Shia encyclopaedia Chapter 11

7/30/2019 Shia encyclopaedia Chapter 11

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**************************************************************************A Shi'ite Encyclopedia Version 1.5

Contents of Chapter 11:

- Kumail's Invocation and other Supplications- Free Will and Fatalism- Divine Justice and the Problem of Evil- Some traditions from al-Kafi on the place of reason in religion- Some stories on Imam Ali (AS)- Islamic Scientists- List of Islamic Books**************************************************************************

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KUMAYL'S INVOCATION

The following invocation is the teaching of Imam Ali (AS) to one of his

students, Kumayl Ibn Ziad, which is usually recited every Thursday night.For the Arabic text of this invocation, please see the book named "Keysto Paradise." For more information please see the end.-----------------------

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.O' my God! I ask You,by Your mercy, which covers everything,by Your power, which overpowers everything, and to which everything submitsand is humble,by Your might, by which You overcome everything,by Your glory, before which nothing stands,by Your magnificence, which fills everything,

by Your authority, which rises over everything,by Your face (i.e., essence), which remains after the destruction ofeverything,by Your names, which fill the essence of everything,by Your knowledge, which encompasses everything, andby the light of Your face (i.e., essence), for which everything shines.

O' the Light, O' the Most Holy, O' the first of those who where first,and the last of those who will be last.O' God! Forgive me (my) sins, which tear apart modesty.O' God! Forgive me (my) sins, which bring down misfortunes.O' God! Forgive me (my) sins, which change prosperity.O' God! Forgive me (my) sins, which block out invocation.

O' God! Forgive me (my) sins, which cut off hopes.O' God! Forgive me (my) sins, which bring down distress.O' God! Forgive me all sins that I have committed and all mistakes that Ihave made.

O' God! I approach You by Your remembrance, seek Your intercession throughYourself, and ask You by Your generosity,to bring me closer to You,to bestow on me the ability to thank You,to inspire me to Your remembrance.


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O' God! I ask You as a person who is submissive, humble, and obedient,to treat me kindly, to have mercy on me, and to make me satisfied, contentwith what You have allotted, and humble in all circumstances.

O' God! I ask You as a person,whose poverty is intense,who presents his need only to You, andwhose desire is great for what You have.

O' God! Great is Your authority, exalted is Your place, unknown is Yourplan, clear is Your command, overwhelming is Your might, continuous is Yourpower, and escape is impossible from Your domain.

O' God! I can not find anyone,who can forgive my sins,who can cover my ugly misdeeds, norwho can change my misdeeds to good, but You.

There is no God but You, glory and praise be to You.I have harmed myself, I dared (to sin) because of my ignorance, and I wasconfident in Your past remembrance of me, and Your continuous grace on me.

O' God!How many ugly deeds You have covered!

How many heavy misfortunes You have lifted!How many stumblings You have prevented!How many disliked (objects) You have removed!How many graceful praises, which I was not worthy of it, You have madespread!

O' God! My distress is great, my sorry plight exceeded the limits, my deedsare short, my chains kept me down, and my high desires withheld me fromgaining what was at hand.The world has deceived me by its illusion, and my soul by its disloyalty,and my postponement.

O' my Master! I ask You by Your might, not to let my ugly deeds and acts

conceal my invocation from You. Thus do not disgrace me by exposing what issecret of my acts which only You are aware of, and do not rush thepunishment of what I have done secretly, such as, my ugly deeds, myoffenses, my continuous negligence, my ignorance, my numerous whims, and myfoolishness.

O' God! By Your might, be compassionate to me in all circumstances, andhavegrace on me in all matters.

My God and my Lord! Whom can I ask, beside You, to remove my disadvantages,and to look into my affairs?

My God and my Protector! You have laid on me rules (to follow), but Ifollowed my own whims. I did not take protection from the sham of my enemy.Therefore, he was able to deceive me through my desire, and the divinedecree favored him in this matter. Thus I have exceeded Your limits byviolation of some of Your rules, and disobeyed some of Your commands.But Your praise is due on me in all these matters, and I have no argumentagainst the judgment You passed on me. Your judgment and Your test on mebecame indispensable.

My God! I come to You after my faults and my wastefulness against myself,


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while apologizing, repentant, dejected, asking to discharge me from mysins,asking forgiveness, turning to You, confessing, yielding, and acknowledgingmy mistakes.

I do not find any way out from what I have done, nor any place to refuge toturn to, about my affairs, except Your acceptance of my apology, and Yourentering me in to the range of Your mercy.

O' my God! Then accept my apology, have mercy on my intense disadvantage,and free me from the solid chains.O' my Lord! Have mercy on my weak body, the thinness of my skin, and mydelicate bones.O' He has began my creation, my remembrance, my upbringing, my welfare andmy nourishment,Be generous to me as You were in the beginning, and be kind to me as Youwere before.

O' my God, my Master, and my Lord! How could You see me punished with Yourfire,after my belief in Your unity,after my heart recognizing You,after my tongue speaking continuously in Your remembrance,after my heart has been bound to Your love,

after my true confession, and my humble invocation to Your divinity?No, How impossible it is!You are too generous to abandon one whom You have raised,or to push away (from Your mercy) one whom You have already brought near,or to drive away one whom You have given shelter,or to leave to misfortune one whom You have enriched and blessed.

O' my Master, my God! I wish I could know, how would You impose fireon faces, which fall down prostrating to Your magnificence, andon hearts, which surely acknowledge Your divinity, andon tongues which have sincerely pronounced Your unity and thanked You withYour praise, and

on minds, which acquired knowledge until became humble, andon limbs, which hurried to praise You and which obediently moved to placeofYour worship, introducing Your forgiveness, (while) yielding (to it).

No. Never! Such a suspicion can never be directed to You, nor we have heardof such a thing from Your grace.

O' the Most Generous! O' Lord! You know my weakness to endure a smallportion of worldly misfortune, its punishment, and difficulties, which fallupon its inhabitants, while that is a misfortune and difficulty whoseduration is short. How then can I bear the misfortune of the hereafter andthe occurrence of its tremendous difficulties while it is a misfortune

whose duration will be long, whose situation will continue, and there willbe no decrease for its inhabitants because it can not be but from Yourwrath, vengeance, and anger for which neither Heavens nor Earth can stand?O' my Master! How can I endure it, while I am Your servant, the weak, theinsignificant, the low, the poor, and the humble.

O' my God, my Lord, my Master, and my Protector! About which should Icomplain to You, and about what should I outcry and weep,for the grievous punishment and its intensity, orfor the length of misfortune and its duration?


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Therefore if You send me to Your enemies for punishment, gather me withmisfortune people, and separate me from those who love You and those whoadore You, Then O' my God, my Master, my Nourisher, my Lord!suppose that I would be patient on Your punishment, how then, would I bepatient on my separation from You? andsuppose that I would be patient on the heat of Your fire, how then, would Ibe deprived of looking into Your honor? or how would I abide in fire, whileI hope for Your forgiveness?

O' my Master and my Protector! Thus, truly I swear by Your might, that ifYou leave me with the power of speech, among the inhabitants of Hell,I would cry to You like those who cry out of hope,I would scream like those who scream for serious help,I would weep like those who have lost (hope), andI would call You saying: "O' the Protector of believers! O' the utmost hopeof those who know You! O' the Helper of those who appeal for help! O' thebeloved of trustfuls! O' the Lord of the worlds!"

O' my God! Glory and praise be to You. How would You hear the voice of asubmissive servant, who is imprisoned (within the fire) because of hisdisobedience, tasted the flavor of its punishment for his resistance,blocked within the layers of Hell for his sins and crimes, while he criesasone who hopes for Your mercy, calls You by the language of the people who

believe in Your unity, and seek refuge to You by Your divinity!O' my protector! Then how can (Your servant) remain in pain while he hopesYour indulgence that was in the past? or,how can the fire hurts him while he has hope in Your favor and compassion?or,how can the flames burn him while You hear his voice and see his place? or,how can the exhaling (of fire) covers him while You know his weakness? or,how can he be immersed in its layers while You know his sincerity? or,how can the flames torture him while he calls You "O' my Lord!"? or,how possible can it be to leave him in the fire while he hopes for Yourgrace to free him?!

No. Never. Such an idea can not be attributed to You, nor it is known ofYour grace, nor it is similar to the way You have treated the believers inYour unity by Your kindness, and Your generosity.

Therefore, I am certainly sure that had You not judged to punishunbelieversin You, and to leave Your enemies in the fire that lasts for ever, then Youhave made the fire totally cool and peaceful, and no one would have anyplace in it, neither permanently, nor even for a short time.

