8 The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol.

2 Issue 30
Cont’d from Last Page
The winds listen to us
Vol. 2 Issue 30
The Truth
A Weekly Bulletin Thu. Sep 6th 2007
as they move our hearts
and lift our wings, Belief The Bestower of Provision
Allah, the Almighty says:
never leaving us behind,
“Surely Allah is the Bestower of provision, Lord of Power, the
Almighty”.
Holy Qur’an (52:58)
We are their friends
People, birds, fish, animals, insects and reptiles are all creatures,
and they are our helpers,
which need food, air and water. Allah has bestowed His sustenance on
We are their companions
each and every creature on earth and all must work and search for their
and they are our seekers,
provision.
We are their happiness
Allah, the Most High says:
and they are our joy,
“And He set on the earth firm mountains standing above its
And let their sounds bring
surface, and He blessed the earth and measured therein nour-
harmony and eternal peace
ishment for all things, in four periods: in accordance with the
from the bottom of our hearts,
needs of the seekers”.
Holy Qur’an (41:10) Cont’d on Page 2
Ethics Service to Humanity
And let the stars keep shining
It is one of the basic commandments of Islam
and the moon shed its light
that we should help and serve others. This is what we have been or-
never leaving darkness behind,
dered by Allah and His Prophet to do, and this is what we have been
While the sun that scorches
taught by our Imams. It is our duty to help a person who is in difficulty,
its beams on our heads
whether he be a Muslim or a non-Muslim.
making our presence felt,
One day, a friend of Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) came from some other place
We are their friends,
to see him in Madina, where the Imam was then staying. In the course
of conversation, he said to the Imam, “O’ Holy Imam! Some nomads are
staying in our town. They come around every now and then and seek
And they are our joy, Cont’d on Page 3
We will continue to prosper
if we listen to their whispers, History IMAM ALl (A.S.)
Imam Ali (A.S.), the first Imam, was the son of
and witness their beauty
Abu Talib and the cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet Muhammed
with much pride and wisdom,
(P.). He was born on Friday, the 13th Rajab in the Holy Ka’aba. From his
The beauty of silence
very childhood, he was brought up in the house of the Holy Prophet who
always felt in the mercy,
imparted the best education to him. Even after he grew up, he spent
That God brings to us.
most of his time with the Holy Prophet. He was the first among men
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He had complete mastery of the verses of the Holy Qur’an and Islamic
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Please note that we have the right to Accept, Edit or Refuse any content. Laws. After the Holy Prophet of Islam, he was the greatest scholar of
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Designed by: Ahmad Haidar He was unmatched in his piety, learning, kindness, justice, content-
Contact-Us Please send us your feedbacks, comments, and suggestions to ment, toil, forbearance, self-sacrifice and bravery and enjoyed the high-
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 2 The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 30 The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 30 7
Cont’d from First Page Anecdote The Effect of Bohlool’s Du’a (Prayer)
People are the seekers of sustenance, for food, water and money,
on this earth. In our organized society we get them through working in It is said that an Arab had a camel which was afflicted by the itch-
different fields such as: agriculture, industry, cattle-rearing, commerce ing disease. People advised him to rub castor oil on it. The Arab rode
and other kinds of employment such as carpentry, science, medicine, his camel to the city to buy the oil. Near the city, he met Bohlool. Since
engineering, tailoring, etc. Bohlool was his friend, he said to him, “My camel has the itching dis-
Consider the food which you eat at every meal and think from where ease. People told me that by rubbing castor oil on it, it will be cured. But
it came? I believe that your personality has more influence and is better. Please
The vegetables, grain, fruit, meat, fish, poultry, milk, eggs or dairy be compassionate and pray for my camel and bless it, so that it can
products and so on. cured of this sickness.”
Who brought forth the crops which farmers grow to be processed into Bohlool said, “If you buy the castor oil, and along with it include my
delicious food? prayer, then it is certain that your camel will quickly become healthy, but
Who created animals whose flesh may be cooked to give us suste- alone the prayer has no effect.”
nance, or from which milk is obtained? The Arab bought the oil. Bohlool prayed for and blessed the camel.
Only our Creator is the Maker of provisions for us on this earth. And After a few days of massaging with oil, the camel became healthy.
surely, to gain these we need to work. Indeed prophets themselves have
striven for the sake of obtaining sustenance.
Prophet Moses (A.S.) used to graze cattle and so did Prophet David
te (A.S.). Prophet Noah (A.S.) worked as a carpenter, as did Prophet Mu-
at hammed (P.), who also used to graze cattle, and who worked in com-
w merce in Mecca for a certain time.
