COMPLETE KHUTBA OF PROPHET MOHAMMAD S.A.W.W. ON EID-E-GHADEER

PROPHET MUHAMMED NAMES HIS SUCCESSOR
(10 A.H. / 632 A.D.)

Non-Muslims who like to attack Islam accuse the Prophet of Islam of having neglected to name his successor, not knowing that he actually did exactly so in accordance with the Divine order which he had received on Zul-Hijja 17, 10 A.H. / March 18, 632 A.D, announcing the name of his successor the very next day, and here are the details:

In 10 A.H. / 632 A.D., immediately following Hijjatul-Wada (The Farewell Pilgrimage, the last pilgrimage performed by Prophet Muhammad PAGEB.U.H, a divine order was revealed to the Prophet to convey the remaining Islamic tenets: the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and the Imamate of the Twelve Infallible Imams. The Prophet called upon the faithful to accompany him on his last pilgrimage; he knew that it would be his last and that he would soon have to leave this temporary abode for the eternal one. More than one hundred and twenty thousand Muslims responded to his call.
The Prophet and his company put on the ihram garbs at the appropriate time at Masjid al-Shajara, a short distance from Mecca, his birthplace, which he entered on Zul-Hijja 5, 10 A.H. / March 6, 632 A.D. The Prophet's call reached Yemen where' Ali Ibn Abu Talib A.S. was acting as his representative. Twelve thousand Yemenite pilgrims came out headed by' Ali in response to the Prophet's call to accompany him on his historic Pilgrimage, bringing the total number of those early pilgrims to more than one hundred and thirty-two thousand.

The Islamic pilgrimage starts in the month of Zul-Hijja (month of the pilgrimage), the last Islamic lunar calendar month, and continues for at least ten days. First, each pilgrim dons a special garb called ihram; males' ihram consists of two white sheets or towels covering the upper and lower parts of the body, whereas females wear a full white cotton outfit, simple and modest. This ihram reminds the pilgrim of his/her death and of the equality of all before God. All pilgrims perform the same rituals; none receives any favorable treatment or distinction on account of his status, power, or wealth. The pilgrimage starts by the tawaf the circling of the Ka'ba seven times. The Ka'bais identified in Islamic literature as an earthly counterpart to the Almighty's Throne (Arsh) in heaven where the angels circle it in adoration. Likewise, in imitation of those angels, Muslim pilgrims circle the Ka'ba in adoration of their Lord. The tawaf is followed by the sa'i: the pilgrims run back and forth seven times between the -Safa and the Marwa in commemoration of Hagar (Hajar), mother of Ishmael, frantically searching for water for her newborn son Ishmael. After that, the pilgrims drink of the well of Zamzam which had appeared miraculously for Hagar and Ishmael, wash with it or use it to make ablution for prayers at the Ka'ba but never to use it in the toilet; Zamzam is too sacred for such an application. Then the pilgrims leave Mecca for Muzdalifa, Arafa, and finally Mina to perform certain rites which fall outside the scope of this book which is intended to be a historical account of the Prophet of Islam, not one of fiqh. The author is a writer, a researcher, someone who, according to a friend of mine, "insists on finding out who the foundling's father is!" But he is not a faqih. Now let us go back to our original story after having cast a glimpse at the rite of the pilgrimage in Islam.
It was at' Arafa that the divine command was received by Prophet Muhammad to appoint 'Ali as "Ameer-ul-Momineen," the Commander of the Faithful, title of the bearer of the highest temporal and religious powers in the Islamic State, one reserved solely for caliphs, those who are supposed to be the most knowledgeable of all people of secular and religious problems and of how to solve them. Muhammad was also ordered to convey to' Ali the knowledge which the Almighty had bestowed upon him so that it would not be lost once he is dead. In Mina, the Prophet delivered two sermons in preparation of the great announcement to come. In the first, he referred to' Ali's caliphate and reminded the audience of one particular hadith which he had conveyed to them on various occasions and which is identified in books of hadith as " hadith al-thaqa-lain," tradition of the two weighty things (the first being the Holy Quran and the second being the Prophet's Progeny, the" Ahl al-Bayt" mentioned in verse 33 of Chapter 33 [Al-Ahzab] of the Holy Qur'an). He delivered his second sermon at Masjid al-Khaif, also located in Mina in the Meccan valley. In it, the Prophet reminded his audience of' Ali's Imamate, emphasizing the necessity of disseminating the contents of his sermon, announcing that those present were duty-bound to convey it to those who were absent. In both of these sermons, the Prophet publicly vested upon' Ali both powers referred to above.

As soon as the rituals of the pilgrimage were completed, and to be exact on Zul-Hijja 17, 10 A.H. / March 18, 632 A.D., the divine order came to the Prophet embedded in verse 67 of Chapter 5 (a1-Ma'ida) quoted in the text of the Prophet's sermon to follow. The Prophet immediately ordered Bilal Ibn Rabah, his caller to prayers and one of his faithful sahaba, to convey the following order to the faithful: "Tomorrow, nobody should lag behind but should go to Ghadir Khumm."

The word "Ghadir" means "swamp," an area where rain water gathers to form a shallow lake. Ghadir Khumm is located near the crossroads of trade and pilgrimage caravans coming from Medina, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Nejd on their way to Mecca. The presence of water and a few old trees there served as a resting place for trade caravans for centuries. A mosque, called Masjid al-Ghadir, was later built on the same spot where the great gathering took place to commemorate that momentous event, an event which has unfortunately been forgotten by the vast majority of the Muslims who, by thus forgetting, forgot the most important part of their creed, one without which their faith is not complete at all according to the Prophet's sermon to follow and according to the text of the Holy Qur'an.
The announcement conveyed by Bilal was transmitted by one person to another till it reached as far as Mecca proper and people were wondering about what it could be. They had expected the Prophet to linger a little bit longer at Mecca where the pilgrims could meet him and ask him whatever questions they had about this new institution called "hajj" and about other religious matters.
In the morning of the next day, Zul Hijjah 18, 10 A.H. / March 19, 632A.D, the Prophet and his 120,000 companions went to Ghadir Khumm, and so did' Ali with his 12,000 Yemenite pilgrims who had to change their route to the north instead of to the south where they would be home-bound. The Prophet also issued an order to four of his closest sahaba, namely Selman-al-Farisi, Abu Tharr al-Ghifari, Miqdad Ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi and' Ammar Ibn yasir, with whom the reader is already familiar, to clear the area where the old trees stood, to uproot the thorn bushes, collect the rocks and stones, and to clean the place and sprinkle it with water. Then these men took a piece of cloth which they tied between two of those trees, thus providing some shade. The Prophet told those sahaba that a ceremony that would last for three continuous days would be held in that area. Then the same men piled the rocks on top of each other and made a makeshift pulpit over them of camel litters as high as the Prophet's own length. They put another piece of cloth on the pulpit which was installed in the middle of the crowd, giving the Prophet an overview of the whole gathering. A man was selected to repeat loudly what the Prophet was saying so that those who stood the furthermost would not miss a word.

The Azan for the noon prayers was recited, and the congregational prayers were led by the Prophet. After that, the Prophet ascended the pulpit and signaled to' Ali Ibn Abu Talib to stand on his right. Ali did so, standing one pulpit step below the Prophet. Before saying anything, the Prophet looked right and left to make sure that people were prepared to listen to every word of his. The sun was so hot that people had to pull some of their outer mantles over their heads and under their feet in order to be able to somehow tolerate the heat. Finally the Prophet delivered his historic sermon which he intended, as the reader will see, to be not only for the assembled crowd but for all those who were not present at that gathering and for all their offspring, one generation after another, till the Day of Judgment.

Here is the text of the Prophet's sermon. We hope it will bring the reader guidance in the life of this world and happiness and success in the life to come through the intercession of Muhammad, the one loved most by Allah, peace and blessings of the Almighty be upon him, his progeny, and true companions who obeyed him during his lifetime and after his demise and who did not forget or pretend to forget his following khutba.