But You have sworn by Your sanctified Names that You will fill it with allunbelievers, from the unseen (Jin) and mankind, and that You keep Yourenemies there forever. You, great be Your praise, have said in the

beginning, and by Your generosity extended the grace, that: "Is he who abeliever like the one who is not? No, they can not be alike." (Quran:32:18)

O' my Lord and my Master! I ask You, then,by the power, which You have enforced,by Your divine decree, which You have made a necessity, governed, andoverpowered whom You have imposed (the power) on,that, You forgive me at this night, and this moment,all crimes, which I have dealt with,


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all sins, which I have committed,all ugly deeds, which I have kept secret,all foolishness, which I have done, whether kept it secret, or disclosed,covered or uncovered, and,all evils, which You have ordered the noble scribes to record, those whomYou authorized to keep what is done by me, and made them witnesses on mebeside my limbs, then, (after all) You are the observer above them, thewitness of what remains hidden from them, and what You did hide by Yourmercy, and (You have) covered by Your grace,and that You increase my share of all good things, which You have sentdown,or good deeds, which You have favored,or Kindness, which You have spread,or means of living, which You have made available,or sins, which You forgive,or mistakes, which You conceal.

O' Lord, O' Lord, O' Lord, my Master, my Protector, and the Master of myfreedom!O' He who has my forehead in His hands,O' He who knows my disadvantages and my poverty,O' He who is well acquainted with my misery and neediness,O' Lord, O' Lord, O' Lord!I ask You by Yourself, by Your Holiness, by Your great attributes, and

names,that, You make my times of days and nights alive by Your remembrance, andjoined to Your service, my deeds accepted by You. So that my deeds and myremembrances all become one harmonic effort, and my (life be in an) eternalstate, devoted to Your service.

O' my Master!O' He only on Him I depend!O' He only to Him I complain about my situation!O' Lord, O' Lord, O' Lord!Strengthen my limbs for Your service,intensify (my) determination through all parts of my body,grant me eagerness in Your fear, and continuous service to You, in order to

move towards You among those who are first in their fields,be prompt toward You among those who are first,yearn toward Your nearness among those who are eager,become close to You like the closeness of those who are sincere,fear You like those who are certain, and join the believers near You.

O' God!Whoever wishes me evil, wish him the same,Whoever wants to harm me, harm him,put me among the best of Your servants, the closest in status to You, themost privileged to You.Indeed, that can not be attained without Your grace.Grant me generously by Your generosity,

have sympathy for me, by Your glory,protect me by Your mercy.Make my tongue dedicated to Your remembrance, and my heart subservient toYour love.Bestow blessings on me by Your excellent fulfillment,prevent my stumbling, and forgive my lapses.Indeed You have commanded Your servants to worship You, ordered them tocallupon You, and assured them Your fulfillment(of their requests).Therefore, O' Lord! I raise my face to You, and I extend my hands toward


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You.

O' Lord! By Your might, then, answer my invocation, make me attain myrequest.By Your grace, do not cut off my hope, and protect me from the harms fromthe unseen and the mankind among my enemies.

O' He who is quickly pleased! Forgive he who has nothing but prayer.Indeed,You do what You please.O' He whose Name is remedy, whose remembrance is healing, and whoseobedience is prosperity!Have mercy on he, whose capital is hope, and whose weapon is weeping.

O' He who provides complete blessing, and, who removes misfortunes!O' the Light of those who are distressed in darkness!O' He who knows without learning!Bless Mohammad and The Members of his House, and do for me what You areworthy of doing.

May Allah bless His Messenger, and the blessed Leaders among hisdescendants, and bestow upon them an endless peace and tranquillity.

Ameen

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KUMAYL'S LIFE"""""""""""""Kumayl b. Ziyad b. Naheed b. Haytham b. Sa'd b. Malik b. Nakhai was chiefofhis tribe in Kufah, Iraq. He was a reliable reporter of Hadith, though hedid not report much, and a great devotee to worship of, and service to,Almighty God.

He was born c. 18 A.H., became the Governor of Heet, Iraq during the timeofImam Ali, c. 35-40 A.H. The Imam used to advise him on the generalcharacteristics of a Muslim ruler. On one occasion, the Imam told him,"Neglecting the (immediate) duty and being concerned about what is not(urgent) is the permanent weakness," i.e., in order to succeed, one musthave clear agenda with a list of priorities and focus on one duty at atime.

In 81 or 88 A.H. the tyrant of Iraq, Hajjaj, killed Kumayl and many otherbelievers for no reason but their faith. The shrine of Kumayl is in thesuburb of Najaf, Iraq. (For details see al-Irshad by Shaykh al-Mufeed, d.413 Najaf 1962, and Tahdhib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani,d. 852,

Hyderabad, India, v8, P.448, 1328.)

THE INVOCATION'S MERIT""""""""""""""""""""""Kumayl reports that he was with the commander of believers, Imam Ali, atBasra Mosque, listening to him who was saying, "Whoever worships (theAlmighty) on the night before the middle of Sha'ban (8th month of Islamiccalendar) and recites the Khidr invocation, his wishes would be fulfilled."Shaykh al-Tusi, d. 460 A.H., reports the Kumayl had observed the commanderof the believers during his prostration on that night, reciting this


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invocation.

Sayyid Ibn Tawus d.664 A.H. adds: Kumayl further asked the Imam about themerit of the invocation. Then, Imam replied: "When you (fully) understandthe invocation, recite it every night before Friday, or once every month,oronce every year, or once in your lifetime, you will be protected, helped,blessed, and forgiven (by the Almighty)." (for details see al-Tusi d. 460,"Misbah al-Mutahajjid", p.774, and Ibn Tawus, d.664, Iqbal al-Amal, p706.)

THE ORIGINAL TEXT"""""""""""""""""The Arabic text of Kumayl's Invocation is an excerpt from the followingsources:

1. "Key to Paradise", the concise edition of "Mafathih al-Jinan", by ShaykhAbbas al-Qummi, d. 1359 A.H., edited by Sayyid Hadi Suhufi, and thecalligraphy by Abdul Rahim Afshari in 1381 A.H. However, the originalArabictext has been compared with the following sources:

2. "Misbah al-Mutahajjid", by Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Hassan al-Tusi, d. 460A.H., edited by Haj Ismail Ansari, Qum, Iran, 1401. This edition is offset

of the following:3. Lithograph edition dated 1082 A.H., copyist, Muhammad Yahya b. HabibAllah. this was copied from the following:

4. Manuscript dated 1068 A.H., Copyist Ahmad b. Haj Tawwali. This has beencompared with the following:

5. Manuscript dated 971 A.H., Copyist: 'Imam al-Din' Ali al-Sharif al-Istrabadi. This was copied from the following:

6. Manuscript dated 571 A.H., Copyist: Muhammad b. Idris al-'Ijli. This hasbeen compared with the original manuscript of "al-Misbah" written by the

author, Shaykh Muhammad b. al-Hassan Abu Jafar al-Tusi, d. 460 A.H.The chain of documents to Shaykh al-Tusi is mentioned in "al-Mashikha" byShaykh Muhammad Muhsin al-Tehrani, d.1389 A.H. in Najaf, Iraq, as well asother sources.

In this translation, we have made all possible efforts to present anEnglishversion of Kumayl's Invocation as close as possible to the original Arabictext, based on the meanings of the equivalent roots in both Arabic andEnglish lexicons.***************************************************************************

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WHY INVOCATION?

In Arabia, fourteen centuries ago, a man asked his friend for arecommendation: what prayer would be the most useful to the one seeking


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assurance of God's mercy? This prayer was given in response. The man's namewas Kumayl, son of Ziad, and his friend was Ali (AS), the Leader of theFaithful.

Kumayl was a trusted companion of Ali (AS), well-known for his devotion,and unflinching adherence to his great master. Kumayl has transmitted anumber of important sayings and teachings of the Leader of the Faithful.The famous supplication, known by the title Du'a-e-Kumayl or supplicationof Kumayl, is one of the most important of those teachings.

The instructions delivered with this prayer emphasize that it should berecited as frequently as possible. Faithful Muslims enjoy a weeklyrecitation, usually on the evening of Thursdays.

A sincere reading of this prayer can reveal many things: the Islamicconcept of God, His Attributes, man's well-founded hopes for reply toprayer and a tranquillity of spirit to be obtained with few other prayers.

O' Nourisher, how can we thank You enough for the kind permission You havegiven us, that at any time and under any condition we can call upon You andYou will take our hands. You have insisted that at any incident we shouldcome to Your door, saying "I will support you and with My assistance youcan overcome your problems."

O' Lord, people are constantly wondering about invocation, which should bedefined as relation with You. Sometimes people ask "what is invocation(Du'a)?" or they often ask "What effect does it have?" Sometimes theycomplain, saying their invocations (Du'a) are not accepted. Questions areraised about the invocations (Du'a) by sinless people and spiritualleaders, and the groans and wailing that accompany these prayers into YourHoly Presence. I now ask for help from You, for Your Aid in expressing thisidea to present some points within a concise essay, hoping to provide asolution to the problems of researchers.

Human beings live in a world with billions of creatures, known and unknown.Their numbers seem impossible to know for human beings. The span of man'svision is so small that he can not even obtain knowledge of creatures that

are around him. Sometimes he can not even perceive them or get informationconcerning their existence. With the recognition of his own knowledge asso insufficient, when he reaches the climax of mental greatness, he criesout by saying "I am uninformed of other than myself."

How can a human being, a trivial portion of the Universe live in such a waythat he always finds success and prosperity? Every moment he is surroundedby problems, with heavy waves pushing him through unbearable ups and downsand blights. Can a path be found through all these difficulties? The waythat a human being can take to bring himself to the coast of rescue? Andin some manner continue his route and strive for the development that hedesires and find his God by reaching Him and joining with the SublimeEssence, to grasp the real development that he was created for?

