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    August 09

    The 12 Imams

     



    My heart is fine and bright with the love of Haydar Next to Haydar, al-Hasan is our Guide and Leader.The dust beneath the Shoes of al-Husayn is the colirum for my eyes.
    al-Abideen, the ornament of all devotees is like a crown on my head. al-Baqir is the light of both my eyes.
    The religion of Ja'far is true and the path of Musa is right. O, loyal, ones: listen to me praising the King of Kings who is buried in Khurasan, ar-Rida.
    A particle from the dust of his tomb is the cure of all pains Leader of men of faith is al-Taqi, O dear Muslims!
    If you love al-Naqi in preference to all other people, you have done the thing which is proper and right. al-Askari is the light of the eyes of both Adam and the world.
    Where can be found, in the world, such a chief in command like al-Mahdi?


    The First Imam
    'Ali al-Murtada ('Alaihis-Salam wa Karramullahu Wajahu!)
    Father: Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim.
    Mother: Fatimah bint Asad bin Hashim bin Abd Munaf.
    Kunniyat (Patronym): Abu'l Hasan and Husayn, Abu Turab
    Laqab (Title): Al-Wasi, Amir al-Mu'minin
    Birth: He was born in the actual structure of the Ka'ba, in thirty 'Am al-Fil (the year of the
    elephant).
    Martyrdom: He was martyred by the accursed Khwariji named ibn Muljam at Kufa during
    the month of Ramadan in the 40th year of Hijrah and is buried in Najaf on the outskirts of
    Kufa.




    The Second Imam
    Hasan ('Alaihi-Salam)
    Mother: Fatimah az-Zahra, the youngest daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
    Kunniyat: Abu Muhammad
    Laqab: Al-Sibt al-Kabir (the elder grandson), Al-Mujtaba.
    Birth: He was born in Madina in the middle of the month of Ramadhan in 3 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He died on the 28th of Safar in the year 50 A.H. He was buried in the
    graveyard of Baqi in Madina.




    The Third Imam
    Husayn ('Alaihi-Salam)
    Mother: Fatimah az-Zahra, the daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
    Kunniyat: Abu 'Abdillah.
    Laqab: Al Sibt, Shahid-e-Karbala.
    Birth: He was born in Madina in the month of Shaban in the year 4 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He was martyred with his companions by the army of Yazid in the month of
    Muharram 61 A.H. His tomb is in Karbala, a town of Iraq.




    The Fourth Imam
    'Ali Zayn al-'Abidin
    Mother: Shahzanaan
    Kunniyat: Abu al-Hasan
    Laqab: Zayn al-'Abidin, Al Sajjad
    Birth: He was born in 38 A.H. in Madina.
    Martyrdom: He died of poison in the year 94 or 95 A.H. at Madina and is buried at Baqi
    near his uncle Hasan.




    The Fifth Imam
    Muhammad al-Baqir
    Mother: Umm Abdullah, the daughter of Imam Hasan.
    Kunniyat: Abu Ja'far.
    Laqab: Al-Baqir.
    Birth: He was born at Madina in the year 57 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He died of poisoning in Madina in 114 A.H. and is also buried at Baqi near his
    father.




    The Sixth Imam
    Ja'far as-Sadiq
    Mother: Umm Farwa, the daughter of Qasim
    bin Muhammad bin Abu Bakr.
    Kunniyat: Abu 'Abdillah.
    Laqab: Al-Sadiq.
    Birth: He was born at Madina in 83 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He died of poison in 148 A.H. and is buried at Baqi near his father.




    The Seventh Imam
    Musa al-Kazim
    Mother: Hamidah
    Kunniyat: Abu al-Hasan
    Laqab: Al-Kazim
    Birth: He was born at Madina in the year 129 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He was poisoned in the prison of Harun al-Rashid at Baghdad in the year 183
    A.H. He is buried in Kazimiyyah in Iraq.




    The Eighth Imam
    'Ali al-Rida
    Mother:Khayzran
    Kunniyat : Abu al-Hasan
    Laqab : Al-Rida
    Birth: He was born at Madina in 148 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He was poisoned in the year 203 A.H. and is buried in the Khurasan district of
    Iran.



    The Ninth Imam
    Muhammad Taqi
    Mother: Sakina
    Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu 'Abdillah
    Laqab (Title): Al Jawad
    Birth: He was born at Madina in 195 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He died of poison at Baghdad in the year 220 A.H. and is buried near his
    grandfather at Kazimiyyah in Iraq.