PROPHET'S HISTORIC GHADlR SERMON

There is a humble translation of the Prophet's historic Ghadir Khumm sermon. The reader can review the original Arabic text included in this book.
All Praise is due to Allah Who is Exalted in His Unity, Near in His Uniqueness, Sublime in His Authority, Magnanimous in His Dominance. He knows everything; He subdues all creation through His might and evidence. He is Praised always and forever, Glorified and has no end. He begins and He repeats, and to Him every matter is referred.
Allah is the Creator of everything; He dominates with His power the earth and the heavens. Holy, He is, and Praised, the Lord of the angels and of the spirits. His favors overwhelm whatever He creates, and He is the Mighty over whatever He initiates. He observes all eyes while no eye can observe Him. He is Generous, Clement, and Patient. His mercy encompasses everything, and so is His giving. He never rushes His revenge, nor does He hasten the retribution they deserve. He comprehends what the breast conceals and what the conscience hides. No inner I thought can be concealed from Him, nor does He confuse one with another. He encompasses everything, dominates everything, and subdues everything. Nothing is like Him. He initiates the creation from nothing; He is everlasting, living, sustaining in the truth; there is no god but He, the Omnipotent, the Wise One.
He is greater than can be conceived by visions, while He conceives all visions, the Eternal, the Knowing. None can describe Him by seeing Him, nor can anyone find out how He is, be it by his intellect or by a spoken word except through what leads to Him, the Sublime, the Mighty that He is.
I testify that He is Allah, the One Who has filled time with His Holiness, the One Whose Light overwhelms eternity, Who effects His will without consulting anyone; there is no partner with Him in His decisions, nor is He assisted in running His affairs. He shaped what He made without following a preexisting model, and He created whatever He created without receiving help from anyone, nor did doing so neither exhaust Him nor frustrated His designs. He created, and so it was, and He initiated, and it became visible. So He is Allah, the One and Only God, the One who does whatever He does extremely well. He is the Just One who never oppresses, the most Holy to Whom all affairs are referred.
I further testify that He is Allah before Whom everything is humbled, to Whose Greatness everything is humiliated, and to Whose Dignity everything submits. He is the King of every domain and the One Who places planets in their orbits. He controls the movements of the sun and of the moon, each circle till a certain time. He makes the night follow the day and the day follows the night, seeking it incessantly. He splits the spine of every stubborn tyrant and annihilates every mighty devil.
Never has there been any opponent opposing Him nor a peer assisting Him. He is Independent; He never begets nor is He begotten, and none can ever be His equal. He is One God, the Glorified Lord. His will is done; His word is the law. He knows, so He takes account. He causes death and gives life. He makes some poor and others rich. He causes some to smile and others to cry .He brings some nearer to Him while distancing others from Him. He withholds and He gives. The domain belongs to Him and so is all the Praise. In His hand is all goodness, and He can do anything at all.

He lets the night cover the day and the day cover the night; there is no god but He, the Sublime, the oft-Forgiving One. He responds to the supplication; He gives generously; He computes the breath; He is the Lord of the Jinns and of mankind, the One Whom nothing confuses, nor is He annoyed by those who cry for His help, nor is He fed-up by those who persist. He safeguards the righteous against sinning, and He enables the winners to win. He is the Master of the faithful, the Lord of the Worlds Who deserves the appreciation of all those whom He created and is praised no matter what.
I praise Him and always thank Him for the ease He brings me and for the constriction, in hardship and in prosperity, and I believe in Him, in His angels, in His Books and messengers. I listen to His Command and I obey, and I initiate the doing of whatever pleases Him, and I submit to His decree hoping to acquire obedience to Him and fear of His penalty, for He is Allah against Whose designs nobody should feel secure, nor should anyone ever fear His "oppression."
I testify, even against my own soul, that I am His servant, and I bear witness that he is my Lord. I convey what He reveals to me, being cautious lest I should not do it, so a catastrophe from Him would befall upon me, one which none can keep away, no matter how great his design may be and how sincere his friendship There is no god but He, for He has informed me that if I do not convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of' Ali in truth, I will not have conveyed His Message at all, and He, the Praised and the Exalted One, has guaranteed for me to protect me from the (evil) people, and He is Allah, the One Who suffices, the Sublime. He has just revealed to me the following (verse):
In The Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
O Messenger! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to 'Ali), and if you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall Protect you from (evil) people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.
(Qur'an, 5:67)
O people! I have not committed any shortcoming in conveying what Allah Almighty revealed to me, and I am now going to explain to you the reason behind the revelation of this verse: Three times did Gabriel command me on behalf of the Peace, my Lord, Who is the source of all peace, to thus make a stand in order to inform everyone, black and white, that: ' Ali Ibn Abu Talib is my Brother, Wasi, and successor over my nation and the Imam after me, the one whose status to me is like that of Aaron to Moses except there will be no prophet after me, and he is your master next only to Allah and to His Messenger, and Allah has already revealed to me the same in one of the fixed verses1 of His Book saying, "Your Master is Allah and His Messenger and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay zakat even as they bow down" (Qur'an, 5:55), and, Ali Ibn Abu Talib the one who keeps up prayers, who pays zakat even as he bows down, seeking to please Allah, the Sublime, the Almighty, on each and every occasion.
I asked Gabriel to plead to the Peace to excuse me from having to convey such a message to you people, due to my knowledge that the pious are few while the hypocrites are many, and due to those who will blame me, and due to the trickery of those who ridicule Islam and whom Allah described in His Book as saying with their tongues contrarily to what their hearts conceal, thinking lightly of it, while it is with Allah magnanimous, and due to the abundance of their harm to me, so much so that they called me "ears" and claimed that I am so because of being so much in his (' Ali's) company, always welcoming him, loving him and being so much pleased with him till Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, revealed in this regard the verse saying: " And there are some of them who harm the (feelings of the) Prophet and say: He is an ear (uthun; i.e. he always listens to' Ali).
Say: One who listens (to' Ali) is good for you; He
The pious are always few in any age or time, creed or faith or clime, in any place, in every space. As many as 72 verses in the Holy Qur'an condemn the majority, praising the minority, underscoring what mankind knew, that the pious are always few. Indeed, the Prophet's statement is quite weighty, wise, terse, and not hasty. Nowadays, only a few pious ones remember this historic sermon and try their best to keep its memory alive. Yes; it is true, the pious are always few ... believes in Allah and testifies to the conviction of the believers and a mercy for those of you who believe; and those who (thus ) harm the Messenger of Allah shall have a painful punishment" (Qur'an, 9:61). Had I wished to name those who have called me so, I would have called them by their names, and I would have pointed them out. I would have singled them out and called them by what they really are, but I, by Allah, am fully aware of their affairs. Yet despite all of that, Allah insisted that I should convey what He has just revealed to me in honor of' Ali. Then the Prophet recited the following verse.
O Messenger! Convey what has (just) been revealed to you (with regard to 'Ali), and if you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His Message at all, and Allah shall protect you from (evil) people. (Qur'an, 5:67)
O people! Comprehend (the implications of) what I have just said, and again do comprehend it, and be (further) informed that Allah has installed him (' Ali) as your Master and Imam, obligating the Muhajirun and the Ansar and those who follow them in goodness to obey him, and so must everyone who lives in the desert or in the city, who is a non-Arab or an Arab, who is a free man or a slave, who is young or old, white or black, and so should everyone who believes in His Unity. His decree shall be carried out. His (' Ali's) word is binding; his command is obligating; cursed is whoever opposes him,
blessed with mercy is whoever follows him and believes in him, for Allah has already forgiven him and forgiven whoever listens to him and obeys him.
O people! This is the last stand I make in such a situation; so, listen and obey, and submit to the Command of Allah, your Lord, for Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, is your Master and Lord, then next to Him is His Messenger and Prophet who is now addressing you, then after me 'Ali is your Master and Imam according to the Command of Allah, your Lord, then the lmams from among my progeny, his offspring, till the Day you meet Allah and His Messenger.
Nothing is permissible except what is deemed so by Allah, His Messenger, and they (the Imams), and nothing is prohibitive except what is deemed so by Allah and His Messenger and they (the Imams). Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime One, has made me acquainted
with what is permissible and what is prohibitive, and I have conveyed to you what my Lord has taught me of His Book, of what it decrees as permissible or as prohibitive.
O people! Prefer him (' Ali) over all others! There is no knowledge except that Allah has divulged it to me, and all the knowledge I have learned I have divulged to Imam al-Muttaqin (leader of the righteous), and there is no knowledge (that I know) except that I
divulged it to' Ali, and he is al-Imam al-Mubin (the evident Imam) whom Allah mentions in Surat ya-Sin: "... and everything We have computed is in (the knowledge of) an evident Imam" (Qur'an, 36:12).
O people! Do not abandon him, nor should you flee away from him, nor should you be too arrogant to accept his authority, for he is the one who guides to righteousness and who acts according to it. He defeats falsehood and prohibits others from acting according to it, accepting no blame from anyone while seeking to please Allah. He is the first to believe in Allah and in His Messenger; none preceded him as such. And he is the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for the Messenger of Allah and who was in the company of the Messenger of Allah while no other man was. He is the first of all people to offer prayers and the first to worship Allah with me. I ordered him, on behalf of Allah, to sleep in my bed, and he did, offering his life as a sacrifice for my sake.
O people! Prefer him (over all others), for Allah has preferred him, and accept him, for Allah has appointed him (as your leader).

