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14-A Life Of Happiness Under the Bannes Of Islam

14-A LIFE OF HAPPINESS UNDER THE BANNER OF ISLAM
Question:

How can a happy life be found best within Islam? 

Answer:

This is clear from the previous chapters of this book but suffice it here to summarize what Islam can provide if Islam is actually applied:

1.        A faith devoid of superstition, humbug, exaggeration and aberration and which is consistent with man’s innate disposition and capable of clear demonstration.

2.        A spirit which is free from malice, spite, enmity and other unpleasant traits and which possesses the qualities of equilibrium, serenity, inner composure and justice. 

3.        A society which benefits from the world’s resources whether they be in the earth, the sea or the air and where such resources are distributed fairly without prejudice, without enriching one race at the expense of another.

4.        Knowledge and good health, material well-being, work, civilized development and the promotion of virtue, as a result of which ignorance, illness, poverty, vice, crime, unemployment and decadence will cease to exist.

5.        Abundant freedom and giving mankind a sense of dignity and in this context we mention the words of the Almighty in the Holy Qur’an: “And indeed We have honoured the children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have nourished them with [all] good things and have preferred them over much We have created, with a marked preference”[17: 70].

And in numerous verses in the Holy Qur’an we read that God has made the universe subservient to mankind.  As regards the value of man from the Islamic perspective, suffice it to mention here the Qur’anic verse: “If anyone kills a person not in retaliation for murder or for spreading turmoil in the land it is as if he has killed all mankind”[5: 32]. 

6.        Peace throughout the world and security for all people.

7.        Progress for mankind in all the vital fields of human activity.

8.        Social justice, whether it be in the affairs of state or among the populace.

9.        The faithful discharge by each individual of his duties and the giving to each person what is his due in a straightforward, uncomplicated and honourable fashion.

10.     The solution to every kind of problem.

This is a summary of the basic things to which Islam aspires for the fulfilment of a happy life, the likes of which cannot be conceived as existing outside Islam. In addition to this, that which is the source of joy to a person in this life is the good news of a glorious future which will thus make any disaster that may now befall him or her easy to bear.

Consequently, we do not find even among those people who are the most fervent nationalists and patriots, but who do not believe in the hereafter, half the vitality, courage, intrepidity, happiness and equanimity that we find among those who believe in God and the resurrection, and history is the best witness to this.

Finally, we ask God to guide us all so that we may please Him and to Him alone do we turn for help. 

 

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1 It is a mark of piety in Islam to use this salutation when mentioning the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. It is a similar mark of piety to use the greeting ‘alayhi al-salam, peace be upon him, on mentioning one of the other Prophets or one of the Imams from the Household (the Progeny) of the Holy Prophet, the Ahl al-Bayt.  This practice has been followed throughout the book.

1  The words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. 

1 Refer to other works by the author namely, Al-‘aqa’id al-islamiyya; Kayfa ‘arafta ’llah and Hal tuhibb ma‘rifat  Allah.

2 Refer to Al-tashri‘ al-jina’i  al-islami by ‘Abd al-Razzaq ‘Oda.

3 This was the figure in 1967 when this book was first published.

[1] Of course there are now large Muslim communities in Europe and North America.

1 A hadith is a statement or saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad or of one of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt.

2 See, for instance, Kanz al-‘ummal, ‘Ala’ al-Din Al-Mutaqqi al-Hindi (d. 975/1567-8), Beirut, 1989 (16 vols.), vol. XIV, p. 271, hadith 38691: “The Day of Judgement will not occur before tyranny and aggression encompass the earth, then a man from my progeny will rise up and fill it with justice and equitableness just as it had been full of tyranny and aggression”; also see, p. 271, hadith 38692 and p.265, 38667.

3 See Wasa’il al-Shi‘a (ila tahsil masa’il al-Shari‘a) by Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Hur al-‘Amili (d. 1104/1692-3), 20 volumes, Beirut,1983, vol.12, p. 49.

4 See Wasa’il al-Shi’a, vol. 12, p. 49.

[2] See Usul al-Kafi, Muhammad b. Ya‘qub al-Kulayni (d. 329/940), Beirut, 1995, p.111, with the addition, “ ……with a pious man and an unrighteous one [alike]”.