    The Tenth Imam
    Ali al-Naqi
    Mother: Samana al-Maghribiya
    Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu al-Hasan al Askari
    Laqab (Title): Al-Hadi
    Birth: He was born at Madina in the year 212 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He died of poison in 254 A.H. at Samarrah (Sarmanra) in Iraq and is buried
    there.



    The Eleventh Imam
    Hasan al-Askari
    Mother: Ummul Walad - Sawsan.
    Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu Muhammad.
    Laqab (Title): Al-Askari.
    Birth: He was born at Samarrah in the year 232 A.H.
    Martyrdom: He was poisoned in 260 A.H. at Samarrah and is buried there.


    All the tombs of the eleven Imams are a place of Ziyarat (holy visitation) by the believers.
    Four of the Imams are buried in the city of Madinah, (Saudi) Arabia. However, their tombs
    have been demolished by the Wahhabi fanatics along with the tombs of the wives of the
    Prophet and his blessed companions.




    The Twelfth Imam
    Muhammad al-Mahdi (May Allah hasten his unveiling!)
    Mother: Ummul Walad Narjis alias Saiqal
    Kunniyat (Patronymic): Abu 'Abdullah, Abu al-Qasim
    Laqab (Title): Al-Qaim, Al-Muntazar, Al-Khalaf, Al-Mahdi, Sahib al-zamaan.
    Birth: He was born at Samarrah in the year 255 A.H. He is the last Imam (a.s.) and he is
    alive and hidden.
     
     
    August 07

    Shias in the Light of Quran & Hadith

     
     The concept of Sharia was first propagated by Hadhrath Nuh (as). The followers of Hadhrath Nuh (as) path were referred to as Shi’a. This is clear from the fact that we read when referring to Hadhrath Ibrahim (as) Allah (swt) says that he was following the religion of Hadhrath Nuh (as).

    We read in Surah As-Saffat (Ch:37) Verse 83:

    “Verily Ibrahim was a Shi’a of Nuh”.

    The Prophet (s) was likewise from the people of Ibrahim that is because Allah (swt) says in Surah al Baqarah verse 134:

    “They say: "Become Jews or Christians and you would be guided (To salvation)." Say No (I would rather) follow the Religion of Abraham”

    Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 15 again uses the word Shia for Prophet Musa (AS) followers.
    Surah Al-Qasas - Verse 15 again uses the word Shia for Prophet Musa (AS) followers.

    This therefore means that Hadhrath Muhammad (s) was a Shi’a of Hadhrath Ibrahim (as) - who was a Shi’a of Hadhrath Nuh (as). The term Shi’a, should therefore not be viewed with hostility rather previous Prophets and their adherents were Shi’a.

    “And he entered the City at a time when its people were not watching: and he found there two men fighting,- one of his Shi’a, and the other, of his enemies”. (Qur'an 28:15).



    Please note that the followers of Muaweyah (L) and Yazeed (L), the Sipah e Sahaba and other Wahabi groups refer to Shias as Kaafirs (infidels)!
    Shia News Team
    In this verse, Hadhrath Musa (as)’s party are referred to as Shi’a because Hadhrath Musa (as) was Shi’a. His followers were Shi’a as declared by the Holy Qur’an. This fact is acknowledged by the scholars of Ahl’ul Sunnah.

    In Tafsir Bidhawi Volume 4 page 125 (Egypt edition)
    “One was his Shi’a in others one that followed his path”.

    Allamah Farah Baghawi in his “Mu’allim ul Tanzil” Volume 3 page 175 (India, Bombay edition) writes:

    “The fighter was a Shi’a - a momin, his enemy was a Kaffir”.

    Shi’a in light of hadith of the Prophet(s)
    Hadhrath Ali (as) and his Shi’a are the best of creations


    It is in praise of the Shi’a of Ali that Allah (swt) sent down the following revelation:

    “Those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of the creatures. Their reward from their Lord shall be everlasting gardens, below which flow rivers, they will abide there forever. Well pleased is God with them and they are well pleased with Him” (Qur'an 98:7)”.

    Ya Rasool Allah
    Ya Rasool Allah
    Muhammad bin Ali narrates in Tafsir ibne Jarir, Volume 33 page 146 (Cairo edition) that the Prophet (s) said “The best of creations are you Ali and your Shi’as.