O people! He is an Imam appointed by Allah, and Allah shall never accept the repentance of anyone who denies his authority, nor shall He forgive him; this is a must decree from Allah never to do so to anyone who opposes him, and that He shall torment him with a most painful torment for all time to come, for eternity; so, beware lest you should oppose him and thus enter the fire the fuel of which is the people and the stones prepared for the unbelievers.
O people! By Allah! All past prophets and messengers conveyed the glad tiding of my advent, and I, by Allah, am the seal of the prophets and of the messengers and the argument against all beings in the heavens and on earth. Anyone who doubts this commits apostasy similar to that of the early jahiliyya, and anyone who doubts anything of what I have just said doubts everything which has been revealed to me, and anyone who doubts any of the Imams doubts all of them, and anyone who doubts us shall be lodged in the fire.
O people! Allah, the most Exalted and the Almighty, has bestowed this virtue upon me out of His kindness towards' Ali and as a boon to' Ali and there is no god but He; to Him all praise belongs in all times, for eternity, and in all circumstances.
O people! Prefer' Ali (over all others), for he is the very best of all people after me, be they males or females, so long as Allah sends down His sustenance, so long as there are beings. Cursed and again cursed, condemned and again condemned, is anyone who does
not accept this statement of mine and who does not agree to it. Gabriel himself has informed me of the same on behalf of Allah Almighty Who he said (in Gabriel's words):
"Anyone who antagonizes' Ali and refuses to accept his Wilayat shall incur My curse upon him and My wrath." "... and let every soul consider what it has sent forth for the morrow, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah" (Qur'an, 59:18), "And do not make your oaths a means of deceit between you lest a foot should slip after its stability" (Qur'an, 16:94), “Allah is fully aware of all what you do" (Qur'an, 58: 13).
O people! He (Ali) is janb-Allah mentioned in the Book of Allah, the Sublime One: The Almighty, forewarning his (' Ali's) adversaries, says, "Lest a soul should say: O woe unto me for what I fell short of my duty to Allah, and most surely I was of those who laughed to scorn" (Qur'an, 39:56).
O people! Study the Qur'an and comprehend its verses, look into its fixed verses and do not follow what is similar thereof, for by Allah, none shall explain to you what it forbids you from doing, nor clarify its exegesis, other than the one whose hand I am taking and whom I am lifting to me, the one whose arm I am taking and whom I am lifting, so that I may enable you to understand that: Whoever among you takes me as his master, this, Ali is his master, and he is' Ali Ibn Abu Talib, my Brother and Wasi, and his appointment as your wali is from Allah, the Sublime, the Exalted One, a commandment which He revealed to me.
O people! Ali and the good ones from among my offspring from his loins are the Lesser Weight, while the Qur'an is the Greater One: each one of them informs you of and agrees with the other. They shall never part till they meet me at the Pool of Kausar.
They are the Trustees of Allah over His creation, the rulers on His earth.

Indeed now I have performed my duty and conveyed the Message. Indeed you have heard what I have said and explained. Indeed Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, has said, and so have Ion behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, that there is no Ameer-ul-Momineen (Commander of the Faithful) save this Brother of mine; no authority over a believer is permissible after me except to him.
Then the Prophet patted ' Ali's arm, lifting him up Since the time when the Messenger of Allah ascended the pulpit, Ameer-ul-Momineen was one pulpit step below where the Messenger of Allah had seated himself on his pulpit, while' Ali was on his (Prophet's) right side, one pulpit step lower, now they both appeared to the gathering to be on the same level; the Prophet lifted him up The Prophet then raised his hands to the heavens in supplication while' Ali's leg was touching the knee of the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet continued his sermon thus:
O people! This is Ali, my Brother, Wasi, the one who comprehends my knowledge and my successor over my nation, over everyone who believes in me. He is the one entrusted with explaining the Book of Allah, the most Exalted One, the Sublime, and the one who invites people to His path. He is the one who does whatever pleases Him, fighting His enemies, befriending His friends who obey Him, prohibiting disobedience to Him. He is the successor of the Messenger of Allah and Ameer-ul-Momineen, the man assigned by Allah to guide others, killer of the renegades and of those who believe in equals to Allah, those who violate the Commandments of Allah. Allah says, "My Word shall not be changed, nor am I in the least unjust to the servants" (Qur'an, 50.29), and by Your Command, O Lord, do I (submit and) say, O Allah! Befriend whoever befriends him (Ali) and be the enemy of whoever antagonizes him; support whoever supports him and abandon whoever abandons him; curse whoever disavows him, and let Your Wrath descend on whoever usurps his right.
O Lord! You revealed a verse in honor of' Ali, Your Wali, in its explanation and to effect Your own appointment of him this very day did You say, "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor on you, and chosen for you Islam as a religion"
(Qur'an, 5.3); "And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers" (Qur'an, 3:85).
Lord! I implore You to testify that I have conveyed (Your Message).
O people! Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, has perfected your religion through his (Ali's) Imamate; so, whoever rejects him as his Imam or rejects those of my offspring from his loins who assume the same status (as lmams) till the Day of Judgment when they shall all be displayed before Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, these are the ones whose (good) deeds shall be nil and void in the life of this world and in the hereafter, and in the fire shall they be lodged forever, " ...their torture shall not be decreased, nor shall they be given a respite" (Qur'an,2:162).
O people! Here is' Ali, the one who has supported me more than anyone else among you, the one who most deserves my gratitude, the one who is closest of all of you to me and the one who is the very dearest to me. Both Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, and I are
pleased with him, and no verse of the Holy Qur'an expressing Allah's Pleasure except that he is implied therein, nor has any verse of praise been revealed in the Qur'an except that he is implied therein, nor has the Lord testified to Paradise in the (Qur'anic) Chapter starting with "Has there not come over man a long period of time when he was nothing (not even) mentioned?" (Qur'an, 76:1) nor was this Chapter revealed except in his praise.
O people! He is the one who supports the religion of Allah, who argues on behalf of the Messenger of Allah. He is the pious, the pure, the guide, the one rightly guided. Your Prophet is the best of all prophets, and your Wasi is the best of all Wasis, and his offspring
are the best of Wasis.
O people! Each prophet's progeny is from his own loins whereas mine is from the loins of Ameer-ul-Momineen ' Ali.
O people! Iblis caused Adam to be dismissed from the garden through envy; so, do not envy him lest your deeds should be voided and lest your feet should slip away, for Adam was sent down to earth after having committed only one sin, and he was among the elite of Allah's creation. How, then, will be your case, and you being who you are, and among you are enemies of Allah?
Indeed, none hates' Ali except a wretch, and none accepts ' Ali's wilayat except a pious person. None believes in him except a sincere Momin, and in honor of, Ali was the Chapter of 'Asr (Ch. 103) revealed, I swear to it by Allah: "In the Name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful. I swear by time that most surely man is in loss" (Qur'an, 103:1-2) except' Ali who believed and was pleased with the truth and with perseverance.
O people! I have sought Allah to be my Witness and have conveyed my Message to you, and the Messenger is obligated only to clearly convey (his Message).
O people! “Fear Allah as Re ought to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims" (Qur'an, 3:102). O people! " ...Believe in what We have revealed, verifying what you have, before We alter faces then turn them on their backs or curse them as We cursed the
violators of the Sabbath" (Qur'an, 4:47). By Allah! Redid not imply anyone in this verse except a certain band of my sahaba whom I know by name and by lineage, and I have been ordered (by my Lord) to pardon them; so, let each person deal with ' Ali according to what he finds in his heart of love or of hatred.
O people! The Noor from Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, flows through me then through ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib A.S. then in the progeny that descends from him till al-Qa'im-al-Mehdi A.S, who shall effect the justice of Allah, and who will take back any right belonging to us because Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, made us Hujjat over those who take us lightly, the stubborn ones, those who act contrarily to our word, who are treacherous, who are sinners, who are oppressors, who are usurpers, from the entire world.
O people! I warn you that I am the Messenger of Allah; messengers before me have already passed away; so, should I die or should I be killed, are you going to turn upon your heels? And whoever turns upon his heels shall not harm Allah in the least, and Allah shall reward those who are grateful, those who persevere. 'Ali is surely the one described with perseverance and gratitude, then after him are my offspring from his loins.
O people! Do not think that you are doing me a favor by your accepting Islam. Nay! Do not think that you are doing Allah such a favour lest He should void your deeds, lest His wrath should descend upon you, lest He should try you with a flame of fire and brass; surely your Lord is ever-watchful.
O people! There shall be Imams after me who shall invite people to the fire, and they shall not be helped on the Day of Judgment.