[3] See Nahj al-Balagha, ed. ‘Aziz-Allah al-‘Utaradi, Iran, 2nd. Print. 1995, p. 362: “I exhort you and all my offspring and my family and those who hear these words to fear God and organize your affairs”  - from ‘Ali’s last testament (no. 47).

[4] Nahj al-balagha, hikma no 78, page 419.

[5] See Kanz al-‘ummal, vol. I, p. 141, hadith 678;  p. 142, hadith 679 for similar versions; the latter has the addition, “ …. and the best people are those who do the most for others”.

[6] ‘Ibadat al-Islam, 3rd printing, Beirut, 1994.

[7] Each unit (or raka‘) consists (briefly) of standing, bowing and then two prostrations.

[8] to the extent that there is still time for the afternoon prayer.

[9] so that there is time to prayer the evening prayer.  Night here is defined as being the time from sunset (in the prayer sense) until the beginning of dawn.

[10] Note that the sunset prayer is not shortened.

[11] God is great.

[12] Subhana rabbiyal-‘adhim wa-bi-hamdih.

[13] Subhana rabbiyal-a‘la wa-bi-hamdih. 

[14] As, for instance, Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa-Aali Muhammad;  Rabbana atina fi ’d-dunya hasanatan wa-fi ’l-akhirati hasanatan wa-qina ‘adhab an-nar [2: 201];  Rabbana amanna bi-ma anzalta wa-ttaba‘n-ar-rasula fa-ktubna ma‘-ash-shahidin [3: 53].

[15] Which includes ( among other invocations) testifying (hence tashahhud) to the Divine Unity and the Prophethood of Muhammad and invoking the peace and blessings of God upon him and his progeny.

[16] As-salam ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullahi wa-barakatuh.

[17] Subhanallah;  wa-’l –hamdulillah; wa-la ilaha illa -’llah; wa-’llahu akbar (thrice).

[18] i.e. in the direction of Makka.

[19] Washing the face and arms, and wiping  the head and  wiping the feet.

[20] Pouring water over the whole body.

[21] Using clean earth when no water is available.

[22] For instance at the time of a solar or lunar eclipse (whether full or partial), earthquakes, hurricanes and so on.

[23] i.e. the tawaf around the Holy Ka‘ba in Makka at the time of Hajj or ‘Umra.

[24] Before and after the five obligatory prayers.

[25] The seventh month of the Muslim calendar. 

[26] The tenth day of al-Muharram  on which day is commemorated the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him), the grandson of the Holy Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny).

[27] Al-Fitr is the day after the fast of Ramadan and al-Adha is the 10th of the Islamic month of Dhu ’l-Hijja.

[28] i.e. being in a state of janaba, which requires a complete wash (ghusl).

[29] If he does not do 1 and 2.

[30] See Qur’an (8: 41): “And know that whatever thing you gain (ghanimtum), a fifth of it (khumusahu) is for God, the Messenger, the near of kin, the orphans, the destitute and the wayfarer, if you believe in God and in that which we revealed to our slave [‘abdina, i.e. Muhammad]………….”.

[31] Such as recent converts to Islam.

[32] ‘Umra can also be performed by itself at most other times throughout the entire year.

[33] Miqat: Any one of the several places specified by the Holy Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) at which people put on the Ihram when on their way to Makka to perform Hajj or ‘Umra.

[34] The 10th, 11th and 12th months of the Muslim calendar, respectively.

[35] Page 56.

1 See, for instance, the author’s ‘Ibadat al-Islam .

[36] The a‘yad (pl. of ‘id).

[37] See ‘Awali al-la’ali al-‘aziziyya fi’l-ahadith al-diniyya, Ibn Abi Jumhur Ahsa’i (born 840/1436-7), Sayyid al-Shuhada’ Publishing House, Qum, 4 vols. 1405/1984-5, vol. 2, p. 208, with the addition, “wherever I happen to be and it is time for prayer, I make tayammum and pray”.

[38] Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) passed by Baratha (in the vicinity of Karkh, on the western side of old Baghdad,) and prayed on the site of the present mosque.