Yes, the Creator of the World through the power which He entrusted to humanbeings directs all them to development. All human beings eagerly want toattain such development. This propensity that has been instilled in everyhuman heart by the Nourisher pulls man to his Creator and aids him inheading on the path of development. The only way to enhance thisinclinationis an attempt that must be made, according to the order of God, for theprotection of the relation between the human being and his Creator.


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If this link to God is broken, it is like an electrical wire that is cut.The connection between the power plant and the light bulb does not existany longer, and therefore the light is extinguished. When the connectionbetween man and God is cut, man becomes a corrupt being and a painfulelement in the society, and he is only filling space and making the spacetighter for others.

This relation or connection is invocation (Du'a) that an alive human beingoffers to his Nourisher. With an expressive language, the supplicantpresents his inability and helplessness and confesses to the ability,complete independence and absolute power of his Nourisher.

Obviously the smaller we see ourselves and the greater we see Him, the morepotential and more ability is there for us realize the importance of thisconnection, and we would therefore gain more benefit from it. From theReservoir of Power, humans ask for the fulfillment of their needs. As aresult of this connection, the invocation (Du'a) adds to his scientificand moral abilities in every moment. The more intensively the human beingprays, the more his scientific grasp will be stronger, with man viewinghimself as less and less, and His Creator as stronger and greater.

As a result of this attempt, it gets to a point that an advancedhuman being according to his genuine nature does not make anyhesitation in following the path of Almighty God. In every step that he

takes towards development, the greatness and grandeur of the power of theAlmighty will become more obvious him, and he will look at his past from ahigher level. For what he has done he will sometimes apologize, even ifwhat he has done was his duties. That is because he now comprehends itsinadequacy. HE INTERPRETS HIS PAST WORSHIPS AS SIN and does not see anyvalue for his work when presented to the Great position of the Lord. Withhis elevated view, he perceives his submission to God's presence as SINFULand even an action far from politeness.

What is My Performance?

Offering praise in Your Presence is a lack and a sin. I am nobody and fullof flaws and needs. Whatever goes from me to Your Presence is not only

valueless but it is a fault due to my weakness and incapability. The onlyway out of this for me is to know myself with my imperfections and know Youby Your Perfection. With the net of kindness that you have opened, I canreach complete development and benefit from the Grace pouring from theEssence of Being.

We strive moment by moment to reach You. Of course, in this path all peopleare not the same, and do not strive in the same manner. When the range ofour knowledge about ourselves and about the Creator increases and we do notstray from the path of humanity, we can travel in a better, easier, andstronger way.

The Prophets and the Imams have reached this point. Since they realize the

Magnificence of their Lord and comprehend the position of the Life-Giver,they see themselves, their activities, and their prostrations and praisesso little that THEY INTERPRET THE WORSHIP OF THAT MUCH AFFLUENCE ANDGREATNESS AS SIN, and with supplication and invocation, they ask for pardonand they hope for forgiveness. When they face the divine commandments andconsider the Holy Position of the Almighty, they submit themselves to theMaster. They see this action in front of the Lord as nothing, and recognizeit AS NOT SUITABLE FOR PRAISE. They hope it would be accepted by theGenerosity and Majesty of the Creator, OTHERWISE IT IS A SIN TO SUBMIT SUCHINADEQUATE WORSHIP TO THE HOLY PRESENCE OF THE LORD.


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Those people like the Prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul-Bayt realized theDivine position with a much wider view. Continuously upon the two wings ofknowledge and action, they progressed to a higher and superior position.They were at every moment finding out more about the Magnificence of theLife-Giver of the world, and more about their own incapability;consequently better understanding their inadequate actions in comparisonwith that much Power and Greatness. To compensate for that, they confessedto their sins and asked the Lord for the permission to apologize with theexcuse that they CAN NOT do to the extent of what Allah deserves, with thehope that He would guide them to a higher and superior position until theycould continue their development process in order to reach the sublime ofmorality.

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) has proclaimed these instructions for invocation:"First we must testify to the Omnipotence of Almighty God, then we have tosend greetings to the Prophet and his descendants, and then confess to oursins, flaws, and shortcomings. Then whatever we desire we should presentbefore Him." It should be kept in mind that first a human being should makean acquaintance with his Lord and confess to His Grandeur, and thenfollowing the method of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and the Chaste Leaders (AS),make a connection to him. He should then get to know himself, how manyimperfections he has that ask the submission of his worship an impolite acttoward Him. When he finds out about the two aspects: His ability and his

own incapability and how to reach to the Source of Power, then it is timeto share his statements with his Lord.

It is at this time that a human being discovers the greatness ofsupplication and the degree of its value. This is the way of success in theexisting world. Indeed, supplication or prayer is recognition of God andrecognition of his own, and review and deliberation on one's past with anexpectation to one's future.

The more the human being becomes curious at these stages and studies theworld of nature, the greater will be his understanding: How great is hisLord and with what ability He has created such a vast universe and howsmall

and incapable are human beings in such an environment. He must realize thathe could never be rescued all by himself in this world which is full ofdisturbances, except to be under the Guidance of the Creator of the worldand ask assistance from Him. In that way, he can attain the position (thataccording to the tradition) he has been created for. In that way, he findshis way to the door of the Prophets and Saints. With the help of the Guiderof the Righteous, he can continue his development process. When he makesprogress, he becomes MORE SHAMEFUL OF HIS PAST and becomes more needful.With the power from the Hidden Source of the world, he enters society.

In his life, he overcomes all problems, solving any thing he faces, withthe favor of God. Under these circumstances he neither abjects himself toothers or is cruel to others. He is a human being that on his humanistic

path, he benefits from everything and is supported by the Divine Power. Heis not afraid of anyone except Him, and he is not lax in action and workand he never fails on any battlefield. That is because he sees himselfconnected to the endless Divine Power, with a world of strength in thebattles of life, and with a tireless power he smoothes out all unevenness.

It is based on this principle that all Prophets and purified Imams, atevery small or important event were first praying and begging for help fromGod, and then they began their task. The messenger of Islam first of allworshipped God before he was preparing to go to battle; he was offering his


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inability before the Holy Presence of the Almighty and resorting to theinfinite Divine Power; only then, he was entering the battlefield with goodmoral, knowing that conditions for the real victory were His.

Yes, first power must be obtained and then action. Invocation can be thispower-giver to all human beings.

Regards.***************************************************************************

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Sundays' Supplication

In the name of God,from whom I hope for nothing but His bounty, andfrom whom I fear nothing but His justice!I rely only upon His words, and I cling only to His rope!O' the pocessor of pardon and prosperity, In You I seek sanctuary,

from oppression and enmity,from the changes of the time and recurrence of sorrows,from the striking events, andfrom the expiration of my term (life) before forgiveness and preparation.

>From You I seek guidance wherein is righteousness and sets me right.>From You I seek help which is linked to success and favorable response.To You I tend,for the garment of well-being and its completion, andfor the covering of health and its continuity.To You I seek refuge, O' my Lord, from the stimulations of Satans,and I seek protection in Your government, from the injustice of governors.So accept my past prayers and fasting, and make my tomorrow and its after,

better than my present hour and today!Exalt me in my clan and my people.Protect me in my waking and my sleeping.For You are God, the best guardian, and the most merciful.

O' God, I quit before You, on this day and the following Sundays (AHAAD),of associating anything with You (SHIRK) and of heresy (ILHAAD),and I sincerely devote my supplication to You seeking for response.So bless Mohammad and his Household, the best of Your creatures andthe summoners to Your truth, andexalt me with Your exaltation which never suffers from loss,protect me with Your sight which never falls asleep, andseal my affairs by cutting me off from everything but You, and my life with

forgiveness! Surely You are the merciful and the compassionate.

-----------The above piece of supplication was excerpted from a book named"The Psalms of Islam" (al-Sahifat al-Sajjadiyya) by Imam Ali Ibn Husain(al-Sajjad, Zayn al-Abidin), the 4th Imam/successor and grandson ofProphet (PBUH&HF).

The Psalms of Islam, Arabic-English, Translated by: William C. Chittick,Published by: The Muhammadi Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,


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1988ISBN 0-946079-51-XISBN 0-946079-56-O

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Mondays' Supplication

Praise belongs to God,who allowed none to witness when He created the heavens and the earth, andwho took no assistant when He shaped the spirits (of people)!He has no associate in divinity and no support in unity.

Tongues fall silent in describing the deepness of His attributes,intellects fail in knowing Him thoroughly,tyrants fall low before His majesty,faces are humbled in fear of Him, andeverything mighty is overwhelmed of His might!

Thus praise be to You, again and again, and continuously!And His blessings be upon His Messenger endlessly and everlastingly!

O' God, make the beginning of this day of mine righteousness, its middleprosperity, and its end success!And I seek refuge in You from a day whose beginning is fright, whose middleis anxiety, and whose end is pain!