O people! Allah and I are both clear of them.
O people! They and their supporters and followers shall be in the lowest rung of the fire; miserable, indeed, is the resort of the arrogant ones. Indeed, these are the folks of the sahifa; so, let each one of you look into his sahifa! This reference to the sahifa has been overlooked by most people with the exception of a small band, and we will, Insha-Allah, shed a light on this sahifa later on. The Prophet continued his historic sermon thus:
O people! I am calling for it to be an Imamate and a succession confined to my offspring till the Day of Judgment, and I have conveyed only what I have been commanded (by my Lord) to convey to drive the argument home against everyone present or absent and on everyone who has witnessed or who has not, who is already born or he is yet to be born; therefore, let those present here convey it to those who are absent, and let the father convey it to his son, and so on till the Day of Judgment. And they shall make the Imamate after me a property, usurpation; may Allah curse the usurpers who usurp1, and it is then that you, O Jinns and mankind, will get the full attention of the One Who shall cause a flame of fire and brass to be hurled upon you, and you shall not achieve any victory!
O people! Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, is not to let you be whatever you want to be except so that He may distinguish the bad ones from among you from the good, and Allah is not to make you acquainted with the unknown.
O people! There shall be no town that falsifies except that Allah shall annihilate it on account of its falsehood before the Day of Judgment, and He shall give lmam al-Mehdi A.S. (You authority over it, and surely Allah's promise is true.
O people! Most of the early generations before this is surely a Prophetic prediction that' Ali's right to the caliphate would be usurped. The usurpers were the very first to swear the oath of allegiance to Ameer-ul-Momineen Ali and the very first to violate it.
You have strayed, and by Allah, He surely annihilated the early generations, and He shall annihilate the later ones. Allah Almighty has said, "Did We not destroy the former generations? Then did We follow them up with later ones. Even thus shall We deal with the guilty. Woe on that Day to the rejecters!" (Qur'an, 77: 16-19).
O people! Allah has ordered me to do and not to do, and I have ordered 'Ali to do and not to do, so he learned what should be done and what should not; therefore. You should listen to his orders so that you may be safe, and you should obey him so that you may be
rightly guided. Do not do what he forbids you from doing so that you may acquire wisdom. Agree with him, and do not let your paths be different from his.
O people! I am al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem (the Straight Path) of Allah whom He commanded you to follow, and it is after me 'Ali then my offspring from his loins, the Imams of Guidance: they guide to the truth and act accordingly.
Then the Prophet recited the entire text of Surat al-Fatiha and commented by saying: It is in my honor that this (Sura) was revealed, including them (the Imams) specifically; they are the friends of Allah for whom there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve; truly the Party of Allah are the winners. Indeed, it is their enemies who are the impudent ones, the deviators, the brethren of Satan; they inspire each other with embellished speech out of their haughtiness.

Indeed, their (Imams') friends are the ones whom Allah, the Exalted One, the Great, mentions in His Book saying, "You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and in the latter Day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and to His Prophet, even though they may be their own fathers or sons or brothers or kinsfolk; these are they into whose hearts He has impressed conviction" (Qur'an, 58:22). Indeed, their (Imams) friends are the Momins (believers) whom Allah, the Exalted One, the Sublime, describes as: "Those who believe and do not mix up their faith with iniquity, those are the ones who shall have the security, and they are the rightly guided" (Qur'an, 6:82).
Indeed, their friends are those who believed and never doubted. Indeed, their friends are the ones who shall enter Paradise in peace and security; the angels shall receive them with welcome saying, "Peace be upon you! Enter it and reside in it forever!"
Indeed, their friends shall be rewarded with Paradise where they shall be sustained without having to account for anything.
Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall be hurled into the fire.
Indeed, their enemies are the ones who shall hear the exhalation of hell as it increases in intensity, and they shall see it sigh.
Indeed, their enemies are the ones thus described by Allah: "Whenever a nation enters, it shall curse its sister..." (Qur'an, 7:38)
Indeed, their enemies are the ones whom Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, describes thus: "Whenever a group is cast into it, its keepers shall ask them: Did any Warner not come to you? They shall say: Yea! Indeed, there came to us a Warner but we rejected (him) and said: Allah has not revealed anything; you are only in a great error. And they shall say: Had we but listened or pondered, we would not have been among the inmates of the burning fire. So they shall acknowledge their sins, but far will be forgiveness) from the inmates of the burning fire" (Qur'an, 67:8-11)
Indeed, their friends are the ones who fear their Lord in the unseen; forgiveness shall be theirs and a great reward.
O people! What a difference it is between the fire and the great reward!
O people! Our enemy is the one whom Allah censures and curses, whereas our friend is everyone praised and loved by Allah.
O people! I am the Warner (nazeer) and' Ali is the one who brings glad tidings (bashir).
O people! I am the one who warns (munthir) while Ali is the guide (Hadi).
O people! I am a Prophet (Nabi) and' Ali is the successor (Wasi).
O people! I am a Messenger (Rasool) and' Ali is the Imam and the Wasi after me, and so are the Imams after him from among his offspring. Indeed, I am their father, and they shall descend from his loins.
Indeed, the seal of the lmams from among us is al-Qa'im al-Mehdi. He, indeed, is the one who shall come out so that the creed may prevail. He, indeed, is the one who shall seek revenge against the oppressor. He, indeed, is the one who conquers the forts and demolishes them. He, indeed, is the one who subdues every tribe from among the people of polytheism and the one to guide it.

He is the one who shall seek redress for all friends of Allah. He is the one who supports the religion of Allah. He ever derives (his knowledge) from a very deep ocean. He shall identify each man of distinction by his distinction and every man of ignorance by his
ignorance. He shall be the choicest of Allah's beings and the chosen one. He is the heir of all (branches of) knowledge, the one who encompasses every perception. He conveys on behalf of his Lord, the Exalted and the Sublime, who points out His miracles. He is the wise; the one endowed with wisdom, the one upon whom (Divine) authority is vested.
Glad tidings of him have been conveyed by past generations, yet he is the one who shall remain as a Hujja, and there shall be no Hujja after him or any right except with him, nor any Noor except with him.
None, indeed, shall subdue him, nor shall he ever be vanquished. He is the friend of Allah on His earth, the judge over His creatures, the custodian of what is evident and what is hidden of His.
O people! I have explained (everything) for you and enabled you to comprehend it, and this 'Ali shall after me explain everything to you.
At the conclusion of my khutba, I shall call upon you to shake hands with me to swear your allegiance to him and to recognize his authority, then to shake hands with him after you have shaken hands with me.
I had, indeed, sworn allegiance to Allah, and ‘Ali had sworn allegiance to me, and I on behalf of Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, I require you to swear the oath of allegiance to him: "Surely those who swear (the oath of) allegiance to you do but swear
allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands; therefore, whoever reneges (from his oath), he reneges only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an,48:10).
O people! The pilgrimage (Hajj) and the Umra are among Allah's rituals; "So whoever makes a pilgrimage to the House or pays a visit (to it), there is no blame on him if he goes round them [Safa and Marwa] both" (Qur'an, 2:158).
O people! Perform your pilgrimage to the House, for no members of a family went there except that they became wealthy, and receive glad tidings! None failed to do so except that their lineage was cut-off and were impoverished.
O people! No believer stands at the standing place [at 'Arafa] except that Allah forgives his past sins till then; so, once his pilgrimage is over, he resumes his deeds.
O people! Pilgrims are assisted, and their expenses shall be replenished, and Allah never suffers the rewards of the doers of good to be lost.
O people! Perform your pilgrimage to the House by perfecting your religion and by delving into fiqh, and do not leave the sacred places except after having repented and abandoned (the doing of anything prohibited).