    Jalaladin Suyuti, (849 - 911 AH) is one of the highest ranked Sunni scholars of all time. In his commentary of this verse, he records through 3 asnad (chains) of narrators, that the Prophet (s) told his companions that the verse referred to Ali and his Shi’a:

    “I swear by the one who controls my life that this man (Ali) and his Shi’a shall secure deliverance on the day of ressurection”.
    TDM Volume 6 page 379 (Cairo edition)

    The 3 Sahaba who narrated this hadith are (1) Ali (as) himself (2) Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari (ra) (3) Abdullah ibne Abbas (ra). They are acknowledged by the majority school as truthful narrators of hadith. Had this been in a Shi’a book, our opponents would have deemed it a forgery, but it’s presence in their own books has perplexed the minds of many of their scholars.

    There are no hadith in which the Prophet (s) guaranteed paradise for a specific Sahaba and his followers, with the sole exception of Ali (as) and his Shi’a. Other Sunni scholars have also recorded this hadith from Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari in their commentaries of the above verse.
    Tafsir Fatha ul bayan Volume 10 page 333 (Egypt edition) &
    Tafsir Fatha ul Qadir, Volume 5 page 477


    Hadhrath Abdullah ibne Abbas narrates “that when this verse descended the Prophet (s) Ali you and your Shi’a will be joyful on the Day of Judgement” (ibid Suyuti).

    Ahmad ibn Hajr al Makki quotes from Imam Dar Qatany in his al Sawaiqh al Muhriqa page 159 (Cairo edition) “O Abul Hasan you and your Shi’a will attain paradise”.

    The Shi’a will enter Heaven with the Prophet (s), Hadhrath Ali (as) and the pure Imams
    Ibn Hajr records this tradition from Imam Tabarani:
    “O Ali four people will enter heaven first of all. You Hasan Hussain your descendents and me will follow us and our wives will follow our descendents and our Shi’a will be to the left and right of us”.

    The Prophet (s) promised to meet Ali (as) and his Shi’a at the fountain of Kawthur

    Hadhrath Ali narrates in Tafsir Durre Mansur, Volume 6 page 379 (Cairo edition)
    “Have you not heard this verse “Their reward from their Lord shall be everlasting gardens, below which flow rivers, they will abide there forever”? This verse refers to you and you Shi’a, I promise you that I will be meet you at the Fountain of Kawthur”.

    Seventy thousand Shi’as will enter Heaven without any questioning

    Whilst salvation will be for the Shi’a of course deeds will differ amongst the followers. It is indeed part of the articles of faith of the Ahl’ul Sunnah that:

    “Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had once observed that as many as seventy thousand of his followers will be allowed entry in to paradise without any questioning”.
    Islam: The Basic Articles of Faith - According to the Beliefs of the Ahl al Sunna wa al Jama’a - a Modern English translation of Bahar-e-Shariat Part One (Unamed author) page 67 (First edition, Crescent Publishing, Rochdale 1998)

    The question that one should ask is ‘Did the Prophet (s) expand any further on who this blessed group would be?’ The answer is recorded by the Shafii scholar al Maghazli who records a tradition from Anas bin Malik, that he heard the Prophet (s) say:

    “Seventy thousand people will go to heaven without questions, the Prophet then turned to Ali and said ‘they will be from among your Shi’a and you will be their Imam”

    Sunni Reference:
    Manaqib Ali al Murtaza, page 184 by al Maghazli al Shafii

    What should also be noted is the fact that whilst some verses in the Qur’an are concerned with a specific episode / incident there are some that have a general applicability for all times. Clearly this verse, helps Man to identify the fact that that group “who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of the creatures”.

    The verse is a guarantee that at all times, in every era these type of individuals shall exist. If the Prophet (s)’s commentary of that verse is that it is Hadhrath Ali (as) and his Shi’a that are being referred here, then that means that the Shi’a compliment this verse.

    This means that that in the same way that this verse will exist until the end of the world, Ali (as)’s Shi’a will likewise exist to provide a practical commentary to it. The fact that the Prophet (s) had made reference to Ali and his Shi’a during his lifetime proves that the Shi’a existed then.

    Furthermore, the very fact that this verse has never been abrogated means that from then until the Day of Judgment, if one is seeking to identify the best of creations s/he will need to turn to Ali (as) and his Shi’a. There exist no traditions in which the Prophet (s) guaranteed paradise for a specific companion and his followers, with the sole exception of Ali (as) and his Shi’a.