O' God, I ask forgiveness for every promise I have promised, then failed tokeep. I ask You concerning Your servants:If there is any servant from among Your servants or any handmaid from amongYour handmaids, who has against me a complaint because I have wronged him

in respect to himself, his reputation, his property, his family, evil wordsI have spoken about him in his absence, an imposition upon him throughinclination, caprice, scorn, zeal, false show, bigotry,whether he be absent or present, alive or dead, such that my hand hasfallen short in order to find him and ask him for forgiveness, or mycapacity has been too narrow to compensate for him,I ask You, O' He who owns all objects of need which are granted by His willand hasten to His desire that bless Mohammad and his Household, and havemercy on me by satisfying (the one I might have wronged) from me in themannerthat You will. Because forgiveness decreases You nothing, and grant hurtsYou nothing, O' Most Merciful of the merciful!

O' God, give me on every Monday (ITHNAIN) two favors from You:the opportunity to obey You from its beginning, andthe favor of Your forgiveness by its end.O' He who is the God, and none but him can forgive the sins!



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The Psalms of Islam, Arabic-English, Translated by: William C. Chittick,Published by: The Muhammadi Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,1988ISBN 0-946079-51-XISBN 0-946079-56-O

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Tuesdays' Supplication

In the name of God, the all merciful, the compassionate.

Praise belongs to God,and praise is His right, for He deserves abundant praise!

I seek refuge in Him from the evil of my soul (nafs), "for surely the soulcommands to evil unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy (to protect my soul)"(12:53).

I seek refuge in Him from the evil of Satan who adds sins to my sin.

I seek protection with him from every wicked tyrant, unjust king, andconquering enemy.

O God,place me among Your troops, for Your troops are the only real victorious(37:173),place me in Your party, for People of Your party are the only prosperous(58:22),andplace me among Your friends, for Your friends no fear shall be upon them,nor shall they sorrow (10:62).

O Godset right for me my religion, for it is the protection (Ismah) of myaffair,set right for me my Hereafter, for it is my permanent residence and to it Icould flee from the neighborhood of the vile!Make life an increase for me in every good and death an ease for me fromevery evil!

O God,bless Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the terminator of the numberof the messengers, and bless his chaste and pure Household, and his selectCompanions, and grant me on the Tuesday three things:

Afflict meno sin unless You have already forgiven,no sorrow unless You have already taken it away,and no enemy unless You have already repelled him!

By means of "in the name of Allah", the best of the Names, in the name ofLord of earth and heaven,

I seek to repulse every hateful thing (makrooh), which has His anger at its


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beginning, andI seek to attract every lovable thing (mahboob), which has His satisfactionat its beginning!

So seal me with forgiveness from You, O Patron of beneficence!


The Psalms of Islam, Arabic-English, Translated by: William C. Chittick,Published by: The Muhammadi Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,1988ISBN 0-946079-51-XISBN 0-946079-56-O**************************************************************************

__________________________________________ | || || || | || || o_,_7 _|| . _o_7 _|| 4_|_|| o_w_, || ( : / (_) / ( . ||__________________________________________|

FREE WILL AND FATALISM^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

============INTRODUCTION:============This article deals with the perplexing issues of Free Will and Fatalism.Both viewpoints, the Sunnis's and Shia's, will be presented, as the purposeis to be as fair and objective as possible. This is a VERY sensitivesubject, and needs a lot of attention. I will NOT cover every detail suchthat I am not qualified, nor do I have all the resources. Nonetheless, Iwill cover as much as is necessary for you to understand yourresponsibility before Allah (SWT).

Now, to get to the topic at hand, I will start with what the Sunnisbelieve, and then state what the Shia believe. This peace is taken from Dr.al-Tijani's second book "Ma'ah al- Sadeeqeen -- With the Truthful Ones(1989)", pp 133-148. I have quoted him where appropriate, and addedmy own remarks elsewhere. Please refer to those pages for consultation, aswell as the books of history, hadith, and philosophy.

======================FREE WILL AND FATALISM:======================Dr. al-Tijani starts out by expressing his own experience with the concepts

of Free Will (Qadariyyah) and Fatalism (Jabriyah). He was always baffled,as I was, by what the Sunni scholars preach in sermons and by what theirbooks state about EVERYTHING being the Will of Allah (SWT): Drinking wineis the Will of Allah (SWT), sleeping, killing, evil, adultery, marriage,knowledge, health, accidental death, and even whether you end up in hell orheaven was judged before you were born! How can that be? How can Allah(SWT) state in the Quran:

"Allah is never unjust in the least degree: If there is any good(done), he doubleth it, and giveth from His Own Self a great reward.


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[4:40]"

Then Allah (SWT) states:

"Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever worksevil, it is against his own soul: Nor is thy Lord ever unjust (in theleast) to His servants. [41:46]"

Again, among many other places, Allah (SWT) asserts:

"Verily Allah will NOT deal unjustly with man in aught: It is man thatwrongs his own soul (and other souls). [10:44]"

How can these verses be reconciled with what the Sunnis preach? It iseither that Allah (SWT) is right, and the scholars are wrong, or viceversa? Of course, for the believer, the answer to that question is quiteobvious. However, the Quran also states:

"But ye will not, except as Allah wills; for Allah is full ofKnowledge and Wisdom. [76:30]"

And Allah (SWT) states:

"...For Allah leaves to stray whom He wills, and guides whom He

wills...[35:8]"What kind of contradiction is this? Exalted be Allah (SWT) fromcontradicting Himself. It is this kind of mental torture and struggle thatI went through every day: On the one hand, Allah (SWT) asserts His (SWT)Justice, yet on the other He (SWT) asserts His (SWT) Will to do as He (SWT)pleases because He (SWT) is the Creator (SWT). Note that I agree with Dr.al-Tijani regarding this mental struggle, and I have seen how it isdestroying the fabric of our society, especially the youth.

Dr. al-Tijani continues: I was not alone in this struggle, and that's whymany scholars and sheiks when asked about Qada Wa Qadr (Destiny), theysimply brush off the subject and say that it is not for us to decide this

matter. Then the scholars state that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said that wemust believe in Qada Wa Qadr whether it is good or bad. Now, if aninquiring mind asked those scholars how can Allah (SWT) force someone tocommit adultery, for example, and then condemn him to hell, they wouldclaim that the questioner is a disbeliever that has abandoned his religion!It is this kind of avoidance of the crucial issues in one's existence andreligion that has fostered intellectual decay in the Ummah of Muhammad(PBUH&HF).

=========================================THE SUNNIS AND THE QUESTION OF DESTINY:=========================================

Dr. al-Tijani narrates a brief encounter with a Sunni scholar that assertsthat EVERYTHING is the will of Allah (SWT). So Dr. al-Tijani countered hisargument with the following: First, marriage is NOT the Will of Allah (SWT)because Allah (SWT) says:

".....Marry women of YOUR CHOICE.....[4:3]"

Second, divorce is NOT "written -- i.e., not the Will of Allah (SWT)"either:


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"A divorce is only permissible twice; after that, the parties shouldeither hold together on equitable terms, or separate withkindness....[2:229]"

That is, the parties are AT LIBERTY to separate or maintain a relationship;they are NOT forced or coerced. Third, adultery is NOT the Will of Allah(SWT) either:

"Nor come nigh to adultery: For it is an indecent (deed) and an evilway. [17:32]"

You are AT LIBERTY to commit or refrain from adultery. Fourth, drinkingalcohol is also NOT the Will of Allah (SWT):

"Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, withintoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance ofAllah, and from prayer: Will ye not then abstain? [5:91]"

You are AT LIBERTY to abstain. Fifth, as for killing a human being, it isalso NOT the Will of Allah (SWT), for Allah (SWT) says:

"If a man kills a believer INTENTIONALLY, his recompense is Hell, toabide therein (for ever); and the wrath and curse of Allah are uponhim, and a dreadful chastisement is prepared for him. [4:93]"

Again, Allah (SWT) says:

"....TAKE NOT LIFE, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way ofjustice and law: Thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.[6:151]"

Your freedom in these matters is most apparent. Sixth, as for eating anddrinking, they are also NOT the Will of Allah (SWT), for Allah (SWT) said:

".....eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not thewasters. [7:31]"

You are AT LIBERTY to eat or not to eat, to drink or not to drink, and towaste or not to waste. Dr. al-Tijani said to the scholar: "How, then, canyou claim that EVERYTHING is the Will of Allah (SWT), when the Quran isclear about that matter?"

The scholar answered that Allah (SWT) does whatever He (SWT) pleases, asthe Quran states:

"Say: O Allah! Lord of Power (and Rule), thou givest Power to whomthou pleasest, and thou strippest off power from whom thou pleasest:Thou enduest with honour whom thou pleasest, and thou bringest lowwhom thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all Good. Verily, over all thingsthou hast power. [3:26]"

Dr. al-Tijani answered: "We are not quarreling about whether Allah (SWT)CAN do whatever He (SWT) wishes or not; we are debating whether or notAllah (SWT) FORCES people to do things, and then punishes them for it?"

The scholar answered: "You have your religion, and I have mine!" and thediscussion was over.

