can carry on her own businesses without any interference from her husband. She can work. As to production, she can independently and directly put her capital into effect. She has the most economic independence of any member of society. All of the anti-human and pseudo-religious pressures committed against women in the name of religion have caused a reaction among European women. This reaction by women is directed against the Middle Ages. The memory and thought of it ha remained with her. In Italy and Spain where religion is still strong, women

are denied many of their human rights in spite of the signs of freedom and emphasis upon human rights and other such grand jokes. We are talking about human freedom and social rights, not sexual freedom and sexual rights. We see with what speed the latter becomes prevalent. In return for the second worlds (the previous third world) oil, diamonds, rubber gum, copper, coffee and uranium which inexpensively enters Europe, Europe exports freedom, ethics, techniques, culture, art, literature and, in particular, sex, to this hungry, plundered world freely and with generosity. All means of communication and advertisement, social, technical, artistic and educational possibilities of an underdeveloped country come into the service of propaganda, promotion and distribution. These things are all other than freedoms and the rights of man! Sexual freedoms are deceiving. It is part of a new exploitation, a type of limitless deception, which the impure system of Western capitalism in todays world, causes both the East and West innocently and of itself to reach out towards it until it gets to the point that the influence of Western people and the influenced Eastern countries find a secure and safe environment for themselves and find continuity. The young generation, in particular, those who contain both the elements of rebellion and audacity and those who lack patience as well as those who are not stupefied by religious stipulations and have released the hereditary chains of traditions which crimp their thoughts because they find they do not related to their sensitivities. At any moment it is possible that, based upon rebellion, they take up a notion contrary to their interests and as a result put their heads into an inexpensive foreign lovers cesspool and become so drowned and giddy in the artificial freedom as presented by capitalists

that they no longer know what the world is about. They so completely saturate themselves with it that they no longer sense their poverty and slavery. This is why we see to what extent the internal conditions of despotism in Asia, Africa and Latin America result in an insanelike emphasis, seriousness and insistence upon the rights and freedom of sex by the Western capitalists. It is emphasized and strengthened so that the groundwork is laid for its daily increase. We can, with a little bit of caution and discernment, come to know what is behind these attractive forms of the thunder struck, sexuality which is none other than the denial of the modern world. We have to come to know these great idols and the three faces of the contemporary religious trinity: exploitation, colonialization and despotism. They make Freud a prophet of lies. From Freudism they build a scientific and human religion. From sexuality, an ethical conscience, a real institution and finally, from lust, a blessed temple is built. They build this place of worship and create a powerful servanthood. The first sacrifice recorded in the threshold of this temple is woman. The priests in the middle ages had nothing to offer than excommunication. They were club wielders whom on one feared. Compared to these people who at least give reasons and examples, they simply cried out, Religion is dying! They issued unreasonable cannon laws. They constantly threw the fire of hell into the faces of their parishioners but to no avail. Today, they cannot even stick to their earlier stand. Nearly the entire society has rebelled and excommunicating all would be at their own peril. A woman had no identity but at least she was part of a family. With industrialization in full motion, she

was pulled out from home and went to work. This also made her socially independent. Today, before marriage and setting up a household, she has individual independence. Because she has developed intellectually and logically, this has of itself altered her relationship with others a man, her lover, her father and with her family. It is no longer based on sensitive feelings or instinctive attractions or deep, unconscious, spiritual efforts by rather upon the policy of intellectual accounting and detailed calculation. She has been freed from many social, family and religious chains through her accountants vision of the situation. She is now capable of seeing reality being able to analyze and intellectualize, seeking the self, finding her own interests and individual profits and spending for herself. She authentically seeks pleasure, encounters things, and looks for tranquility, intelligence and happiness. At the same time, however, many of her deep feelings have been taken away from her. Her hereditary feelings, which are other than the intellectual, have been removed. Her humanness has suffered (and has left her lonely). But it has made her independent. She is the free woman. While all these positive developments were taking place, the evil designs of man were working to chain her again, and use her to their own likings. It was not possible to put her back in the house again. This woman loved freedom. Therefore, a plot was hatched to chain her in the name of freedom itself. Make her only a sex object so that she does not put her positive characteristics to good effect. It is she who shapes the intellect of a child. It is she who takes the side of humanity and justice more than men. It is she who is by nature more prone to speak against evil and injustice. Her tender heart weeps for the oppressed. Patience, sacrifice, loyalty, generosity, gratitude, pledges, contracts, love, ethics, tradition, are her virtues. It is