[39] See, for instance,  Mafatih al-jinan by ‘Abbas al-Qummi, Dar al-Zahra’ Beirut, first print. 1998, p.443, ziyarat Amir al-Mu’minin (‘alayhi ’l-salam) on the Day of Ghadir: “You parcel out justice with impartiality, you are just with the people  and you are more knowledgeable about God’s law than the rest of mankind” [after the Holy Prophet Muhammad  - peace be upon him and his progeny].

[40] Mafatih al-jinan, p. 515, fi ziyarat al-Imam al-Husayn (‘alayhi ’l-salam) al-makhsusa al-ula.

[41] Du‘a’ (non-ritual prayers) as distinct from salat (the five obligatory daily prayers and so on) as described above.

[42] Imam ‘Ali Zayn al-‘Abidin, the fourth imam of the Ahl al-Bayt.

[43] See al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya al-kamila, (wa-kana min du‘a’ihi ‘alayhi al-salam fi makarim al-akhlaq wa-mardi ’l-af‘al), 2nd print., Beirut (al-Mu’assisa al-Dawliyya), 1999, with commentary by Ghalib ‘Asayli, prayer no 20, pp. 113, 115-6.

[44] The encyclopaedic work by the 17th century ‘Allama Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, published (110 volumes) in Beirut, 2nd revised edition, 1983. The specific section referred to is Kitab al-dhikr wa-’l-du‘a’ found in vol. 90 (pp. 148 to end) and embraces also vols. 91 and 92. 

[45] A similar exhortation is in Nahj al-balagha p. 362, but with a slight difference at the beginning viz. “Do not abandon the commanding of what is good and the forbidding of what is reprehensible …………..”.

[46] See Kanz al-‘ummal, vol. 16, p. 359, hadith 16052 and Bihar al-anwar, vol. 71, p. 409.

[47] See Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 50.

[48] See Ghurur al-hikam wa-durar al-kalim, ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Amidi (fl. 5/11th century), 1st print., Beirut, 1987, part 1, p. 227, hadith no 178: “ Almighty God looked upon the Earth and chose us and selected for us followers (shi’a) who will come to our aid and will be joyful when we are joyful, will grieve when we are grieved and will expend of themselves and their possessions for our sake.  Those [people] are from us and will return to us and they will be with us in Paradise”.

1 13 years before the Hijra (when the Prophet Muhammad moved from Makka to al-Madina).

2 This was in Makka.

3 Ghadir Khumm is the name of a pool between Makka and al-Madina.  The event took place in the year 10/632 when the Holy Prophet was on his way back to al-Madina, having performed his Farewell Hajj.

[49] The day after the fasting month of Ramadan. 

[50] The fortieth day after the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn at Karbala’ on 10th Muharram 61/680, the 1st month of the Muslim calendar, (Safar is the 2nd).

[51] See also al-‘Awali al-la’ali, part 1, p. 222, hadith 99.

1 This is, of course, an out of date statistic (the book was compiled in the mid-1960s) and the present population of Iraq is estimated to be around 22 million. 

1 The author is referring to Shaykh Zayn al-Din b. Nur al-Din al-‘Amili who was murdered in 966/1559 while travelling to Istanbul. About 80 works are attributed to him.

2 “What an aspirant desires concerning the conduct of a teacher and that of his pupil.”

[52] A reference to pp. 80-110 of vol.20 of Jawahir al-kalam fi sharh shara’i‘  al-Islam by Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi (d. 1266/1850), Beirut, 1981, (43 volumes).

[53] By Ja‘far ibn Quluye al-Qummi (d. 369/979), Najaf, 1356/1937-8.

[54] The Kitab al-mazar of Bihar al-anwar by ‘Allama al-Majlisi, which embraces vol. 97 (pp. 101 to end) and vols. 98 and 99.

[55] Vols. 109 and 110 of the author’s “Encyclopaedia of Jurisprudence” (Mawsu‘a al-fiqh) are entitled Kitab al-ijtima‘.

[56] Vols. 47 and 48 of the author’s mawsu‘a are devoted to this topic.

[57] See fn. 1, p. 101.

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