Two days later, Dr. al-Tijani returned and said: "So if your belief is thatAllah (SWT) executes EVERYTHING, and His (SWT) servants have NO choice


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whatsoever in the matter, why, then, don't you apply the same reasoning tothe matter of the Caliphate; and [surrender to the point] that Allah (SWT)chooses whomever He (SWT) wishes?" The point that Dr. al- Tijani is tryingto drive across concerns the belief by the Shia that al-Imam Ali (AS) waschosen by Allah (SWT) to be the successor to the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

The scholar said: "YES! I do believe that; because Allah (SWT) has chosenAbu Bakr, then `Umar, then `Uthman, and then Ali (AS)."

Dr. al-Tijani said: "Now you have fallen in the trap of your own logic!"

The scholar said: "How so?"

Dr. al-Tijani said: "Either you say [and believe] that Allah (SWT) haschosen the first four Caliphs, and then left the matter for the people todecide upon. Or you say [and believe] that Allah (SWT) has not left thematter of the Caliphate for the people to decide upon; and it is He (SWT)Who chooses ALL the successors [of the Prophet (PBUH&HF)] from the day ofhis (PBUH&HF) death till the Day of Judgment?"

The scholar answered by quoting the Quran:

"Say: O Allah! Lord of Power (and Rule), thou givest Power to whomthou pleasest, and thou strippest off power from whom thou pleasest:

Thou enduest with honour whom thou pleasest, and thou bringest lowwhom thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all Good. Verily, over all thingsthou hast power. [3:26]"

Dr. al-Tijani contended: "So you believe that EVERY King or Leader, whethernow or in the past, who has fought against Islam has been appointed byAllah (SWT)?"

He (the scholar) said: "Yes! No doubt about it!"

Dr. al-Tijani said: "Subhan Allah (SWT) -- Vindicated from ALLImpurities/Imperfections Be Allah! How, then, do you defend the Sunnis intheir contention that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) died and left the matter for

THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE?"The scholar said: "Yes, I do believe that, and I will continue to believeit (forever), In Sha' Allah (SWT) -- Allah Willing!"

Dr. al-Tijani said: "How do reconcile Allah's (SWT) Will with that of thepeople?"

The scholar said: "Since the Muslims chose Abu Bakr, that means that Allah(SWT) has chosen him!"

Dr. al-Tijani said: "How did the Muslims know that Allah (SWT) wanted AbuBakr?"

The scholar said: "Because if Allah (SWT) wanted anybody else, neither theMuslims nor the scholars would be able to prevent what Allah (SWT) wanted!"

At this stage, Dr. al-Tijani realized the futility of conversing with suchmen; and that if we abide by what these people say, we will never be ableto forward a veritable scientific or philosophical theory or contention.

(Note that I have skipped some of the dialogue between Dr. al- Tijani andthe scholar for purposes of maintaining the attention span of the reader.


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However, the parts I skipped in NO WAY affect the clarity or message of theconversation.)

It is this kind of attitude that has destroyed the youth and theintellectual curiosity among humanity in general. For if we believe asthis scholar believes, then we will never accomplish anything! Why? Becauseif we abide by the above fatalist approach, we would genuinely believe thatthe current state of the Ummah is what Allah (SWT) wants, and themassacring of Muslims is what Allah (SWT) wants, and the ignorance thatprevails, and to fail on an exam at school, and to have a car accident areALL the Will of Allah (SWT); and, as such, we cannot change anything untilAllah (SWT) wants, so let's sit and wait while the nonbelievers haveinvaded outer space and reached the other planets!!! This is exactly whatthe enemies of Islam want!

Dr. al-Tijani traces this concept of Fatalism to the Ummayads, who were theclan of Uthman Ibn Afan, the third caliph. He states that during thesedays, when Ùthman was caliph, and due to his corruption in politics andgovernment, the Muslims requested that he step down from the leadership ofthe Ummah. Uthman replied:

"I shall not undress a shirt which has been clothed on me by Allah."

The "shirt" here refers to the leadership of the Muslims; and the opinion

of Ùthman that Allah (SWT) is the One (SWT) Who clothed him the shirt,indicates that it is the Will of Allah (SWT) that Ùthman is the caliph.And that the "shirt" shall only be undressed as a consequence of Ùthman'sdeath (i.e., when he dies.). We also find the same attitude from Muawiyah,who is a relative of Ùthman, at a later point in time. For Muawiyah hadsaid, as Ibn Kathir narrates in v8, p131:

"I didn't fight you to pray, fast, and pay charity, but rather tobecome your leader and control you, and Allah (SWT) has given me that,even if you dislike it!"

This is an indication that he never cared about any of Islam's mandates,nor Allah's (SWT) orders; rather his war was politically motivated to gain

control of the region and become the appointed leader. Again, Muawiyah hasclaimed that he is the leader of the Ummah because Allah (SWT) has made himso. However, Muawiyah's claim is more far-reaching [and damaging] than thatof Ùthman; for Muawiyah's claim lends credibility to the evil contentionthat Allah (SWT) has aided and abetted him (Muawiyah) in killing [innocent]Muslims. Allahu Akbar! (Allah is Great!)

====================================THE SHIA AND THE QUESTION OF DESTINY:====================================Now, for the Shia's opinion on Free Will and Fatalism:

Dr. al-Tijani has met with the Great Scholars of the Twelver Shi'ite inIraq. Among those he talked to are: The Martyr Muhammad Baqr al-Sadr, al-Khoie, Muhammad Ali al-Tabatabai, al- Hakim, and many others (May Allah(SWT) have mercy on those that have passed away, and on those that remain).Dr. al-Tijani narrates what these great scholars explained to him:

When al-Imam Ali (AS) was asked about Free Will and Fatalism, he (AS) said:(NOTE: This is a VERY hard quote to translate; thus, this translation isROUGH at best, but it does convey the point):


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"Woe to you! Did you think that it was a mandatory destiny, and afinal will? If it was as such, then reward and punishment would haveno value, and admonition and exhortation would totally fail! Allah(SWT) has ordered His (SWT) servants to obey Him (SWT) voluntarily,and asked them to cease doing evil as a warning to them (frompunishment); and He (SWT) has ordained easy (simple) things inreligion, and He (SWT) has not ordained difficult (hard) duties. He(SWT) has given for the small amount of good deeds you do, a greatreward; and He (SWT) is never disobeyed as a sign of His (SWT) defeat(or lack of power and ability); and He (SWT) is not obeyed [orworshipped] through coercion and force, rather voluntarily. He (SWT)has not sent Prophets and Messengers as part of a game He (SWT) isplaying; nor did He (SWT) send down the Books (revealed scripture) forno reason. And He (SWT) did not create the Heavens and the Earths asa falsehood (triviality); That, indeed, is the belief of thenonbelievers: Woe to the nonbelievers from the hellfire..."

NOTE: The latter part of the speech: "That, indeed, is the belief of thenonbelievers: Woe to the nonbelievers from the hellfire......" is a versefrom the Quran that al-Imam Ali (AS) concluded with.

Dr. al-Tijani, when he first heard this, was filled with joy to know thatit is HE who controls his actions, and it is HE who is responsible fordoing good deeds to enter heaven. And it is not, as the Sunni scholars

claim, the Will of Allah (SWT) for him to enter hell.Dr. al-Tijani says: al-Imam Ali (AS) struck the nail on the head when he(AS) said: "...and He (SWT) is never disobeyed as a sign of His (SWT)defeat (or lack of power and ability);..." For if Allah (SWT) wanted toforce ANYBODY into doing something, NOTHING can stop Him (SWT). Rather itis a corroboration by al- Imam Ali (AS) to what Allah (SWT) said:

"Say, `The Truth is from your Lord` Let him who will, believe (it);and let him who will, reject (it)...[18:29]"

Then al-Imam Ali (AS) strikes the inner workings of the mind andconsciousness by asserting that if EVERYTHING was the Will of Allah (SWT),

then the function of the Prophets and Messengers would be a total waste oftime. Again, if EVERYTHING was the Will of Allah (SWT), Revealed Scripturewould have no value either; this would clearly violate the verses of theQuran:

"Verily this Quran doth guide to that which is most right (or stable),and giveth the glad tidings to the believers who work deeds ofrighteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward. [17:9]"

So the Quran IS a book that guides people (which means that It was revealedfor the purpose of guiding mankind), and the believers are AT LIBERTY to"...work deeds of righteousness..."

The contention is that if EVERYTHING was the Will of Allah (SWT), why wouldAllah (SWT) send Messengers to warn us, when He (SWT) has already judgedus? What good is it to do any kind of deeds (good or bad), when thejudgment for these deeds has already been rendered, regardless of what youdo?

We have seen many sects in Islam that have either said: EVERYTHING is theWill of Allah (SWT) --This is Jabriyyah; or those who said: EVERYTHING isFree Will --This is Qadariyyah. Both views are wrong, because they are notrealistic. Can you control to which parents you are born to, for example?


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Or is it realistic to believe that Allah (SWT) FORCES you to drink alcohol,and then punishes you for it? The answer to both questions is: OBVIOUSLYNOT!

The Shia, however, have struck it right: al-Imam Ja'far al- Sadiq (AS)said:

"It is not TOTAL Free Will, nor is it TOTAL Fatalism; rather, it is amatter between [those] two matters."