she who is capable of bringing about revolutions. It is she who alone can change the traditions, old systems, social relationships, ethics, spiritual values and consumption pattern. Corrode her! Corrupt her! It is she who can become the greatest hurdle in the path of pursuing the evil designs. So the free woman, who was supposed to take up the cause of the entire world in the name of freedom and equality, began to show her breasts as a case of her equality. She began to wear figure-hugging and flesh-revealing garments in the name of freedom. And detesting one man for his animal instincts, she began to sleep with another and then another. The anger, the hatred, and the love for free living, devoid of a proper direction and guided more by a vicious male mind working to lead her on a desired path, led her astray. Consequently, from being the puppet in the hands of men, she became a puppet in their hands again. What would have been the shape of world if she had taken the other decision? You have taken full use of these precious possessions of mine while denying me the right to equality and free living. Now I have wakened up. These priced possessions would only be available to the one who shows respect, one who is worthy of seeing them. I wont act like the bitch that makes sex on the street side, to the full enjoyment of other dogs around. Now onward, you will aspire and perspire, but you will be denied the sight of our sexuality, our figure and private parts. Show yourself to be worthy of it, and it is all yours. This is the message of Islam. This is true freedom and equality for woman of the modern times, which has potential to make ordinary men of today fall at the feet of women. Unfortunately, the message of the true Islam has not been understood by the Muslims, courtesy those who hijacked its teachings immediately after Prophets death by retaining the purdah on the

lines of Christians and Jews of the period, while rejecting all those teachings that gave her freedom and equality.
Situation in India

Like in all other areas, woman in India depict various extremes. She is traditional as well as modern, backward as well as progressive, realist as well as idealist. But since it is the so-called progressive elites who give shape to others view, it is best to study it. The woman is educated, intelligent and acceptable to change. She has made swift strides from the traditional mould that she has only recently rejected. Unfortunately, she too, like her Western companions, is being led in one direction only. Unmindful of the disaster that they are leading her through, the mainline Indian media is only working to fasten her movement towards this direction. Neither the old-fashioned way that she had no choice but to live nor the imported way that she is being forced to accept in the name of modernity, would give her true equality and freedom. She rightfully wants to shed that traditional way of life, but has been given no choice but the so-called modern approach to life, that has been designed to capture her as a consumer and further her movement towards revealing her sexuality. Consequences have already begun to show. A lot many publications have done researches that reveal that the age of experiencing the first sexual encounter is now the mid-teens. From sex being a taboo, it has come to sex being illicit and illegitimate. It is unfortunate that while women considered the earlier form as traditional, she is accepting this imported form as modern. Brothels are no longer in demarcated areas, and even women from respectful societies are falling prey to the evil of prostitution. Marriage with the cousins was forbidden but the surveys show that in most cases, the first sexual

encounter is with a cousin. Money has become more important than all the age-old values. It is no longer a taboo to have sex prior to marriage so much so that the courts have started giving verdicts in this regard. A recent court decision asked compensation to be given to a woman because the man promised to marry her and didnt. Meanwhile, the woman had conceived the mans child. Where is the sanctity of fire, the sanctity of pheras? The religion that had forbidden second marriage, even of widows, and bear no concept of divorce or polygamy, is mute witness to society where each individual is progressing towards having several sexual encounters with a lot many partners. Very much like what happened in the West, the situation is too rampant for the priests to excommunicate such person. The most they can do is to close their eyes and wait for deliverance. Woman who have accepted the Western mode of dressing, in the name of equality, are finding that an increasingly large number of them are becoming victims of rape. Even otherwise, they have to hear loose talks and passing comments, while commuting or shopping, and have to bear harassment at all places. Teaching them judo or having the streets lighted, are some of the solutions that are given to face this problem. Few give a thought that they are no solutions! A recent story in a leading newspaper said that nearly 3/4 th of aspiring models have to please innumerable men, en route their way to success. Another aspiring actress blamed the same condition as rampant in Bollywood. All know that several leading socialites, celebrities, models and actors, are making fast money through a refined version of prostitution. Internet and mobile phones have facilitated their working. Leading industrialists, politicians, bureaucrats, media-gurus, are reaping the rewards, so none complains. Sex is so easy for the moneyed, yet the duality is such that if a Hindu