The acquisition of provision needs supplies, demand and surety. Al-
rd lah has provided such basic requirements as oxygen, sunlight and rain
nd in order that land can be irrigated, plants cultivated and animals reared.
er For man to survive and be healthy and strong in both body and mind he
needs to think, work and to organise his life around him.
s- Allah’s blessings upon us are numerous and uncountable. He provides
et basic provisions and favours for all mankind. So why, it can be asked, do Beauty of Silence
Poetry
we we see that some poor people starve, and have no material benefits or
k, dwellings? Verily the reason behind this can be seen very clearly. At one The silence in the wind,
end of the scale, some people are lazy and have no inclination to work The coolness of its sound
ly. for the sake of earning their provision. And indeed Allah dislikes them. as it brushes our feathers
w- At the other end of the scale, some people behave as oppressors and and moves our heart tenderly,
eir tyrants, amassing fortunes out of their own greed and not for the good never wanting to leave
er of society. They use the poor and needy for their own ends and neglect the chastity of freedom,
their welfare. never making us part
This is despite the fact that Allah has made it obligatory to help the from the motherly treasures
nd poor so that no one remains in need.
Therefore, the real reason for people’s poverty in most cases is the
deprivation of their rights by the rich, upon whom Allah has placed re- of the purified earth; The birds chirping in the blue,
sponsibility to alleviate their burden. The skies much clear
Surely Allah is the Bestower of Provision, the Lord of Power, when we seek and search
the Almighty. finding a cure to problems,
Cont’d on Next Page
6 The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 30
Cont’d from Last Page
evil of you to eat of His sustenance, stay in His Kingdom, and then dis-
obey Him in His All-Knowing, All-Seeing presence. Even then you claim
to worship Him; although He says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘Do not think that
Allah is unaware of the act of the oppressor.’”
Abdullah said, “You spoke true. What is the fourth condition?”
“The fourth condition is that when the Angel of Death suddenly comes
to you to obey Allah’s order and seize your soul, then at that time say,
‘Wait a little while so I can say good-bye to my relatives, get their fare-
well, and take provisions for my last journey; then seize my soul.’”
“This is the most difficult condition. At that time the Angel of Death
will not even give me time to breathe.”
“O intelligent human! You know that there is no cure for death. You
can’t make it go away from you, and the Angel of Death doesn’t give
time when on the verge of death. While committing sins, the Angel
of Death suddenly and surprisingly comes, sparing no time for even
breathing. As Allah says, ‘When the time of their death comes, they can’t
hurry a bit or delay.’ So then Abdullah! Hear the truth from a lunatic and
awaken from the sleep of unawareness.
“Beware of arrogance and intoxication, and worry about the Hereafter
because a long journey waits and life is short. Don’t postpone today’s
work until tomorrow, maybe tomorrow will not come for you. Know that
this is the most valuable time. Don’t be lazy in doing work for the Here-
after. Make provision for the Hereafter today because regretting there
tomorrow has no benefit.”
When Abdullah heard these words he bowed his head and began to
think.
Bohlool again said, “O Abdullah! You wanted advice from me that
would prove useful tomorrow and wanted me to present an example
and proof. Why have you bowed your head? What answer will you give
on the Day of Judgment when dangerous and strong angels inquire dur-
ing your reckoning. Today whomever’s account is pure will have no fear
tomorrow.”
Finally Abdullah raised his head and said, “O Shaykh!
I whole-heartedly listened to your advice. I also accept
this fourth condition. Say something else and make
me your student.”
“O Abdullah! It is incumbent upon the servant
that whatever he does is by Allah’s order and what-
ever he says or hears is according to His order, then
the servant is a servant.”
Intelligent and wise Bohlool that is called crazy and insane
by people was benefited by the companionship of Imam Ja’far
Al-Sadiq (A.S.).
The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 30 3
Cont’d from First Page
help. Unfortunately, they are not Muslims. Should we help them?”
The Imam replied, “It is our duty to help every needy person. It
makes no difference whether he is a Muslim or a non-Muslim.”
Islam considers those rich persons to be virtuous who meet all finan-
cial obligations consisting of zakat and rights of the relatives, beggars
and the needy.
As and when Imam Ali (A.S.) appointed anyone to the governorship
of a province, he used to give the man a number of instructions. One of
those instructions was this:
“Always give people their rights, whether they be Muslims or
unbelievers. If they are Muslims, they are your brethren in-faith
and even if they are not Muslims, they are your fellow beings”.
It is our duty to help every needy person.
NEED OF FRIEND
Society
There is no one in the world that does not need
friends. The more friends we have the more successful our lives will be.
A learned man has said, “One who thinks that he does not need friends
is like the simpleton who tells the sun that he does not care whether it
rises or sets”.
It should also be remembered that it is necessary to be careful in the
selection of friends. Making more friends does not mean that we should
have firm relations with anyone and everyone. If we befriend unman-
nerly and lazy people, their bad habits will gradually affect us and we
shall become lazy and worthless like them. This will make us lose our
esteem in the eyes of others.
There is a well-known proverb: “A man is known by the company he
keeps”. We should, therefore, befriend those people who are good man-
nered, pious and hard-working. Islam says that two companions should
act as preachers for each other and each one of them should point out
the shortcomings of the other. So by associating with such people we
shall overcome our weaknesses and advance on the path of progress.