When a man asked al-Imam al-Sadiq (AS) what he (AS) meant by the abovequote, al-Imam al-Sadiq (AS) answered: "To walk on the ground is not thesame as to fall on it!" What a response!!! (My comment!) Here's what itmeans: You walk on the ground voluntarily, but it may happen to you thatyou fall because something unexpected happened to you (for instance, somebody hit you from the back). Who among you wants to fall on the ground onpurpose? Such is the wisdom of the Imams, the progeny of the Seal ofProphecy (PBUH&HF). So Qada Wa Qadr is a matter between two matters: Somethings we can control, and others we can't; it is a mixture of Free Willand Allah's (SWT) Will.

This belief is closer to reason than what all the other schools say.Moreover, a human being is ONLY liable for that which he has a will [andcontrol] over; and Allah (SWT) will judge him on those deeds that he

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^voluntarily committed, NOT the ones that he has no control over. Allah^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^(SWT) says:

"By the soul, and the proportion and order given to it; and itsinspiration as to its wrong and its right;-- Truly he succeeds thatpurifies it, and he fails that corrupts it. [91:7-10]"

Indeed, he who purifies his soul is destined to succeed, and he whocorrupts it is destined to failure. That is where your choice comes in.

Again, things like the operation of the Universe, the movement of the

planets, ones own sex at birth, one's color of skin, one's parents, and soon, we have no will or control over, and we will NOT be held responsiblefor; but whether or not to be believers, killers, hypocrites, commitadultery, feed our children, and so on, we do have control over, and weWILL be held accountable for them.

As a conclusion to the matter, and a final display of the superiorknowledge of the Imams, I quote the following: al-Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Rida(AS), the Eighth Imam, was 14 years old when he (AS) was asked about whatal- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) meant by "a matter between [those] two matters?" At14 years of age, al-Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Rida (AS) said:

"He who says that Allah (SWT) FORCES us to do our actions, subscribes

to the school of Fatalism (Jabriyyah). He who says that Allah (SWT)has left the matter of birth, creation, and wealth to the Hujjahs,subscribes to the school of Free Will (Qadariyyah)."

[NOTE: Hujjah means "Proof." It includes Prophets, Messengers, andthe Imams. The significance of the word is that the Prophets,Messengers, and Imams command what Allah (SWT) wants, and serve as aproof against the people they have been sent to; as such, they areAllah's (SWT) "Proofs" on Earth.] Then Imam (AS) continues...


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"He who subscribes to Fatalism (Jabriyyah) is a Kafir (Nonbeliever),and he who subscribes to Free Will (Qadariyyah) is a Mushrik(Polytheist)."

"As for the matter between two matters, it is the seeking of the paththat leads to the fulfillment of Allah's (SWT) orders. Allah (SWT) hasgiven man the ability and freedom to do good (deeds) or not to do good(deeds); and, Allah (SWT) has given man the ability and freedom to doevil (deeds) or not to do evil (deeds), then He (SWT) ordered him todo good (deeds), and prohibited him from doing evil (deeds)."

Such is the great knowledge of the Imams, may Allah (SWT) bless them all.It is no surprise that even at the age of 14, they are so knowledgeable;for it only confirms what the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said about them:

"Don't get too far ahead of them, or you'll be destroyed. Nor stayfar behind them, or you'll also be destroyed. And don't try to teachthem, for they are far more knowledgeable than you are."

This tradition is mentioned in: Usd al-Ghabah, by Ibn Athir, v3, p137; al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah by Ibn Hajar, p148; Majma' al-Zawa'id, v9, p163;Yanabee' al-Mawada, p41; al-Durr al-Manthoor by al-Suyuti, v2, p60; Kanz al-'Umal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, v1, p168; and `Aqabat al-Anwar, v1, p184.

==============================================THE CALIPHATE AND THE QUESTION OF QADA WA QADAR:===============================================The strange thing about the Sunni belief is that while they believe thatEVERYTHING is the Will of Allah (SWT), they stubbornly attach themselves tothe contention that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) left the matter of the Caliphate(Succession) for them to decide upon.

The Shia believe the exact opposite of what the Sunnis believe with regardsto this issue (i.e., succession). While it is true that the Shia ardentlysupport the concept of Half-Free Will, they will NOT apply it to theconcept of the Caliphate (Succession).

The Shia believe that the Successor to a ANY Prophet or Messenger is amatter that ONLY Allah (SWT) decides upon; and they can have NO say in thematter. As such, it is the belief of Twelver Shi'ite that al-Imam Ali (AS)was chosen by Allah (SWT) to succeed the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

Prima Facie (superficially), this appears to be a contradiction on the partof both parties, but the truth is otherwise.

The Sunnis when they claim that EVERYTHING is the Will of Allah (SWT), theymake Allah (SWT) the ACTUAL EXECUTOR of His (SWT) Will; and they are leftwith an IMAGINARY WILL of their own. So it was the Companions (along with`Umar) that chose Abu Bakr after the death of the Prophet (PBUH&HF); but,

in actuality, they were only executing Allah's (SWT) Will (i.e., thecompanions were only instruments used by Allah (SWT) to execute His (SWT)Will.). That is the Sunnis's interpretation of the events.

The Shia, however, when they assert that Allah (SWT) has given His (SWT)servants the freedom of choice, they DO NOT contradict themselves bystating that ONLY Allah (SWT) chooses the Chaliph (Successor). For Allah(SWT) states in the Quran:

"Thy Lord does create and CHOOSE AS HE PLEASES: NO CHOICE have they


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(in the matter)...[28:68]"

"And We made them Imams, guiding (men) by Our command, and We inspiredthem to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to giveZakat; and they constantly served Us (and Us only). [21:73]"

"And We appointed from among them, Imams, giving guidance under Ourcommand, so long as they persevered with patience and continued tohave faith in Our Signs. [32:24]"

[NOTE: In the above two verses A.Yusuf Ali uses the term "Leaders" insteadof "Imams;" however, the Arabic Quran uses the word IMAMS -- Check foryourselves.]

"And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certaincommands, which he fulfilled: He (Allah) said: I will make thee anImam to the people. He (Abraham) pleaded: And also (Imams) from myoffspring! He (Allah) answered: But My Promise is not within the reachof evil-doers. [2:124]"

So, as we see from the above verses, the matter of Succession (Chaliphate)is just like that of Prophethood -- People have NO SAY in it. Allah (SWT)is the One who chose Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and the rest of the Prophets,Messengers, and Imams; and there's NOTHING people can do about it. However,

the Free Will component lies in the fact that you AT LIBERTY to believe inor reject ANY Prophet sent to you, as has happened throughout the historyof mankind (i.e., some people believed, while others rejected theProphets.). A true believer will accept Allah's (SWT) orders, and attainfelicity; while a nonbeliever will reject Allah's (SWT) Signs, and sufferthe consequences. Indeed, Allah (SWT) says:

"...whosoever follows My guidance, will not lose his way, nor fallinto misery. But whosoever turns away from My message, verily for himis a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day ofJudgment. He will say: O my Lord! Why hast thou raised me up blind,while I had sight (before)? (Allah) will say: Thus didst thou, whenOur Signs came unto thee, forgot them: so wilt thou, this day, be

forgotten. [20:123-126]"Now, if we objectively analyze both viewpoints: that of the Sunnis, andthat of the Shia, we will discover that the Sunnis's viewpoint literallyholds Allah responsible (SWT) for EVERYTHING in the Universe, whether it begood or bad. Whereas, the Shia have clearly vindicated Allah (SWT) fromsuch impurities, and have proved that EACH Soul shall reap what it hassown. Which viewpoint is closer to reason? One that blames Allah, THECreator and Sustainer of the Universe, or one that makes YOU responsiblefor your own actions? I leave the answer for the enlightened reader toprovide.

===========================RESPONSES TO SUNNI BROTHERS:===========================First, a Sunni brother made the comment that I am accusing ALL Sunnischolars of being fatalists, when in reality, this is NOT the case. Myresponse was:

First, I did not say that "ALL" the Sunni scholars are fatalists; rather,the MAJORITY. Moreover, most of the scholars preaching in the Mosquesshare the view of fatalism, and, as such, have contributed to the


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corruption of the youths, who are the seeds of the future. It is abetrayal of the scholarly trust when a SCHOLAR BLINDLY accepts traditionand what others say. (NOTE: I emphasize the word "scholar" because I amNOT talking about the layman who CANNOT interpret complex philosophicalissues and sophisticated matters of jurisprudence. But for a scholar, whois in a position to give "Fatwas -- Religious Opinions," to blindly becomefatalistic is unacceptable in its entirety.) Indeed, Allah (SWT) challengedthe Jews and the Christians by saying: ".....Bring forth your argument(proof) if ye are telling the truth! [27:64]" As such, it is MANDATORY forsuch scholars to provide proof to support their view of fatalism. Keep inmind that in Islam, the theory of proofs is as follows: If two proofs arepresented, and each proof is strong enough to equal the other proof, theycancel each other out, and new proofs will be sought. However, if one ofthe proofs is stronger than the other, then the stronger proof prevails andbecomes dominant. As far as Free Will vs. Fatalism is concerned, clearlyFree Will, as I presented it, wins hands down.