like Dharmendra has to marry another woman, he has to either divorce his first wife or embrace Islam, even if it is on paper. This is consequence of the fact that the Hindu religion, like Christianity was accepted as an idealist religion. Islam was criticized for its liberal attitude even in regard to sex and marriage. However, the truth was that Islam had included all situations, all types of men and their problems, through a realistic approach. It is clear to everybody that womans sexuality is being used as a marketing commodity to sell TV soaps, consumer items and even newspapers. All places of public dealings have to necessarily have few smart women, in dresses that leave little to imagination. All PR agencies need to appoint women so as to lure media to write on their clients. All marketing and sales companies do so to make you buy the products. She is as it is doing the same through TV, newspapers, outdoor hoardings and even on the back of a scooters spare tyre. Women are happy, as this has been shown as the modern way to progress. Unmindful that her role is still the same that of a sex object to please and gratify men. It is believed that this corruption is a small price to pay in the pursuit of money - a materialistic concept imported from the Capitalist West. Yet, we spend millions of rupees on firing crackers on the eve of Diwali. All those who are part of the aforementioned culture have no reasons to celebrate Diwali. Why do we forget that all the celebrations are meaningless and ritualistic if we forget the values for which Ram lived and died? We proclaim that we are willing to die for the cause of getting Ram his due piece of land. Yet, when the same maryadapurushottam Ram would ask us to prove our fidelity, we would not be able to face him. And our own Sitas would fail the agni-parikshas, every time a Ram would seek it from them.

The Present Muslim Woman

Woman in Islam had been given power whereby she could have changed the traditions, old systems, social relationships, ethics, spiritual values and most important of all, consumption (in the same way that they held a power to preserve them). Instead, she was made to lead a sheltered, backward life and suffer form social rules presented to them in the name of religion and tradition like the present day Islam. They are presently denied learning, literacy, many of the human rights, social possibilities and freedom to develop. They are not able to explore and nourish the spirit of their thoughts. Even the rights and possibilities which Islam itself has given to women, have been taken away from them in the name of Islam. They have placed her in the same category as a washing machine and her human values have been lowered to mother of a child.
Oppressors and the Oppressed

Hazrat Ali said two parties are required in order to bring about oppression. One is the oppressor and the other is the one who accepts the oppression. It is the co-operation of these two which brings about oppression. Oppression cannot be one-sided. An oppressor cannot perform oppression in the air. Oppression is like a piece of iron which is formed by the striking of the hammer of the oppressor upon the anvil of the oppressed. Writes Shariati: Not only is oppression a result of corruption, deviation and misery, but it requires two sides working together to come into being. In the defeat of a society, it is not just the victor who breaks it; society must also be broken. The creation of superstitions and the spreading of ignorant backward beliefs of family traditions, the inherited faulty systems of order along with servitude,

the tradition of father power in the community, the lack of psychology, all weave themselves together like a spiders web. And it is this very web which impoverishes the woman within itself. She becomes known as someone who is behind the curtain. All of this occurs in the name of Islam, in the name of religion, in the name of tradition and worst of all, in the name of similarity to Fatima. It is explained to her in terms of chastity and the necessity to nourish her children. I dont know how a person who is herself incomplete and useless, who is missing a part of her brain and who is excluded from literacy, books, education, discipline, thought, culture, civilization and social manners could possibly be worthy of being the nourisher of tomorrows generation. Most probably they mean fattening their bodies when they say nourishing their children. What can this weak creature of the house, born to sit behind a curtain without thought or culture, who has not been educated, do for the development of her child? How can she develop her childs sense of completeness? Can she awaken the depths of the spirit within the person? How can she learn to accept the complicated ideas and feelings of her child? What can she do other than nurse her child and change her baby s diaper? In disciplining her child she can only swear at it or use lewd language or cry or scream or curse her fate. If none of these have any effect, she strikes the fear of an older brother or the father within the child. If this doesnt work, she calls upon the jinn and the angel of death or threatens the basement or the well. Thus we see the fate of women in our traditional, conservative society which has had false undertones of religion added to it. She grows up in her fathers home without breathing any free air. She goes to her husbands

home (her second lord and master) in accordance with an agreement which is made between a buyer and a seller. She is transferred to her husbands house where the marriage license or ownership papers shows both her role and her price. She becomes a respectable servant. A married man means someone who has a servant who works in his house. She cooks food, nurses babies, watches the children and sees to the cleaning and ordering of the house. She manages the inside of the house. She is a household laborer and a nurse but because she works without any wages, she has no rights. Because she does the work of a servant in the name of common law, ritual or civil law, and as she could not be a servant, she is called a lady. Because her lord is her husband, she is called wife. As she acted as a nurse to the children, she is also called mother. At any rate, she is working for herself. She is an expert at her work even though the level of work she does is equivalent to the work of a servant or a nurse. It is no more than this because she has not been trained to do more than this. She is uneducated. We must point out here that our objection is to the well-established fathers and wealthy husbands who condemn their daughters or wives and who do so cautiously because they are women. They keep her from an education and from self-completion in the name of religion and inclination towards faith. There are many women in Islam who reached the level of being authorized theologians, established centers of learning and wrote important texts on science and ethics. But girls who do not have the economic means to pursue education and who work hard in their fathers or husbands house, are most worthy of praise. Such a girl is the woman of the tribe or the farm who helps her