O people! Uphold prayers and pay the zakat as Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, commanded you; so, if time lapses and you were short of doing so or you forgot, ' Ali is your wali and he will explain for you.
He is the one whom Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, appointed for you after me as the custodian of His creation. He is from me and I am from him, and he and those who will succeed him from my progeny shall inform you of anything you ask them about, and they
shall clarify whatever you do not know.
Halal and haram things are more than I can count for you now or explain, for a commandment to enjoin what is permissible and a prohibition from what is not permissible are both on the same level, so I was ordered (by my Lord) to take your oath of allegiance and to make a covenant with you to accept what I brought you from Allah, the Exalted One and the Sublime, with regards to' Ali Ameer-ul-Momineen and to the Wasis after him who are from me and from him, a standing Imamate whose seal is al-Mehdi till the Day he meets Allah Who decrees and Who judges.
O people! I never refrained from informing you of everything permissible or prohibitive; so, do remember this and safeguard it and advise each other to do likewise; do not alter it; do not substitute it with something else.
I am now repeating what I have already said: Uphold the prayers and pay the zakat and enjoin righteousness and forbid abomination.
The peak of enjoining righteousness is to resort to my speech and to convey it to whoever did not attend it and to order him on my behalf to accept it and to (likewise) order him not to violate it, for it is an order from Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, and there is no
knowledge of enjoining righteousness nor prohibiting abomination except that it is with a ma'soom Imam.
0 people! The Qur'an informs you that the Imams after him are his (' Ali's) descendants, and I have already informed you that they are from me and from him, for Allah says in His Book, " And he made it a word to continue in his posterity so that they may return " (Qur'an, 43:28) while I have said: "You shall not stray as long as you uphold both of them (simultaneously)."
O people! (Uphold) piety, (uphold) piety, and be forewarned of the Hour as Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, has said, "0 people! Guard (yourselves) against (punishment from) your Lord; surely the violence of the Hour is a grievous thing" (Qur'an, 22:1).
Remember death, resurrection, the judgment, the scales, and the account before the Lord of the Worlds, and (remember) the rewards and the penalty. So whoever does a good deed shall be rewarded for it, and whoever commits a sin shall have no place in the Gardens.
O people! You are more numerous than (it is practical) to shake hands with me all at the same time, and Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, commanded me to require you to confirm what authority I have vested upon 'Ali Ameer-ul-Momineen and to whoever
succeeds him of the Imams from me and from him, since I have just informed you that my offspring are from his loins.
You, therefore, should say in one voice: "We hear, and we obey; we accept and we are bound by what you have conveyed to us from our Lord and yours with regard to our Imam' Ali Ameer-ul-Momineen, and to the Imams, your sons from his loins. We swear the oath of allegiance to you in this regard with our hearts, with our souls, with our tongues, with our hands. According to it shall we live, and according to it shall we die, and according to it shall we be resurrected. We shall not alter anything or substitute anything with another, nor shall we doubt nor deny nor suspect, nor shall we violate our covenant nor abrogate the pledge. You admonished us on behalf of Allah with regard to' Ali Ameer-ul-Momineen, and to the Imams whom you mentioned to be from your offspring from among his descendants after him: al-Hasan and al-Hussain and to whoever is appointed (as such) by Allah after them. The covenant and the pledge are taken from us, from our hearts, from our souls, from our tongues, from our conscience, from our hands. Whoever does so by his handshake, it shall be so or otherwise testified to it by his tongue, and we do not seek any substitute for it, nor shall Allah see our souls deviating there from? We shall convey the same on your behalf to anyone near and far of our offspring and families, and we implore Allah to testify to it, and surely Allah suffices as the Witness and you, too, shall testify for us."
O people! What are you going to say?! Allah knows every sound and the innermost of every soul; "Whoever chooses the right guidance, it is for his own soul that he is rightly guided, and whoever strays, it is only to its detriment that he goes astray" (Qur'an, 17:15).
O people! Swear the oath of allegiance to Allah, and swear it to me, and swear it to' Ali Ameer-ul-Momineen, and to al-Hasan and al-Hussain and to the Imams from their offspring in the life of this world and in the hereafter, a word that shall always remain so. Allah shall annihilate anyone guilty of treachery and be merciful upon everyone who remains true to his word: "Whoever reneges (from his oath), he reneges only to the harm of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward" (Qur'an, 48:10).
O people! Repeat what I have just told you to, and greet' Ali with the title of authority of "Ameer-ul-Momineen" and say: "We hear, and we obey, O Lord! Your forgiveness (do we seek), and to You is the eventual course" (Qur'an, 2:285), and you should say: "All praise is due to Allah Who guided us to this, and we would not have found the way had it not been for Allah Who guided us" (Qur'an, 7:43).
O people! The merits of' Ali Ibn Abu Talib with Allah, the Exalted and the Sublime, the merits which are revealed in the Qur'an, are more numerous than I can recount in one speech; so, whoever informs you of them and defines them for you, you should believe him.
O people! Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and' Ali (U and the Imams to whom I have already referred shall attain a great victory. O people! Those foremost from among you who swear allegiance to him and who pledge to obey him and who greet him with the greeting of being the Commander of the Faithful are the ones who shall win the Gardens of Felicity.
O people! Say what brings you the Pleasure of Allah, for if you and all the people of the earth disbelieve, it will not harm Allah in the least.
O Lord! Forgive the believers through what I have conveyed, and let Your Wrath descend upon those who renege, the apostates, and all Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

CONCLUSION

Thus did the Prophet of Allah speak on behalf of the Almighty Who sent him as the beacon of guidance not only for the Muslims but for all mankind. But the question that forces itself here is: "What happened after that historic event? Why did the Muslims forget, or pretend to have forgotten, their Prophet's instructions with regards to' Ali and "elected" someone else in his stead? To answer this question requires another book, and indeed many such books have been written. May the Almighty grant all of us guidance, and may He count us among His true servants who recognize the truth when they see it, who abide by His tenets, Who revere His Prophet and follow his instructions in all times, in all climes, Allahumma Ameen.