    If the term Ahl' al Sunna wa'al Jammah existed in a definitive form from the moment of the death of the Holy Prophet, undoubtedly some Hadith fabricators would have put this name in and substituted it for the name Shi’a. But since this term did not exist till the reign of Al Mansur, a whole century after the death of the Holy Prophet, no such Hadith exists. So what was the title given to the early companions?….

    The companions, the Muhajireen and Ansar were Shi’a

    The highly respected Sunni scholar Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi in his discussion of hadith relating to Ali and his Shi’a writes:

    “The title Shi’a was first given to those Muhajireen and Ansar who gave Bayah to Ali (may Allah enlighten his face), they were his steadfast faithful followers during his (Ali’s) khilafat, they remained close to him, and they always fought his enemies, and kept on following Ali’s commands and prohibitions the true Shi’a are these who came in 37 Hijri”
    Taufa Ithna Ashari, (Gift to the Twelvers) (Farsi edition p 18, publishers Sohail Academy, Lahore, Pakistan).

    (NB: 37 Hijri -the year Hadhrath Ali (as) fought Mu’awiyah at Siffeen).

     

    The Ahl al-Bayt

     

    Contributions; The Ahl al-Bayt (by Sr. Sayeeda Abid Ali

    The Ahlal Bait are the Godly ones of the Family of the Holy Prophet whom the Muslim World as a whole unanimously acknowledges as the Pure Personalities and hold them as INFALLIBLE Holy ones PURIFIED By God Himself.

    The Almighty Allah has bestowed His trust on Ale Muhammad (The descendants of Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Them), who are the Strongholds of His Commandments. From where they are expounded and interpreted. They are The Fountain Heads of Knowledge Created by Him, Shelters for His Teachings, Forts for Heavenly Books, And lofty Citadels to defend His Religion. Islam needed help and support, By them Allah made Islam strong and powerful.

    "And We assigned from among them some Imams(Leaders) who guide by Our Authority since they were patient and believed firmly in Our Signs. (Qur'an 32:24)

    And, He it is who made the stars for you that ye maybe rightly guided by observing them in the darkness of the land and the sea; Indeed we have made plain the Signs for the people who can know. (Qur'an 6:97).

    The Holy Prophet said:

    " As the stars in the sky are the Source of guidance to the travellers, The Holy Ones of my Ahlal Bait ( The Twelve Imams) are The Source of Guidance for the people. And, as the stars will remain in the sky until The Day of Judgment, The earth will never be without a Divinely Guide from My Ahlal Bait, That is an Imam".

    And say those who disbelieve: "why hath not a sign been sent down unto him(Muhammad); Verily thou art a warner and for every people there is a guide (13:7)

    Firmly Ground in Knowledge:

    "He (God) is He Who Has revealed The Book (Quran) to you. Some of its verses are decisive; they are the Essence of The Book and the others are ambiguous; so as for those in whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which is ambiguous, seeking to mislead (people) and seeking to give it ( their own) interpretation. But NONE knows its interpretation , Save God and those who are firmly established in Knowledge".(Qur'an 3:7).

    "Nay These are The Verses of The Qur'an in the Breast of those who are gifted with Knowledge. (Qur'an: 29:49).

    The Blessed Ones:

    Guide us in the straight path: The path of those whom Thou hast blessed. (1:6&7).

    They are those whom Allah has blessed among the Prophets and the truthfuls, and the martyrs and the righteous. (4:69)

    These are The Ones on The Guidance from their Lord and these are The Ones shall be The successful ones. (Qur'an: 2:5).

    The Purified Ones:

    Verily It is Qur'an honourable, In a Book hidden, Toucheth It not save the purified ones

    . Sent down by The Lord of the Worlds. (56:77 to 80).

    The Highest degree of purity means to be kept constantly away from all the causes of impurity. This is termed as the State of Infallibility in Knowledge, character and action. It could have been applied generally to the whole mankind who are keeping aloof from all the impurities as The Word of God Commands; But, God expressively Has confined His Order to certain Group of Individuals by excluding the rest of the mankind from it in His Divine Will by declaring the 'Ahlal Bait' as the persons purified by Him to be constantly in touch with the Qur'an in its original, hidden, well protected, exalted and purified form. It was Allah's Wish to remove all Blemish from them:

    Verily, verily God intendeth to keep off from you (every kind of filth), "O' ye The People of The House (Ahlul Bait), and purify you with a thorough purification. (Qur'an: 33:33).