Note also that this article depicts what the MAINSTREAM Sunnis and what theMAINSTREAM Shia believe. Undoubtedly, there are Sunni scholars andindividuals who are NOT blind fatalists, and there are Shi'i scholars andindividuals who ARE blind fatalists. Neither group represents MAINSTREAMthought within either faction.

Second, another Sunni brother stated that I neglected the following verses

in my analysis:>>>surah 74>>54. Nay this surely is an admonition:>>55. Let any who will keep it in remembrance!>>56. But none will keep it in remembrance except as Allah wills:

He is the Lord of Righteousness and the Lord of Forgiveness.

>>surah 76>>29. This is an admonition: whosoever will let him take a (straight) Path

to his Lord.>>30. But ye will not except as Allah wills; for Allah is full of Knowledge

and Wisdom.

>>31. He will admit to His Mercy Whom He will; but the wrongdoers for themhas He prepared a grievous Penalty.

>>surah 57>>22. No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in

a decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah:>>23. In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by nor

exult over favors bestowed upon you. For Allah loveth not anyvainglorious boaster

My response was as follows:

With regards to the above verses, and your claim that I am more in favor of

Free Will than Fatalism, thereby neglecting the above verses, I offer thefollowing:

What Allah (SWT) is saying in the above verses, among others, when He (SWT)states: "But ye will not except as Allah wills...." is NOT as youunderstand it to be. Please remember the following very important sentence:

SOME OF THE WILL OF ALLAH CHENGES BASED ON OUR ACTION. It is not fixed.This serves as Half-Free Will for the human. It is all the Will of Allah,but SOME of His Will are modified by Himself. (We do not modify it. He


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modifies it based on our actions). Quran gives evidence to this fact:

"Allah removes what He wills, and confirms (what He wills),and with Him is the Essence of the Book. [13:39]"

Also this:

"Allah does not change the situation of any group of people, unlessthey change what is in themselves. [13:11]" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Also the following two verse in which Allah changed the decision in realtime, base on the weakness appeared to the companions:

8:65 "O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there be of youtwenty steadfast they shall overcome two hundred, and if there beof you a hundred steadfast they shall overcome a thousand of thosewho disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are a folk withoutintelligence."

8:66 "Now, has Allah lightened your (duty), for He knowes that there^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

is weakness in you. So if there be of you a steadfast hundred theyshall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a thousand(steadfast) they shall overcome two thousand by permission of

Allah. Allah is with the steadfast. [8:65-66]"Also look at this:

"But those who do ill deeds and afterward repent and believe lo!for them, then after that, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. [7:153]"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Note that Allah changes His decision after the action of human (here isrepentance). There are many more verses similar to above (see 16:110,16:119, etc...)

Allah (SWT) has given you the freedom to act and do whatever you want

WITHIN the CONFINES of your abilities. Now Allah (SWT) can interfere atANYTIME to change a matter without any inhibition from ANYONE. As such,His (SWT) Will to INTERFERE and change a matter prevails over His (SWT)creation's will. So Allah (SWT) Wills in the sense that He (SWT) ALLOWS anevent to occur, without Him (SWT) stopping it from happening. That is His(SWT) Will, NOT that He (SWT) forces you to do something, and then punishesyou for it. (Exalted be Allah (SWT) from such an inference!) Given thatfact, Allah (SWT) can, for example, intervene to return Palestine to theMuslims, but He (SWT) doesn't. That DOES NOT mean that Allah (SWT)approves of having Palestine in the hands of the Jews, but rather Allah(SWT) has a more sublime wisdom in not interfering.

Now, the obvious question is: Why doesn't Allah (SWT) interfere, for

example, to help the Muslims that are being slaughtered in Bosnia, orelsewhere?

The answer is as follows: Going back to the Free Will argument, you areresponsible for your acts. If Allah (SWT) interferes to prevent evil fromhappening, then who will be held accountable? It is this "AccountabilityPrinciple" that precludes the interference of Allah (SWT) in many (not all)situations. That DOES NOT mean, however, that Allah (SWT) NEVER intervenesor that He (SWT) approves of the matter, but rather Allah (SWT) intervenesonly when He (SWT), Himself (SWT), sees a reason to do so, as when He (SWT)


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intervened and helped the Prophet Abraham (AS) from the fire of thenonbelievers, among other examples. Why did Allah (SWT) intervene then?That's where your faith in Allah's (SWT) wisdom comes into play. Do youbelieve in Allah (SWT) to the extent that you trust what He (SWT) does,EVEN if you don't fully understand it? If yes, then you have answered thequestion for yourself. If not, then you have a weak faith which is in needof some strengthening.

==========CONCLUSION:==========In conclusion, I (myself, not Dr. al-Tijani) realize that many pointspresented in this article are NOT easy to comprehend, nor are they meantfor the average person; however, I have deeply suffered from the problem ofFree Will and Fatalism, and my agony throughout that ordeal is virtuallybeyond description. As such, I do not wish anybody to suffer as I have.Let me also assert that my PERSONAL opinion is that Fatalism in Islamicsocieties is one of THE MOST damaging ideologies around; it fosters aCOMPLETE paralysis of intellectual and physical exertions, and promotesdecay from within the community. It is a GREAT SHAME that we shouldprofoundly suffer due to a false ideology. We have been deceived for allthese years (1400 or so), while the Shia have always had the answer to thisperplexing question. It is the irony of life that we mock those who

possess knowledge, while we praise our own ignorance!Given that, I leave you with the same questions: "Are you realistic whenyou claim that Allah (SWT) FORCES you into committing evil, and thenpunishes you for it? If Allah (SWT) has created me a Kafir, why thenshould I bother and rectify myself? What difference would it make -- I havealready been judged?"**************************************************************************

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Divine Justice and the Problem of Evil

Throughout the history of thought and action, the justice of God has been aproblem which has occupied the mind of nearly every philosopher. The mostimportant reason for this attention is that they have been aware ofdeprivation, poverty, exploitation and tyranny amongst human societies.Being aware of these bitter facts, some have been led to doubt the justiceof God, or even doubt the existence of God. Others have tried to somehowjustify this seeming contradiction between God being just and the abovementioned miseries.

This article is a small attempt to prove two points:

1. God's justice is a reality.2. If God is just, it does not mean that individuals have to accept their

present social situations; but on the contrary, IT MEANS THAT THEYSHOULD CHANGE IT.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


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If there is just God why is there so much evil. There is death, war,earthquake, hunger, bitter conditions of life .....etc. The argument thenfollows that either there is no God or there is a cruel God, who, like amonster, enjoys seeing us suffer!

This question has been answered in many ways in different ages. Some ofthem are as follows and we shall have a brief look at them:

1. God is the Perfect Being, and justice is part of perfection. Therefore,God is just. So whatever of injustice we see in the world, will berectified eventually. In other words, He has no needs, and injustice iseither from ignorance and fanaticism, or from need, and none of these areconceivable for the Perfect Being. Imam Husain, in the deserts of Arafat,before being martyred by the enemy, said: "O' God! you are so needless thatyou yourself can not benefit yourself. How then, can we give anything toyou?!"

2. Evil is necessary for the greater good. Refraining from thousand goodsfor the sake of one evil, is itself a great evil.

3. Man's freedom is the cause of evil. Here freedom is not in politicalsense. It means being able to do good or bad. It is only mankind who hasthis ability. He can be kind or he can be cruel. He can be ahumanist or he can be an oppressive tyrant and killer. Leibniz, the 17th

century philosopher, is one of those who believe that man's freedom is thecause of evil. He wrote: "Free will is a great good, but it was logicallyimpossible for God to give freedom and at the same time decree that thereshould be no sin. So God decided to make man free although sin inevitablybrought punishment."

This view can explain wars and social injustices, but can not explainearthquakes, death, illness, etc.

4. Evil is a negative thing.

SUFFERING AND NOT EVIL""""""""""""""""""""""

Now, let us go bit deeper in the problem. What we should say at this pointis that we commit a mistake by using the term evil. We should rather use:suffering or hardship. By doing this we have not done anything againstreality or any logical necessity. In the term evil there is a concept ofinjustice hidden. We shall avoid using it, because it is a loaded word.

LIMITLESS DESIRES"""""""""""""""""Now, by looking at concrete experiences and the nature of things, and alsolooking at our internal and external factors of life, we see that they arenot set in manner to always coincide with our desires and wishes. Thelimitlessness of our desires from one hand, and the mathematical nature ofthe universe on the other, is the cause of our illegitimate annoyance. For

example, we want to have absolute knowledge. We want to possess absoluteownership of the world without being disturbed. We do not want to get sick.On the other hand, neither does our existential factors give value to thesedesires, nor do the natural elements abide to these wishes. And since ourinternal nature and the world itself do not permit our limitless desires,we raise our hands to the sky and say: O' God! what an evilful universe!

But, somebody who knows that the paraffin in his lamp is limited, will notcomplain after its extinction. One who knows that this lamp which he haslit, is not safe from winds, will not scream when the wind blows it out.