REFERENCES: KHUTBA OF AL-GHADEER

The following constitutes only major references of the components of Khutba of Ghadeer. In these references the reader can deliberate on the various portions of this historic sermon as quoted in bits and pieces in those references. Most of these references are considered reliable by the majority of Muslims (of the Shi'a or Sunni persuasion):
1. Jalaal ad-Deen al-Sayyuti, Kitaab Al-Itqaan, Volume 1, Page 31.
2. al-Majlisi, Bihaar-ul-Anwaar, Volume 21, Page 360-90, Volume 37, Page 111-235, and Volume 41, Page 228.He Quotes book al-Ih'tijaj by al-Tibrisi (Volume2)
3. Al-Bldaaya wal Nihaaya, Volume 5, Page 208.
4. Badee' al-Ma'aani, Page 75
5. Tareekh Baghdad, Volume 01. 1, Page 411 and Volume 01. 8, Page 290.
6. Tareekh Dimashq, Volume 5, Page 210.
7. Ibn al-Jawziyya, Tadh'kirat al-Khawaas, Page 18-20.
8. Ibn al-Sa'ud's Tafseer, Volume 8, Page 292.
9. Al-Tibari, Tafseer al-Qur'an, Volume 3, Page 428 and Volume 6, Page 46.
10. al-Fakhr al-Razi, Al-Tafseer al-Kabeer, Volume 3, Page 636.
11. Al-Tamhid fi USool al-Deen, Page 171.
12. Tayseer al-Wusul, Volume 1, Page 122.
13. Ghiyaath ad-Din Ibn Hammaam, Tareekh Habib al-Siyar, Volume 01. 1, Page 144.
14. al-Maqrizi, Khutat, Page 223.
15. al-Sayyuti, Al-Durr al-Manthur, Volume 2, Page 259, 298.
16. Thakhaa'ir al-'Uqba, Page 68.
17. Ruh al-Ma'aani, Volume 2, Page 348.
18. Mohibb al-Tabal-; AI.Riyadh al-r:adhirah, Volume 2, Page169.
19. Al-Siraaj al-Munir, Volume 4, Page 364.
20. al-Hakim, Al-Seera al-Halabiyya, Volume 3, Page 302.
21. Shar'h al-Mawaahib, V01. 7, Page 13.
22. Ibn Hajar al-' Asqalaani, Al-Sawaa'iq al-Muhriqa, Page 26.
23. Ibn al-Badriq, Al-'Umda, Page 52.
24. Badr ad-Deen, 'Umdat al-Qari fi Shar'h al-Bukhari, V01. 8, Page 584.
25. al-Ghadeer, V01. 2, Page 57.
26. Sharafud-Deen al-Musawi, AI-Fusul al-Muhimma, Page 25-27.
27. Fadha 'il al-Sahaaba, Page 272.
28. Faydh al-Ghadeer, Volume 01. 6, Page 218.
29. Kashf al-Ghumma, Page 94.
30. Kifaayat al- Taalib, Page 17, 28.
31. al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-'Ummaal, Volume 6, Page 397.
32. Imam Ibn Hanbal, Mus'nad, Volume 01. 4, Page 281.
33. Mishkaat al-Masabeeh, Page 272.
34. Mushkil al-aathaar, Volume 3, Page 196.
35. Mataalib al-Su'ul, Page 16.
36. Muftah al-Najaat, Page 216.
37. al-Shahristaani, AI-Milal wal Nihal, V 01. 1, Page 220.
38. al-Khawarizmi, Manaaqib, Page 80, 94.
39. Ibn al-Maghaazli, Manaaqib, Page 232.
40. al-Qastalani, Al-Mawaahib, Volume 2, Page 13.
41. al-Samhudi, Wafaa' al-Wafaa', Volume 2, Page 173.
42. al-Qanduzi, YaNabi al-Mawadda, Page 120.

HAZRAT GHAZI ABBAS ALAMDAAR A.S.

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD

Hazrat Ali A.S. married Fatima Bint-e-Huzaam Ibne Khalid A.S. in 24 Hijrah. Fatima gave birth to Hazrat Abbas A.S. on the 4th Shabaan, 26th Hijrah. In 27th Hijrah Ja'far was born and in 29th Hijrah Usman was born. Abdullah was born in 32nd Hijrah. Because she had four sons Fatima Binti Huzaam was known as Ummul Baneen (Mother of Sons).
Ummul Baneen, from the very first day she entered Hazrat Ali's house, treated the children of Bibi Fatima S.A. with utmost respect. She brought up her own sons to look upon Imam Hassan A.S, Imam Hussain A.S., Bibi Zainab S.A. and Bibi Kulsoom A.S, not as brothers and sisters but as masters and mistresses.
Imam Hussain A.S. was very attached to Hazrat Abbas A.S. When Hazrat Abbas A.S. was born, Hazrat Ali A.S. asked Imam Hussain A.S. to recite the adhaan and the iqamah in the ears of the child. When he was on the arms of Imam Hussain A.S, the infant smiled and raised his arms. There were tears in Imam Hussain's eyes. Was it because he knew that the child was trying to say: "O Mawla I have come and will happily give these my arms and my life for you and Islam"
In early childhood Hazrat Abbas A.S. would follow Imam Hussain A.S. like a shadow. If Imam Hussain A.S. looked thirsty, Abbas A.S. would rush to bring him water. If Imam Hussain A.S. seemed hot, Abbas A.S. would fan him with the hem of his cloak. At the battle of Siffeen in the 34th Hijrah, Abbas A.S. was only eight years old. Imam Hussain A.S. was fighting in the battle field. When Hazrat Abbas A.S. saw an enemy soldier approaching Imam Hussain A.S. from behind, he took a sword and rushed into the battle field and killed the enemy, at the same time crying out in a loud voice, "How can any one dare attack my Mawla while I am alive." He continued to fight maintaining his position behind Imam Hussain A.S. Muawiya saw this and asked, "Who is that boy?" When he was told he was Abbas Ibne Ali, he said, "By God! No one can fight like that at that age except a son of Ali!"

HIS YOUTH

Hazrat Abbas A.S. grew up to be a tall and handsome man. He was so tall, that when he sat on a horse his feet touched the ground. He was so handsome that he was known as Qamar-e-Bani Hashim, the Moon of the family of Hashim.
Hazrat Abbas A.S. was also a valiant warrior. It was said that Muawiya did not dare invade Madina because of five men who were with Imam Hussain A.S. and could, together with their Imam, conquer a whole army. These were Muhammad Hanafia, a brother of Imam Hussain A.S., Hazrat Muslim Ibn-e-Aqeel A.S., Abdullah Ibn-e-Jaffer A.S., Hazrat Abbas A.S. and Hazrat Ali Ibn-al-Hussain A.S., our fourth Imam, Zainul 'Abideen A.S.
When Imam Hussain A.S. decided to leave Madina in the month of Rajab 60 Hijrah, he did not encourage Muhammad Hanafia and Abdullah Ibn-e-Jaffer to accompany him. He wanted to make sure that no one at the time or in the future would suggest that Hussain A.S. wanted to fight for the khilafah.
Just before Imam Hussain A.S. left Madina, Ummul Baneen S.A. summoned all her four sons and said to them, "My sons you must remember that while I love you, Imam Hussain A.S. is your Master. If Imam A.S. or his sisters or his children get injured or hurt while you are still alive, I will never forgive you." There were tears in Hazrat Abbas's eyes as he promised his mother that he and his brothers would lay down their lives for Imam Hussain A.S. and his children.

TITLES OF HAZRAT ABBAS A.S.

1- QAMAR-E-BANI HASHIM (THE MOON OF BANI HASHIM'S PROGENY)
This was his most famous nickname. The reason behind that was his good looking face which was resembled to the moon.
2- SAQQA (THE ONE WHO BRINGS WATER)
This is another famous nickname. Since he was dealing with bringing water to Imam Hussain A.S's camps and supplying Imam's thirsty children with water, he was given this nickname.
3- HAMEL-UL-LAVA (THE ONE WHO CARRIES THE FLAGS)
This nick name was given to him because he was the one who carried the flag in Imam Hussain A.S's troop.
4- RAEES-E-ASKAR-AL-HUSSAIN (THE COMMANDER OF IMAM HUSSAIN A.S.'S TROOPS)
This nickname was given to him because he was the commander of Imam Hussain A.S's troops.

ARRIVAL IN KARBALA AND SHAHADAT (MARTYRDOM)