    Commandment to love Ahlal Bait

    In this Last Word of God (Qur'an), The Holy Prophet is being Commanded to ask the believers to love his kith and kin (that is his Ahlal Bait) and that would be the return of his apostleship.

    That is of which God Give the glad tidings unto His servants who believe and do good deeds; Say thou ('O' Apostle Muhammad!) "I demand not of you any recompense for it (the toils of apostleship) save THE LOVE OF (MY) RELATIVES ... (42:23).

    Ordinance of God :

    And after returning from City of Mecca after his last or the parting Pilgrimage (Hajjatul Vida) at a place called Ghadeer e Khum this verse was revealed to The Holy Prophet Muhammad, which occupies a very important and a leading position in The Holy Qur'an and forms a very vital part of The Word of God:

    "O Apostle! deliver what has been Revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His Message, and Allah will protect you from the people, surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people" (5:67)

    Acknowledgement of Ali as the Successor:

    History reports how the Holy Prophet stopped the caravan, delivered a long sermon, before a mammoth assemble of thousands of the pilgrims and he was standing there to convey the Message to the Muslims and to perform the duty he was ordered to perform. Continuing the sermon, he said:

     "O people! Shortly I shall be called (to the Heaven),I am leaving amidst you, two most precious things, worthy of obedience, THE BOOK of ALLAH (THE HOLY QUR'AN), and 'MY AHLAL BAIT' (The members of his family, Ali and Fatima and their Godly issues), Should ye be attached to these Two, Never shall ye get astray after me, for Verily these TWO will not separate from each other until they meet me at the Fountain of Kausar (Paradise)."And then he called Ali Ibne Abi Taleb and raising him with the miraculous strength of his apostolic arms declared:

     'Man kunto Maulaho fa haaza Ali-yun Maulahu' that is:

     Whomsoever I am The Maula,(Lord, Master), This ALI is his Maula.

     And declared him as The Ameer ul Momeyneen(Commander of the faithful).

    Then the Prophet said "Go now, and let those who have been present here today repeat and convey to those who are absent all that they have seen and heard."

    Approval of The Religion:

    And immediately after this historic event, the Divine inspiration again descended revealing:

    "This day I perfected for you, your religion, and have completed my favor on you and chosen for you ISLAM (to be ) the Religion", ... (5:3).

    Commandment To Believe:

    Mankind! Verily The Apostle Mohammed hath come unto you with TRUTH from your Lord. Believe then unto him, it is good for you and if you disbelieve then God is whatever is in the Heavens and the Earth and God is All Knowing, All Wise. (4:170).

    And We made them Imams (Leaders) by OUR Command and We revealed to them the doing of Good and the keeping up of Prayers and giving of the alms. (And Us)(Alone) did they serve (21:73)

    God is He who sent down The Book with Truth and The Balance. What shall make you know , haply the hour (of Reckoning) be nigh (42:17)

    "The Two inseparable Associates each one of whom stands as a witness to the truth of the other."

    Since the Ahlal Bait carry as much weight in the eyes of Allah as The Holy Quran, the former has the same qualities as the latter. Just as the Qur'an is true from beginning to end without the shadow of untruth in it, and just as it is incumbent(duty) of every Muslim to obey its commands, so also must the Ahlal Bait be perfectly true and sincere guides whose commands must be followed by all. Therefore there can be no escape of accepting their leadership and following their creed and faith. The Muslims are bound by the sayings of prophet to follow them and no one else.

    Those who have faith in god and do righteous deeds they are the best of creatures (khairul barriya). (98:7)

    These are none but our Infallible Imams.

    Peace And The Mercy Of God Be Upon Muhammad And His Descendants.
    Lord Who distinguished Muhammad and His descendants with Excellence;
    Entrusted them with Thy mission;
    And favored them with Thy privilege (of intercession);
    Who made them The Heirs to The Prophets;
    Who sealed upon them the succession and Guardianship of the Religion;
    Who taught them The knowledge of all what was and all that remains;
    Who made the hearts for mankind yearn for them.
    Lord, Bless Muhammad and his descendants, The Pure Ones, and Do unto us what Thou art Worthy of doing in this world, and the hereafter. Verily Thou Has Power over all things.