husband, who shares in production, either by taking care of the animals or by helping in the fields, who brings in an income as well as doing the household work. She weeds, gathers greens, spades the earth, gathers fruit, grapes and cotton. She gives water to the animals and milks them. She then makes butter, yogurt or cheese for her family s consumption or for selling at the market. She beats cotton and wool; she spins thread, she weaves cloth; she sews clothes. At the same time, she nurses her child, she cooks food, she cleans the house. Often she produces handicrafts within the home as well. She is a wife, a nurse, a mother, a worker, and an artist. Truth is that those who are poor lack resources; those who have the means are least bothered. All are in the dark, all have forgotten the true personality of Fatima. We confined our daughters to the house lest they learn foreign values that were leading the women of other communities toward becoming innocent victims to the economics of exploitations. We did this because we had forgotten Alis saying which asks each of us to fight the oppression and exploitation. Had we not taken recourse to this escapist view, we would have prepared our women to fight the onslaught of these material forces that are eating away the pillars of our society, culture and religion. When assuming she could learn, we thought that if she had a beautiful handwriting, she would write to her lover. (With this type of thinking it would have been better if we had blinded her so she would never see a forbidden person). In this way, Mr. Jealous, who feels the weaknesses of his personality, would not have to worry about the disloyalty of his wife. He would he safe to the end of his life. We forgot Prophet Mohammad who said: Education is necessary for Muslims, both men and women, thinking

that confining women to the inner quarters of the house would ensure safety of their chastity and belief. We didnt notice that the channels of modern communication, which are also serving as media for propagation of materialistic ideas propagated by the West, have entered those very quarters of even the poor Muslim houses. Unaware of the lofty Islamic teachings, and faced with the onslaught of attack of alien thoughts on television, our women were bound to face insecurity. Coupled with illiteracy, they became incapable of solving the doubts that emerge in the minds of their children or to give proper upbringing to the children. Consequence is in front of our eyes. The greatest advice that Ali Shariati gives to women in Fatima is Fatima is this: Search for the Truth. Do not be intimidated by external forms and eye-catching colours. Be yourself, that which you really are and not that which have become. Seek out the Truth. Islam admits to all realities hunger, ignorance, drug addiction, the need for divorce, the weakening of the weak by the strong, oppression and suppression (realities according to realists, must be translated into real forms so they have no problem with imagination, ideology and ideas which they ignore). But as opposed ot realism, Islam does not accept the status quo but changes the realities. Shariate continues, It changes their essence in a revolutionary way. It carries realities along with its ideals. It uses realities as a means to reach its idealistic goals, its real desires, which are non-existent by themselves. Unlike realists, Islam does not submit to realities, but rather, it causes the realities to submit to it. Islam does not turn away from realities as idealists do. It seeks them out. It tames them. Through this means, Islam uses that which hinders the idealists as a composite for its own ideals.

With this approach, an independence of thinking develops which, in order to succeed as an answer and not to cause deviation, must branch out from that societys historical roots. Face up your realities. Tame them. Work through them to reach your ideals. As Shariati points out, there are many women whom we cannot see women who are independent and who rely on their own accomplishments and related these to their own cultural background. It is for a woman to awaken so that she will not live her life unconsciously imitating borrowed forms and ideas forms and ideas which neither she nor her ancestors participated in the creation of, thereby being essentially irrelevant to her. It is here that Shariati develops the concept of Islamic social justice. In Islam it is not sufficient to tell ones self, Thou shalt not this or that. For there is a commitment by which each individual is bound by and that is to be an active participant in society social ills. That is, one should say to ones self, Thou shalt not be an oppressor, but one is equally obliged to say to ones self, Thou shalt help the oppressed. Shariati tells us in the words of Hazrat Ali, two parties are required in order to bring about oppression. One is the oppressor and the other is the one who accepts oppression. Oppression cannot be one sided. An oppressor cannot perform oppression in the air. Oppression is like a piece of iron which is formed by the striking of the hammer of the oppressor upon the anvil of the oppressed. Thus, women themselves participated in the attack upon their values by allowing themselves to be oppressed and by not searching out their roots. With the awareness which Shariati brings to us, our coming to know Fatima brings about a responsibility and a commitment to those who first ask, Who am I