The caravan reached Karbala on 2nd Muharram. From the day the sad news of Hazrat Muslim's A.S. murder had reached the caravan of Imam Hussain A.S, Hazrat Abbas A.S. and his brothers increased their vigilance to protect the Imam and others.
Hazrat Abbas A.S. was very popular with the children of Imam Hussain A.S. especially Sakina A.S. who was only four years old. Whenever the children wanted anything they would cry out "Ya Abbas!" or "Ya Ammahu!", and Abbas A.S. would go running. But from the seventh of Muharram Abbas A.S. was unable to respond to their cries for water.
Then came the day of Ashura, after Zuhr prayers one by one the brave companions of Imam Hussain A.S. fell in the battle field. At last only Imam Hussain A.S., his son of 18 years Ali Akbar A.S. and Hazrat Abbas A.S. were left. Imam Zain-ul-Abideen A.S. laid sick in his tent.
Several times Hazrat Abbas A.S. asked Imam Hussain A.S. for permission to go and fight. Each time Imam Hussain A.S. would reply "Abbas, you are the captain of my army; you are my Alamdaar - the standard bearer". Hazrat Abbas A.S. would never argue with Imam Hussain A.S. His three brothers were killed in the battle fought after Zuhr. Imam Hussain A.S. could see the anger in Hazrat Abbas's A.S. eyes, especially when Hazrat Qasim's A.S. body was trampled upon by the enemy. Imam Hussain A.S. knew that if he let Abbas A.S. go and fight; there would be a massacre in the enemy rank. Imam Hussain's object was to re-awaken Islam and not to score a victory on the battle field.
Just then Bibi Sakina A.S. came out holding a dried up mask. She walked up to Hazrat Abbas A.S. and said "AL ATASH, YA AMMAHU! I am thirsty O my uncle Abbas!". Abbas A.S. went to Imam Hussain A.S. and requested for permission to go and get water for Sakina A.S. Imam Hussain A.S. gave his permission. Abbas A.S. put Sakina's A.S. Mashk on the Alam, mounted his horse and rode up to Imam Hussain A.S. He said "I have come to say goodbye". Imam Hussain A.S. said "My brother, come and embrace me". Hazrat Abbas A.S. dismounted his horse. There were tears in Imam's eyes. As Hazrat Abbas A.S. prepared to mount his horse, Imam Hussain A.S. said, "My brother, I want a gift from you. I want your sword". Hazrat Abbas A.S., without uttering a word, gave Imam Hussain A.S. his sword and rode into the battlefield, armed only with a spear and holding the Alam.
There were 90,000 enemy soldiers in the battlefield. They had all heard of the valor of Hazrat Abbas A.S. A cry arose, "Abbas is coming!" Yazeed's soldiers started hiding behind one another. A few brave ones dared go near Hazrat Abbas A.S. but were soon put to death by the spear or by a kick.
Hazrat Abbas A.S. reached the river Furaat. He filled the Mashk with water. He himself was very thirsty. In fact every one in Karbala was thirsty for 3 days but Hazrat Abbas A.S. was thirsty since the 2nd of Muharram for 9 days. He took the water in his palms, looked at it and threw it away saying, "O water of Furaat, my lips can welcome you only after Sakina A.S. has quenched her thirst!?" He placed the Mashk on his Alam and started to ride back.
Umar Ibn-e-Sa'ad cried out, "Do not let that water reach Hussain's camp; otherwise we shall all be doomed!"
A soldier climbed a tree and as Hazrat Abbas A.S. was riding past the tree he struck his sword on the right shoulder the spear and the right arm fell on to the ground. Just then someone crept behind Hazrat Abbas A.S. and struck him on the left shoulder. His left arm and the Alam fell. Hazrat Abbas A.S. gripped the Mashk with his teeth. His one objective was to get the water to Bibi Sakina A.S. Fighting with his feet he urged the horse to get him to Imam's A.S. camp as quickly as possible.
Alas! An arrow was shot. It went flying across the desert and hit the Mashk. The water began to pour out and with the water all the hopes of Hazrat Abbas A.S. poured on to the sands of Karbala to be buried forever in the thirsty desert. Hazrat Abbas A.S. now did not want to go back and face Bibi Sakina A.S. With his feet, he signaled the horse to turn back. The enemy surrounded him from all sides. A spear came flying and struck his eye. Abbas A.S. fell from the horse! Imagine someone falling from a horse and not having his arms to support him. As he fell, he cried out "My salaams to you Ya Mawla!"
Imam Hussain A.S. seemed to lose all his strength when he heard the voice of his dear brother Abbas A.S.
When Hazrat Abbas A.S. left to go to fetch water, Imam A.S. stood at the gate of the camp watching the Alam. Bibi Sakina A.S. was standing next to Imam Hussain A.S., also with her eyes fixed on the Alam. When Abbas A.S. reached the river bank and bent down to fill the Mashk, the Alam disappeared from sight. Bibi Sakina A.S. was frightened and looked at her father. Imam A.S. said, 'Sakina, your uncle Abbas is at the river bank'. Sakina A.S. smiled and said, 'Alhamdulillah !' and called out all the children to welcome Abbas A.S. When Hazrat Abbas A.S. lost both arms, the Alam fell onto the ground. Sakina A.S. could see it any longer! She looked at Imam Hussain A.S., but he turned his face away. Bibi Sakina A.S. began to tremble with fear and her eyes filled with tears. She raised her hands and prayed, 'Ya Allah! Do not let them kill my uncle Abbas! I will never ask for water again!' and ran inside to her mother.
Imam Hussain A.S. reached where Hazrat Abbas A.S. was lying. It was a tragic sight. Hazrat Abbas A.S. was lying on the ground. Both arms had been severed! There was an arrow in the right eye and blood blocked the left eye. As soon as Hazrat Abbas A.S. sensed the presence of Imam Hussain A.S. he said "Mawla, why did you take the trouble to come over? Please go back and look after Sakina." Imam Hussain A.S. said, "My dear brother, all your life you have served me and my children. Is there anything I can do for you at this last moment of you life?" Hazrat Abbas A.S. replied, "Aqaa, please, clean the blood from my eye so that I can see your beloved face before I die!" Imam A.S. cleaned the blood. Hazrat Abbas A.S. fixed his gaze on Imam A.S. Then he said, "Maula please do not carry my body to the camp. I do not wish Sakina to see me in this state!" Imam Hussain A.S. took Hazrat Abbas A.S. in his arms, and kissed his forehead. Just then our Mawla, our Mushkil Kushaa, Abbas Ibne Ali A.S. breathed his last. Imam Hussain A.S. placed Sakina's Mashk on the Alam and carried the Alam to the camp. He went to Bibi Zainab's tent. Imam Hussain A.S. could not say a word. He gave the Alam to Bibi Zainab S.A. and sat down on the floor! The brother sister performed Aza-e-Abbas.

HAZRAT ABU TALIB A.S. PRAISES HOLY PROPHET P.B.U.H.

[The following is from 'The Beacons of Light' by at Tabrisi, W.O.F.I.S,
Tehran, Iran]

Surely the Prophet Muhammad, son of Aminah,
Is for me like my own Child.
When he held on to the halter of my camel, I felt
Compassion for him,
Even as the white camels were loaded,
Copious tears flowed from my eyes
Tears like scattered pearls
I treated him kindly as befits a close relative
And guarded well the trust of his forefathers concerning him.
I ordered him to ride among paternal uncles,
With white faces, brave swordsmen,
They traveled to the furthest known station –
Far indeed was the station where their camels lay down!
When at last the people of Basra saw him,
They met a learned monk who was keeping close watch
He related to them a true account concerning him,
And thus turned back the people of envy
A group of Jews also saw what he saw:
The shade of a white cloud and the glory of a close relative
They went seeking to kill Muhammad, and he restrained them,
And thus engaged in the best of struggle.

THE TRAGEDY OF AL-BAQI

Jannat al-Baqi, or the Cemetery of Baqi, is the famous burial place of great personalities without whom the history of Islam is incomplete. In fact, they wrote the history of Islam with their deeds and achievements.
The Prophet P.B.U.H's companion Usman bin Mazoon was the first companion to be buried there on instructions by the Prophet P.B.U.H. The Prophet's son, Ibrahim who died in infancy (and was very dear to the Prophet) was also buried there.
Then the Prophet's beloved daughter Hazrat Zehra S.A, his grandson Hazrat Imam Hasan A.S. was also laid to rest in al-Baqi. Al-Baqi has the graves of three more stars of the Prophet's family, his grandsons Hazrat Ali ibn Imam Hussain A.S, Hazrat Muhammad Baqir ibn Ali ibn Imam Hussain A.S, and Hazrat Jafar Sadiq ibn Muhammad Baqir ibn Ali ibn Imam Hussain A.S.
These are the Aal-e-Muhammad (descendants of Muhammad) on whom you shower Salwat and Durood daily in your prayers.... The Prophet's aunt, the mother of Imam Ali Hazrat Fatima Binte Asad A.S., also rests here. The grave of the Prophet Muhammad's uncle Hazrat Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib A.S. also houses here....
However, on 8th Shawwal, Wednesday, in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925) mausoleums in Jannat al-Baqi (Madina) were demolished by King Ibn Saud. In the same year (1925), he also demolished the tombs of holy personages at Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the Holy Prophet's mother Hazrat Aminah S.A, his wife Hazrat Khadija-tul-Kubra S.A, grandfather Hazrat Abdul Muttalib A.S, his uncle Hazrat Abu Talib A.S. and other ancestors are buried.