It should also not be forgotten that making
friends is not sufficient; but it is also neces-
sary to retain their friendship. This would be
possible only when we behave with
them properly and sincerely. Imam
Ali (A.S.) has said:
“A man who has no friends is very
poor. And poorer than he, is he who
cannot retain the friendship and
loses his friends”. A man is known
by the company he keeps.
4 The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 30
Cont’d from First Page
est position among the Muslims.
Before saying or doing anything, he gave serious thought to all its
aspects. As such, whatever he said was correct and whatever he did was
according to Islamic teachings and justice.
He spent the whole of his life fighting against injustice and always
upheld truth and justice.
He was polite and modest and treated everyone like a brother and a
friend. He was never unfair to anybody and did not displease anyone.
He used simple, but clean clothes. His diet was also very simple. He
usually ate barley bread. He was so just and contented that he once
said,
“If you give me the whole world, to snatch away just one
grain from the month of an ant, I will never do so”.
Under Allah’s command, the Holy Prophet nominated Imam Ali (A.S.)
as his successor and the leader of the Muslims. He lived for about thirty
years after the Holy Prophet. On the 19th of Ramadan 40 A.H., while
offering his prayers in the Masjid al-Kufa, he was struck with a poisoned
sword by a Kharejite, Abd al Rahman son of Muljim. He breathed his last
on the 21st of Ramadan. His sacred tomb is in the city of Najaf al-Ashraf,
in Iraq.
Love for Imam Ali (A.S.) is an article of faith.
Prophet Muhammed (P.) Advises People
Advices
Once a man approached the Holy Prophet Mu-
hammed (P.) and said, “O Prophet of Allah! Advise me how to lead a
good life.” The Holy Prophet replied, “Be kind and decent to others.”
It is an undeniable fact that there is nothing as good as belief in Al-
lah and His Holy Prophet Muhammed (P.) and good behaviour towards
Allah’s creatures. It is for this very reason that when the Holy Prophet
was once asked as to who is liked most by Allah, he replied, “Allah likes
that person most who helps others and from whom the people
derive more and more benefit.”
He also said that the sign of a good man is that if he does any good
to any person, he does not remind him of it.
Islam also teaches us to rely upon one another and not to doubt the
intentions of others without a just cause. The Holy Prophet said, “Those
who do not rely upon one another are devoid of faith.”
Islam lays great stress on the fulfillment of a promise. A Hadith (Say-
ing) has been quoted from the Holy Prophet to the effect that the faith
of those, who do not honour their promises and agreements, and do not
take proper care of things entrusted to them, is weak.
The Hadith of the Holy Prophet are beaconing light for our
guidance.
The Truth, Thursday, September 6TH, 2007. Vol. 2 Issue 30 5
Anecdote Bohlool Criticizes Abdullah Mubarak
One day Abdullah Mubarak went to the desert to
see Bohlool the Wise. He saw Bohlool bareheaded, barefoot, and recit-
ing Allah’s Name. He went up to him and saluted him. Bohlool answered
the greeting.
Abdullah Mubarak said, “O Shaykh! My request is that you advise me
and tell me how to pass a life in this world, so that I stay away from sins
because I am a sinful being and I can’t overcome my evil self-will. Tell
me some way by which to acquire relief.”
“O Abdullah! I myself am worried and distressed. What do you expect
from me. If I had a brain, people wouldn’t call me crazy. What effect can
the speeches of lunatics have that people would accept, so go and look
for some intelligent person.”
“O Shaykh! Those who say they are crazy are just fooling others.
They are intelligent, and it is the truth that is heard from the lunatic.”
Bohlool was silent. Abdullah again began flattering him and said, “O
Shaykh! Don’t disappoint me; I came with expectations.”
“O Abdullah! First agree to my four conditions, so that you don’t go
back on your words at the statement of a lunatic. Then I will criticize you
and will tell you such things that will be the means of your salvation.”
“What are these four conditions; tell me so I can agree.”
“Firstly, whenever you commit a sin or go against Allah’s command,
then don’t eat of His sustenance.”
“Then whose sustenance shall I eat of?”
“Being an intelligent person, you claim that you worship Allah and eat
out of His sustenance, and then you disobey His command. You yourself
judge, is this the way to repay beneficence?”
Abdullah said, “You spoke true, what is the second condition?”
“Secondly, whenever you want to sin, do not intend to stay in His
Kingdom.”
“This is more difficult than the first, because every place is Allah’s
land and kingdom so then where will I go?”
“It is a very evil thing that you eat out of His sustenance, live in His
Kingdom and then disobey His command. Yourself judge, is this the
condition of beneficence?”
“What is the third condition?”
“Thirdly, when you want to sin or disobey His command, then go hide
in such a place where He can’t see or be aware of you. Then do what-
ever you want.”
“This is the most difficult. Allah knows and sees all. He is present
everywhere. He sees and knows all that His creations do.”
“You are an intelligent being. You should know that He is present ev-
erywhere, the All-Knowing and All-Seeing. In this sense, it would be very
Cont’d on Next Page