and then search out the answer in the authenticity and genuineness of their own culture. The responsibility and commitment grows through love and faith. Our knowledge becomes illuminated because Shariati has awakened this responsibility within us. With Fatima as our model, we learn to fight injustice and oppression. We turn from ourself to others. We become actively involved in societys ills because she as she really was, is our symbol, our model, our heroine. We present here the views of Shariati on the subject, culled from one of his speech in 1971. Though we have removed the portion that was not in Indian context, kindly keep in mind that there would still be a few words or passages that may be in Iranian context. Moreover, it is possible that some situations described may have changed for good or worse during these 35 years. Read for yourself! Women who have remained in the traditional mould do not face the problem of identity and women who have accepted the new imported mould have solved the problem for themselves. But in the midst of these two types of moulded women, there are those who can neither accept their hereditary, traditional form nor surrender to this imposed new form. What should they do? They want to decide for themselves. They want to develop themselves. They need a model, an ideal example, a heroine. For them, the problem of Who am I? How do I become? is urgent. Fatima, through her own being, answers their questions. In our society, women change rapidly. The tyranny of our times and the influences of institutions take her from what she is. All her traditional characteristics and values are taken away from her until they make her into a creature they want, they build, and we see

that they have built! This is why the most important and relevant question for the awakened woman at this time is, Who am I?, knowing full well that she cannot remain what she is. Actually, she does not want the modern masks to replace the traditional ones. She wants to decide for herself. Her contemporaries choose for themselves. They consciously decorate their personalities with awareness and independence. They thoroughly ornament themselves. They manifest a design. They reflect a sketch, but, they do not know how. They do not know the design of the real human aspect of their personality which is neither a reflection of their heritage nor their artificially imposed imitative masks. Which of these do they identify with? The second question which arises from amidst this, stems from the following reasoning. We are Muslims, women of a society who wish to make decisions through reason and choice and related them to a history, culture, religion and society which received its spirit and origins from Islam. A woman who is in this society wants to be herself. She wants to build herself, herself . She wants to be reborn. In this re-birth, she wants to be her own midwife. She neither wants to be a product of her heritage nor have a superficial faade. She cannot remain heedless of Islam and she cannot remain indifferent to it. In Iranian and other Islamic societies there are three visages of women. One is the visage of the traditional woman. Another is the visage of the new woman, European like, who has just begun to grow and introduce herself. The third is the visage of Fatima which has no resemblance whatsoever to that of the traditional woman. The visage of the traditional woman which has taken form in the minds of those loyal to religion in our society, is as far away from the face of Fatima as Fatimas face is from the modern woman.

The reality which we are facing in the world today, in the East, and in particular, in an Islamic and Iranian society, the contradiction which has appeared, the crises, the change, comes from the breaking down of human qualities. It comes form the creation of a very strong agitation which affects the way a society behaves and its way of thinking. Principally, the changing human form has produced a particular type of intellectually educated man or woman. This contradiction had to come into being. There was no one potent enough to stop it. It was a compulsion which no power could have prevented. This is not to conform this change or to deny it. That is not within the scope of this discussion. Rather, we refer to the change in society, the change in the dress of man, his thoughts, his lifestyle and his direction in life. Women also follow this change. It is not possible that she remain in her traditional mould. Yesterday, society was permanent. Values and social characteristics were incapable of change. In a period of 100, 200, 300 years, nothing changed. The foundation of society, the forms of production and distribution, type of consumption, social relationships, government, type of religious publicity, religious ceremonies, created things, negative and positive values, art, literature, language, and all other things were the same during a fathers and a grandfathers lifetime as in the time of their children and grandchildren. (Today), the change from the traditional type of mother to the new type of daughter is inevitable. Face to face with his reality (whether it be the truth or an erroneous reality, it is certain), beginners who think and begin to write about this phenomenon of change, just hit the tip of the issue. While these observers of change in society are just beginning to touch upon these issues, and predict them, they occur. The work has been done. They are wasting their efforts. As the change is