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The system of the natural world is the same, and one who lives in it, cannot come out of the flow of that system. So, we are obliged to accept thatthere is suffering. The question to ask is that, is it logical to say thatthese sufferings are against justice? (Note that we are not talking aboutsufferings caused by human: wars, torture, poverty...). The answer to thequestion is negative, since we have to understand the various meanings ofjustice. There is sentimental justice, like a mother offering all her lovefor her child. There is legal justice. There is also moral andphilosophical justice. I will try to define the last two:

Philosophical Justice: Every subject and phenomenon should travel in itsappropriate line and flow towards its perfection.

Moral Justice: Do not inflict any suffering on anything else.

Philosophical justice means that even if the sick screams and complains, weshould give him the bitter medicine that he needs to take, and do thesurgery which is for his good.

VIEWERS AND PARTICIPANTS""""""""""""""""""""""""Those who have been in contact with mankind and nature from close-up, andhave not been mere viewers, have never doubted the justice of God. Socrates(The Philosopher), in the time of his prosecution, takes the cup of poison

from the guard and drinks it. Since he had a great message for all peopleof all times, he drank the poison with no fear.

Prophet Muhammad, the best of mankind ever, said: "No prophet has beensuffered like me!" If we also look at the life of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, theProphet Muhammad's miracle and his most beloved companion, we find that hislife was highly filled out with suffering and pain. One out of many, isthat he was the best in knowledge and action among his society after theprophet, yet he remained silent for twenty five years for the sake of thepeople's ideological unity at that time. He accepted this psychologicalsuffering for twenty five years.

Later, when the people realized who he was, and came to him and chose him

as their leader, he ruled the society with utmost justice, even though hewas continuously in war with so called Muslims during his short period ofruling, and then he was killed shortly. Ali's justice was a kind of justicewhich has made the eastern materialist, Shibli Shumayyil, to say about him:"The leader Ali, greatest of all, is the man who neither the West nor East,neither yesterday nor today, have seen his example." (Ali, The voice ofhuman justice, by George Jordac). Ali himself said: "If you give me allthe world with everything in it, with a condition that I take a husk ofbarley from an ant's mouth, I will not do so!" (Nahjul Balaqah, by ImamAli).

For the just, this world is most painful, but nevertheless, Ali never saidthat this world is evil. He always said that it is the world of suffering,

be ready, be careful. He also said: This world is the best place for onewho understands it well.

In fact when we believe in the justice of God, we try to see the samejustice in the society. Because any injustice is against the will of Godand against the music of the universe. This is why belief in the justice ofGod has always been a great threat to the ruling powers.

You might say that very well, but it does not follow that since some peoplelike Prophet Muhammad, Ali have said and done so, the problem of evil does


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not exist. Very well, but where did the problem of evil come from, anyway?>From the minds of some other people whose lives were quite more comfortablethan Prophet or Ali! Like Epicurus, Hume or Mill or even me and you!

Looking at their biographies, none have suffered as much as the firstgroup. The latter in comparison with the former, were always viewers oflife rather than participants. So you can see how subjective and relativethe problem of evil and suffering is.

Let me repeat the question again. Why do we have to go through all thesedifficulties, created by God, in order to reach the developed stage? Toanswer this question, we need to study the orders of existence.

ORDERS OF EXISTENCE"""""""""""""""""""There are two orders in the beings of the world. We can call them thelongitudinal order and the transversal order. The longitudinal order is theplace of things in the cause and effect chain of creation. In the languageof religion, Angels, The Book(of Allah), The Distributors, The pen and soon, all show of a certain order and arrangement in existence. This order isnot formal but necessary. In this order, the flame of a match cannotcompete with the Sun, and the change of a possible thing into somethingnecessary is not imaginable. A cause cannot change its place with its owneffect (at the same time and place).

All the mistakes which we make that why 'this' couldn't have been in theplace of 'that' or why an imperfect being can't change its place with aperfect being, is because we have not understood the necessary andessential relations of things. We compare the existential order withconventional orders and social stratifications. We think that when we canreplace a manager with his employee, or a landlord with his tenant, thenwhy could not have a sheep been a human being? It is impossible, since thecause of being cause and the effect of being effect are not conventional orformal. If 'A' is the cause of 'B', it is because that there is somethingin the nature of 'A' that has made it the cause. Also, the specification of'B' has caused its relation to 'A', and this specification is nothing butthose attributes which have made 'B' exist. Once you take those

specifications away from 'B', you are left with something else and not 'B'.These specifications are real and not conventional or transferable. Takethe number '5'. It comes after '4' and before '6'. You can not put '5'anywhere else without loosing its identity. If you put it before '4', itwill be '3', even though you call it '5'. You can not change the reality of'3', though you can change its name.

There exists such a deep and existential order between all creatures of theuniverse. If you take anything out of its existential place, it will looseits substance and will no longer be the same thing. If you give a trianglefour vertices instead of three, it is not a triangle any more. In fact itis a square. Ibn Sina has a nice sentence here. He said: "God did not makeapricots into apricots, but He created apricots." What he means is that

there was no stage when all fruits were equal and then God discriminatedbetween them. Each fruit is unique. This uniqueness applies to differentbeings and personalities as well.

Allah said in Quran:

"... Our Lord is He who gave every thing its nature, then guided itaright." (Quran 20:50).

In another place He said:


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"Our word for something that we intend, is that to say to it: Be! andit will be." (Quran 16:40).

Now let us go over the transversal order. The transversal order determinesthe temporal and material conditions of different phenomena. It is withthis order that history takes definite and certain form.

Allah refers to this order of existence in this way:

"..., and you shall not find any change in the custom of Allah."(Quran 33:62)

Some of these deterministic laws are mentioned in Quran like the following:

"Allah does not change the situation of any group of people, unlessthey change what is in themselves." (Quran 13:11).

Now to sum up this section:

1. The universe has orders and necessary laws, and every phenomenon iswithin that system. For the universe to be in order, there should bedifferences and stages in existence.

2. Differences are necessary attributes of creatures, and God has made nodiscrimination between the creatures.

3. What is against the justice is discrimination and NOT difference. In theuniverse, there are differences among the creatures and notdiscriminations by Allah.

Now that we have understood this section, we can answer the previousquestion by looking at the benefits of suffering for individuals.

BENEFITS OF SUFFERING"""""""""""""""""""""It is only through suffering and difficulties that one can attain true

happiness and true prosperity. Allah says:"Verily there is ease with hardship. There is ease with hardship. Sowhen you are relieved, still toil, and strive to please your Lord."(Quran 94:5-8).

Hegel says: Disputes and evil ('suffering' to be precise) are notimaginary. They are quite real and with open eyes they are steps ofevolution and goodness. Struggle is the law of progress. Human attributesare evolved and made in the battlefield and riot of the world. No one canreach high perfection except through hardship, responsibility, anddistress. Life is not for satisfaction, but for evolution.

Ali (AS), in one of his famous letters to Uthman ibn Hanif, his governor inBasra, wrote:

"living in comfort and delicateness, and avoidance of difficultiesends up to weakness and debility. In contrary, living in roughconditions makes human powerful and agile, and transfers hisexistential essence towards refinement."

He also denounced him in the letter, for his having had a dinner with therich who had allowed no poor to enter in their party. He then gave the


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example of trees in forests and compared it with the trees in gardens.

"Although constant care is given to the garden trees, yet the deprivedtrees of the forest have better quality." (Nahjul Balaqah).

That is why when God is kind to somebody, he inflicts him or her withdifficulty and suffering. This is exactly the opposite side of what mostpeople think! Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (the 5th Imam) said:

"Allah helps His believer and sends him hardships, like gifts that aman sends for his family."

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (the 6th Imam) said:

"When Allah loves His servant, He drowns him in the sea of suffering."

Like a swimming tutor who throws his new student into water, and makes himstruggle and learn swimming, Allah does the same to develop his belovedservants. If one only devotes his whole life time to read about swimming,he will never learn how to swim. We have to go into water and struggle withthe danger of drowning to learn how to swim. Imam Sadiq said in anothertradition:

"The most difficult lives are possessed first by prophets, and then

those who come after them in virtue."Rumi, the philosopher and poet of 13th century, has a good analogy:

"They threw the grain on the earth, then there came out branches.Next, they crushed it in the mill, and it became more expensive anduseful in bread form. Next, the bread was grounded under the teeth,and after digestion, it became mind, spirit and useful thought. Again,when the mind was bewildered with love, what a surprise thiscultivation had been!"

Wassalam.***************************************************************************

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Lessons From the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt

Excerpts from Usul al-KafiCompiled by Thiqatul Islam al-Kulaini al-Razi

Place of Reason in the Religion^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^(Part I)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:

"Almighty God has endowed upon mankind nothing better than reason(wisdom). Sleep of a wise man is better than the waking hours of anignorant. Rest of a wise man is better than the movement (journeys forHajj or Jihad) of ignorant. God has not send any prophet or messenger


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without first perfecting his reason; and his reason stands superior toall the reasons of (the people of) his community. What the Prophet haswished is preferable to all the Ijtihad (striving) of the Mujtahideen(those who strive).

No creature can ever discharge his obligations to God unless hecomprehends those (obligations). All the worshippers weighted togethercan not reach the height of excellence of a wise man. The man ofreaso

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Shia encyclopaedia Chapter 11