18th Safar 1446 (23rd August 2024)

In the name of Allah

The All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful 18th Safar 1446 (23rd August 2024) Islamic Universal Association 20 Penzance Place, Holland Park London, W11 4 PG www.arafeh.co.uk Imam Ali (a.s.)’s advice in the Nahjal-Balagha – Part 41 Having discussed the first part of Imam Ali (a.s.)’s Sermon 87 on true believers, I quote below its second part: “He is the lamp in darkness. He is the dispeller of blindness, key to the obscure, remover of complexities and a guide in vast deserts. When he speaks he makes you understand whereas when he remains silent then it is safe to do so. He does everything only for Allah and so Allah made him His own. Consequently, he is amidst the treasures of His religion and His slave on earth. He has enjoined upon himself to follow justice. The first step of his justice is the rejection of desires from his heart. He describes right and acts according to it. There is no good which he has not aimed at or any likely place of virtue to which he has not proceeded. He has placed his reins in the hands of the Quran. Therefore the Quran is his guide and leader. He gets down when the Quran puts down its weight and he settles where the Quran settles down.” Valuable points • A believer is a guiding light; he guides people out of the realms of ignorance. He enjoins good and forbids evil. According to the Holy Prophet: “My nation will always be good as long as its people enjoin good and forbid evil and assist one another in piety….” • A believer has knowledge of faith that invades deeply into his mind, heart and soul and he lives his life according to the tenets of Islam. • He is sincere in his worship of Allah (s.w.t.) and he stands before Him in absolute sincerity and awe and without any feeling of vanity. Sincerity towards Allah (s.w.t.) is the starting point in the fulfilment of religious duties. • He is a loyal slave of Allah (s.w.t.) and he seeks Allah (s.w.t.)’s pleasure with integrity and earnestness. • He strictly adheres to principles of justice and refrains from frivolous desires. The bedrock of Islam is rooted in justice and altruism; justice within ourselves, our families and companions and the collective justice imparted as a community. • The Holy Quran is the believer’s guide and leader for it was sent to man by Allah (s.w.t.) to guide him to live in piety. Ayah 2 of Surah Al-Baqarah provides: “This is the Book; there is no doubt in it; guidance for the righteous.” .To be continued Second Sermon

2 Arba’een of Imam Hussain (a.s.) I hereby express my deepest condolence to Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.) and to the followers of the Ahlul Bait on the occasion of the anniversary of Arba’een, the fortieth day of Imam Hussain (a.s.)’s martyrdom and that of his dear relatives and companions. The day of Arba’een marks an important turning point in the movement of Karbala; it is as important as the day of Ashura for many reasons. It was on that day the surviving members of the Ahlul Bait reached Karbala and visited the graves of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and the loyal members of his family and friends who gave their lives for the cause of Islam. Moreover, the occasion of Arba’een reminds the faithful of the core message behind Imam Hussain (a.s.)’s martyrdom, that is, to establish justice and fight injustice, no matter what; a message that strongly influenced subsequent Shiite uprisings against the tyranny of the Umayyad and the Abbasid rule. As we complete the forty days of the remembrance of our dear Imam, we must re-assert our pledge of obedience and loyalty to him. According to Imam Hasan Al-Askari (a.s.) a true Shiite conducts the following acts: 1.Performs daily 51 rakat prayers (17 wajib and 34 mustahab rakats). 2. Recites Ziyarat Arba’een of Hussain (a.s.) on the day of Arba’een. 3. Wears a ring on his right index finger 4. Prostrates on earth (mohar) in the name of Allah (s.w.t). 5.Recites loudly Bismillah Ar-Rahman Nir-Rahim during prayers. Imam, Sadeq (a.s.) has said in a special prayer on the day of Arba’een that Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his faithful companions sacrificed their lives to initiate declarations of freedom for the people who were in search of independence and justice. We should therefore recite the following declaration of the Imam: “O Lord, I declare that Hussain is your friend and your friend’s son. He has been elected by You and Your friends. He was honoured to die a martyr and had the privilege to defend Your religion. You have given him and his household a special elevated position and You have assigned him as successor to your messengers and as Your executor and an exemplar to Your servants on earth. He invited people to pursue Islam in order to attain an honourable life. He gave them his advice and generously sacrificed his and his companions’ lives to save the Muslim Ummah from anguish and desolation…” Thereafter Imam Sadeq (a.s.) described the greatness of his great grandfather, Imam Hussain (a.s.), who was chosen by Allah (s.w.t.) to lead the people. Muslims should be inspired by his non-violent resistance to the tyranny of Yazid. Although the Umayyads had spread corruption and breached Islamic laws, Imam Hussain (a.s.)’s firm faith was never shaken and he enjoined what is right and forbade what is prohibited. He kept Islam alive or else in this world there would be no one left to take its name. Thus, as we commemorate Arba’een we hope and pray that Imam Hussain (a.s.)’s remembrance brings about a transformation in us by which we can continue to follow his path and carry on his message of upholding justice with true faith and a strong sense of sacrifice!