swift, their results are less than zero. The oppositions front is strengthened. Those who act as guides, who give explanations, and suppositions in the name of faith, belief, religion and charity are also mistaken in trying to save each type of form which has been inherited from the past. They try to preserve old traditions and habits, and are referred to in the Quran as tales of the ancients, the ancients, legends of the ancients, legends of the ancients, father of old, fables of the ancients, stories of yore. They see old as being synonymous with tradition. As a result, they call every change, including even change in dress or hair-do, infidelity . They mistakenly believe that the spiritual source and the belief in submission (Islam) can only be preserved through the worship oftradition and anything which is old. They turn away from anything new, from any change and from any rebirth. Woman, in their view, must also remain as she is today because, simply enough, her form exists in the past and has become part of social traditions. It may be 19 th century, 17th century or even pre-Islamic, but it is considered to be religious and Islamic, therefore it must be preserved. They accept this view because it has become part of their way of life or because it suits their interests. They try to remain the same and hold onto things of the past forever. They say, Islam wanted it to be this way. Religion has taken this form. It should remain like this until Judgment Day. But the world changes. Everything changes. Mr. X and his son change. But woman must retain her permanent form. In general terms, their point of view is that the Prophet sealed women into this form and she must retain the inclinations which make Haji Agha, (her

husband), happy. He has moulded her. This type of thinking tends to keep us astray. If we wish to keep the forms because of own inexperience, the inconsiderate speed of time itself will run us over. We must realize that destruction is also a reality. The insistence upon keeping these forms will bear no fruit because society will never listen. It cannot listen because these are mortal customs. They try to explain social traditions, which have come into being through habit, in religious terms. Ancient customs cannot be retained by the force of religion for if this were so, it would mean that religion is mortal. When we equate religion and social traditions, we make Islam the guardian of declining forms of life and society. We mistake cultural and historical phenomena with inherited, superstitious beliefs. Time comes along, and as it moves in haste, it changes habits, forms of life, social relationships, indigenous, historical phenomena and ancient, cultural signs. We mistakenly believe the Islamic religion to be these social traditions. Arent these great errors being committed today? Arent we seeing them with our own eyes? Realism: A Means of Serving Idealism One of the peculiarities of Islam is that it accepts both beliefs which are identical to it as well as coersive beliefs of society. It admits to the existence of both. Here the perception of Islam is special. The idealistic schools of thought lean upon the highest values, the absolute and most desirable ideologies. Each and every reality is categorically rejected if it does not suit them. They have no patience. They deny realities and dig out the roots of anger. Anger, violence, the seeking of pleasure and lovers of wealth are realities which exist. Moral idealism or religious idealism (i.e. Christianity) ignores them and denies their existence.

They are condemned in any form. On the other hand, schools of thought which are based on realism accept all things as the basis of reality. For instance, sodomy is accepted in England or in Christianity, due to religious idealism, not reality, divorce is prohibited because of not wanting to destroy family order and believing that marriage is an ideal, sacred link. But reality is other than this. Some human beings cannot preserve the first, sacred marriage and remain loyal to each other. It so often happens that human beings grow apart during their lifetime. They become strangers. They live together like two pitiful people. That which has joined them is not love, it is the ties of the law. They are two inflicted people. They might even become lucky with someone else. This is a reality which has existed in the past, exists in the present and will exist in the future. Civilized and uncivilized people, the religions and the non-religious have felt it and continue to feel it. Statistics show it, but Christianity denies the reality. They bind marriage to the sacred. They force a family to stay together even when there is a real hell behind the doors and the family has become a centre of murder, adultery, corruption. The door of divorce has been closed but thousands of windows of swindle and illegality have been opened.
Concubines

Social realities are such that if we do not open doors to them, they will spring out from the windows. Forbidding divorce brings about a type of concubinage. That is, a man who cannot live with his legal wife, actually separates from her, without being able to get a divorce. The same is true for a woman. She cannot get a divorce but she lives separately. They each live for years separated from each other with another man or woman. The children

which are born out of this situation are natural but illegal. They have sick beliefs and complexes. They become frightening murderers. Their spirit is anti-social. A woman and her legal husband become strangers. They begin opposing each other. They reach the same conclusion. Their relationship of husband and wife is not just sleeping together. It cannot continue. They cannot even live as neighbours. It is natural that they separate. The man leaves the household and goes looking for the type of woman he always wanted. Love, the need for a family life, and the pull of sex, one way or the other, helps him to find a natural tie. They find a place and live together. The wifes life takes exactly the same pattern and the same fate. As a result, we see that nature and reality builds two new families, two incompatible types who are replaced by another two. But Christian ideology does not accept this reality. Therefore, no one, including that man and woman, is responsible. They close their eyes so as not to see it. As a result, it accepts, in legal terms, a decomposed house which has no external existence. Its materials have all been used to make another house. It is the former house which they know as official an they deny these tow natural families. Here we see the distance between common law, civil law and religious law and how natural forces, realities and oppositions arise. As a result, families, which are religious or Christian, do not actually exist and families which are real and natural are considered to be corrupt and sinful. Christianity, by denying this reality, causes the family which comes into being to be illegal. The children which are born out of this union of concubinage are also illegal. From the point of view of a religious society, they are criminals and murderers. They do not have a share in the kindness of the family nor the purity of society. Society looks upon them as sinners. Complexes

arise within them. They suffer an anger and an anguish which is beyond the imagination. They take their revenge on society. All these crimes which occur in Europe and, in particular, in America, do not exist in backward and underdeveloped countries. The reason is that in these Western societies, even though they have civilizations in the sense that they have culture, ethics, nourished minds, freedom of thought, the individual, society and religion, there is also something born into this generation which fills up their beliefs and makes them take revenge upon society in the worst of forms. A child wanted to go out of a room, but a samavar, a teapot and various dishes were in the way. He closed his eyes and tried to pass through. He thought all the obstacles were gone. Idealism is like a child who does not see reality. It does not want to see reality. It closes its eyes to that which it does not want to see. Because it does not see them, it thinks they do not exist. The opposite of idealism is realism. Its followers see everything, no matter how ugly or unpleasant, simply because it has an external existence. They accept a thing, attach their hearts to it and find faith. They oppose and reject, however, all beauty, truth and correctness, simply because these do not agree with existing realities. They reject them because these are ideal and through this rejection, they become unbelievers. When a society becomes Marxist, it believes in the despotism of history. It believes that whatever happens is beyond human will. Whatever exists is accepted because it is a reality which results from the despotism of history as the despot of society. Actually, the sword is the despot here, not history. We see that realists believe that whatever exists should be as it is! The members of the Parliament in

England defend the laws of homosexuality because it is an objective reality which exists in society. Therefore, it must be made legal. To oppose this realism is to worship idealized fantasies which form the basis of politicians and pseudointellectuals. You do not hear them argue that Israel is a reality (Yes! It is). But the settlement of the Palestinian people in lands occupied by Israel shows the manifestation of someone who worshipped the ideal. Even though it is wrong, it is a reality which must be accepted. Although it moves against the grain of humanity, although it is murder, it exists. Politicians and intellectuals accept it and officially recognize it. The weakening of the weak by the strong is also a reality. Oppression and suppression of certain classes is also a reality. Reality seekers are completely objective viewers. They see the external form which is a scientific and sensible reality. Then they judge. They face no difficulties with imagination, ideology and ideas which are not translated into real forms. We see that an idealist, a thinker, a reformer is called towards mental desires, ideals and sacred values, goodness and the highest of needs and he denies or rejects the realities which deviate from his beliefs and act as existing barriers. It is impossible to negate them. He turns his back on them, or else, through inexperience, rejects them. He pulls himself away from realities. He thinks in terms of imagery. He occupies a sacred place but does not realize that he is in an idealistic environment. He drowns himself in objective and sensible phenomena and the existing situation. A realist, on the other hand, kills flights of thought, mounted spirits, visions, efforts, longing desires and the seeking of perfection. A realist keeps everything (as it is).

Neither Idealism Nor Realism : Both

Islam is a pure tree which belongs neither to the East nor the West and has its root in the heavens and its branches reaching towards the earth. (Ali Shariati may have never read the Gita, but see the similarity in his description with that of Gita, in which God says: They speak of an unexpended (holy) fig tree (asvattha) with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are sacred verses; he who knows it is a Vedaknower. Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the modalities of nature (gunas), sense-values its buds, and downwards also there are ramified roots which bind to action in the world of men.) Contrary to idealism, Islam recognizes the existing realities in life, in the body, and in the spirit of an individual, as well as in those found in community relationships, those which reach the depths of a society and can be seen in the motion of history. Islam, as with the realists, admits to their existence, but as opposed to realism, it does not accept the status quo but changes them. It changes their essence in a revolutionary way. It carries realities along with its ideals. It uses realities as a means to reach its idealistic goals, its real desires, which are non-existent by themselves. Unlike realists, Islam does not submit to realities, but rather, it causes the realities to submit to it. Islam does nto turn away from realities as idealists do. It seeks them out. It tames them. Through this means, Islam uses that which hinders the idealists as a composite for its own ideals. Take concubinage, for instance, which in Europe is considered to be an illegal, abhorred and an unclean marriage. But it exists. It exists throughout Europe and

America and in very religious societies and groups as well. But Islam accept divorce, a new marriage contract and temporary marriage in certain very exceptional cases. Islam accepts divorce in certain social circumstances. If it did not accept divorce, divorce would still exist, but it would be outside its control. By accepting an unavoidable, natural reality, it makes it into a legal form. As a result, one can conquer the sense of guilt one has in the eyes of God and society. Thus, their contract is based upon ethical principles and religion is preserved. These people can nourish their environment. Society does not look upon them as sinners or at their children as illegal and impure. Islam succeeded the day it admitted the existence of these social and human realities. Because of this, it can control its results. It can give them an ethical and religiously accepted form. By confirming and admitting the existence of a reality, Islam gains strength. It can then control, guide and dominate the reality within a framework. If we deny realities, they will dominate us. Without knowing it, we will be pulled wherever they want us to go. As can be seen, realism is drowned in existing realities, whether good or bad. On the other hand, realism can be seen running away from those very same realities. Idealists sacrifice more as they are imprisoned in the chains of useless customs. Realists move along with realities and accept them, whereas idealists, who do not recognize them do not see them and deny them through their ignorance and their attachment to imaginary ideals. Idealists then face an attack; they fall on their knees because they are defenseless, inexperienced and weak. They will be destroyed. The same is true for young men who grow up in a pious society. The nouveau riche have just moved from the former world of their idealistic pseudo-religious

environment. There they were prohibited from learning physics or chemistry, or studying at the university. The women are forbidden to have a high school or college education. The men do not shave their beards; they sit in coaches instead of in buses or in taxis. They wear no neck-tie; they do not let their hair grow long; they do not change the form of their clothes or their hair-style. They neither buy radios nor do they spread the word of the Quran through a microphone! Suddenly, these young people face the new world of realities, full of twists and turns. The leaders of the people, those responsible for their ethics, those who have been given the responsibility of guiding their lives and thoughts, those who stand face to face with unavoidable realities, have closed their eyes. They have given their hearts to mental ideologies and to their ancient thoughts. They have tried to preserve their horse drawn carriages side by side with taxis. And they still light lamps, having electricity. They are aware. They even correctly predict this truth. They predict the phenomenon of the rush to the interior world. They know it will bring about the decline of much of the beliefs, faith, piety, health and independence. They know that corruption will find a home deep within peoples brains. But face to face with this coersion and this rush towards a new phenomenon, knowing the order and relationship which it impose when it reaches the furthermost points and the most backward tribes of society, even those in the depths of the desert, they only say one thing and one thing only: Forbidden! Radios? Dont buy one. Movies? Dont see them. Television? Dont watch it. Loudspeaker? Dont listen. University? Dont go. The new science? Dont study it. Newspapers? Dont read them. Vote? Dont give it. Office work? Dont do it and women? Shhh Dont mention that word! Those who acknowledge realities are people who

know time moves. They know that society has a skin which it sheds. They feel that the strong forces of the world have turned to us to make us change. Neither are they sufficiently without pain to sit down and watch, nor handed to them. They are not so stupid as to react in such a way that when they see a flood ahs come to cover their town, they should try to protect only their wife and children, keep them safe and pull their own carpet from the water, because they know it is a wrong and useless act. They know that today is not like the past where families were living in a closed society. Now, even if you hide your daughter in the back room of your house, national and international television will follow her, find her and show her the attractions and shows of the outside world.
What Should We Do?

Writes Shariati: In the midst of the disruptive thought which has been imposed upon us and will continue to impose itself upon us, what can we do? Who is it that can take up the mandate? The one who can do something, and, in saving us, play an active role, is not the traditional woman who is asleep in her quiet, tame, ancient mould nor is it the new woman who is a modern doll that has assumed the mould of the enemy and in the process has become full and saturated. Rather, one who can choose the new human characteristics, who can break the fastenings of old traditions which were presented in the name of religion, but in fact, were national and tribal traditions ruling over the spirit, thoughts and behaviour of society, is a person who is not satisfied with old advice. Slogans which are given by doubtful sources do not enthuse her. Behind the pre-packaged slogans of freedom, she sees ugly, frightening faces which act against the spiritual, which oppose humanness. She sees that they are in

contradiction to the spiritual, the rational, the human. They are against women and the human reverence of women. It is these people who know where those things which are forced upon us come from. They know where they get their orders form. What creatures they have sent to the market place! Creatures without sensitivities, without knowledge, without pain, without understanding, without responsibility and even without human feelings. Fresh, clean dolls, worthy ones. It is obvious what their worthiness is in and for what work. Their means of support and its derivation are also obvious. This is thrown at our women and they know why. It is because of them that Who am I? Who should I be? is pertinent, since they neither want to remain as this, nor become that. They cannot surrender themselves to whatever was and is, without their own will and choice playing a role. They want a model. Who? Fatima. Truly, Fatima is one who can serve as the greatest model for women on earth.