SHAWAL 8: A PIECE OF AYAT ULLAH KHOMAINI’S MESSAGE ABOUT HAZRAT FATIMA ZEHRA S.A.

Heart-felt condolences to Chief of Prophets Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (peace of Allah be on him & his pure progeny) and his holy family including the Last Proof of Allah on Earth Hazrat Imam Al-Hujjah bin Al-Askari (may Allah hastens his reappearance) on the darkest day of human history – Shawal 8 – the day when in 1926 Saudi rulers Aal-e-Saud bulldozed the holy shrines of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be on him & his pure progeny)’s pious progeny – including his beloved daughter Hazrat Fatima Zehra (peace be on her) about whom he said:’ Fatima is a part of me, he who vexes her vexes me” - , wives (may Allah please with them) and companions (may Allah please with them) in the cemetery of Al-Baqee, Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia sending a wave of anger among the Muslim Ummah.
Here are some little excerpts of a message by the founder of Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatullah Roohullah Khomaini (late) about Hazrat Fatima Zehra:
“If Hazrat-e Fatima S.A. were a man, she would be a Prophet. If she were a man, she would be on the place of the God’s Prophet. She was the essence of humanity. She was a divine creature who appeared in human body…”
“…Hazrat-e Fatima S.A. was a woman who came up to all the prophets’ hopes and desires. She manifested all the honorable character and prestige.”
“…She was not an ordinary woman. She was a divine woman and the sign of humanity …She is the pride of the world.”

THE HIDDEN IMAM, IMAM MEHDI A.S.

You are called 'The Hidden Imam' because

You are out of sight, not that you are not present,

Being hidden, in the sense that one is not present,

Is an unjust calumny. Those who believe in it,

Fail to see the difference between Advent and Presence.

Your arrival, for which we are ardently waiting,

Refers to your advent, not your presence.

Your advent will be a great marvelous occurrence,

Because your devout lovers have felt the

Very pleasure of the long-awaited Imam (A.S.),

On Fridays, they long for your arrival more

Restlessly, and face the Qibla to humbly supplicate

The Author of the universe for His favor to

Allow your advent come to pass soon.

And now, we, for whom you are the object of

Love and devoutness and the torch for our nocturnal

Mystic traveling, hum and hymm for waiting

For your advent.

SYEDAH RUQAYYAH S.A. MOSQUE & MAUSOLEUM IN SYRIA

DAMASCUS, Syria: The Syedah Ruqayyah S.A. Mosque and Mausoleum in Damascus, Syria, which houses the tomb of Hazrat Ruqayyah S.A. herself, the beloved daughter of Hazrat Imam Hussain A.S. who was the grandson of The Prophet Hazrat Muhammad S.A.W.W, is a place of devout worship and prayer for Shia' Muslims.
Muslims daily head into the Iranian style Syedah Ruqayyah S.A. Mosque for five prayers of the day and to visit the grave of Hazrat Ruqayyah S.A.
In the holy month of Ramadan, the Syedah Ruqayyah S.A. Mosque is well attended; Muslims after offering the five time prayers each day in the mosque recite holy Qur’an and remain busy in other religious activities.
The mosque is considered the most ostentatious prayer hall in Syria, with the ceiling made of a mosaic of mirrors.

SAYINGS OF HAZRAT ALI A.S.

Amirul Momineen, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) stated:

*Knowledge and wisdom can briefly be defined in four sentences:

1- Worship Allah according to your own need
2- Consider your strength and patience to bear the flames of Hell before sinning
3- Plan your priorities in the world according to the period of life you may live
4- Plan your priorities in the world considering the life span in the hereafter.
(“Tanbih Al Khavatir" Page Number 356)

*Three deeds are the hardest of all actions:

1- Remembering Allah at all times
2- Considering others equal to self in financial affairs
3- Justice with others.
("Tanbih Al Khavatir" Page Number 67)

*Six deeds lead towards the acquisition of Heaven and acquittal from Hell:

1- Identifying and obeying the Almighty
2- Identifying and disobeying Satan
3- Knowing the truth and following it
4- Knowing falsehood and staying away from it.
5- Understanding the world and abandoning it
6- Understand the hereafter and working for it.
("Muhajjatul Baiza" Volume 5, Page Number 361)

MUSTAHEBAAT & MUBTILAAT OF FAST

“Yet better it is for him, who volunteers well, and that you should fast is better for you if you but know; the month of Ramadan, wherein the Koran was sent down to be guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Salvation." Holy Qur’an: Baqrah- 185

* What makes a Roza baatil?

1- Eating
2- Drinking
3- Intercourse
4- Masturbation
5- Quoting false statements and relating them to Allah, the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) or the Imams (A.S.)
6- Smoking or breathing in any kind of thick smoke or dust
7- Deliberately dipping the head and neck in the water
8- Huqna (A way of feeding medication in the body)
9-Vomitting intentionally

*Mustahebaat of fasting!

1- Recitation of the holy Qur’an
2- Thinking about the hunger and thirst of the day of judgments while enduring it during the roza
3- Considering the hardships of the needy while fasting
4- Honoring the children and the elderly people.

Imam Sadiq (A.S.) stated: Fasting does not mean merely abstaining from eating and drinking, you must also avoid:

* Telling lies
* Watching what is Haraam
* Fighting
* Jealousy
* Backbiting
* Futile arguments
* Swearing, even if it is true
* Cursing
* Being unfair
* Stupid conversations
* Despair.

RAMADAN, A GIFT TO MANKIND…

A blessed month is casting its shadow upon us
A night of this month is better than a thousand months
Bear with patience for the sake of Ar-Rehman
It’s a continuous training to strengthen our Imaan.

Glory be to Allah who sent Ramadan as a mercy to mankind
It’s a purification of our soul, our heart, and our mind
With the most sincere devotion and love we fast
To be cleansed and free from sins of the past

Glorified is He, who choseth this holy month,
To test our sabr and fill our hearts with warmth
Of his Divine Light, His blessings shall glow,
The Seer of the unseen, all He does know

Ya Allah! For thee, let my breath be more pleasant than musk
Ya Allah! For thee, let me be thankful when day turns to dusk
My thoughts and heart are purified, my eyes truly see…
This blessed month, the month of spiritual rhapsody!

Ya Allah! For thee, my life I shall live!
Ya Allah! For thee, my soul I shall give!
In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, the most Kind,
Praise be to Allah, who sent Ramadan as a gift to mankind

DUA-E-HIFZ-E-IMAN

I am satisfied and happy that Allah is my Lord

Muhammad (Peace of Allah Be Upon Him and His pure progeny) is my prophet

Islam is my religion, Qur’an is the book (I follow), Ka’ba is the direction (towards which I turn),

Ali is my Wali (vicegerent) and Imam (guide),

Hasan, Hussain, Ali son of Hussain, Muhammad son of Ali, Jafar son of Muhammad, Musa son of Jafar, Ali son of Musa, Muhammad son of Ali, Ali son of Muhammad, Hasan son of Ali, Hujjat (living argument) son of Hasan, (peace of Allah be on them all) are my Imams (guides).

O Allah, I am satisfied and happy that all of them are my Imams, so let me be a source of happiness to them.

Verily You are able to do all things.

DUA - A'ZUMAL BALAA

O Allah, terrible was the calamity,
And its evil consequences are visible,
The covering has been removed,
All hopes have been cut off,
The plentiful earth has shrunk with very little to spare,

The heavenly blessings have been withheld.
You alone can help,
We refer our grief and sorrow to You,
We have full faith in You, in the time of distress,
As well as in good fortune.
O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad,
Whom we must obey as per Your command,
Through which we become aware of their rank and status,
And let there be joy after sorrow for us,
For their sake, right away,
In the twinkle of an eye, more rapidly than that.
O Muhammad, O Ali, O Ali, O Muhammad,
Give me enough, because both of you provide sufficiently.
Help me, because both of you help and protect.
O our master, O the living Imam,

HELP! HELP! HELP!

Reach me! Reach me! Reach me!
At once in this hour,
Be quick, be quick, be quick, O the most merciful,
For the sake of Muhammad and his pure children.

A POETIC TRIBUTE TO CHIEF OF PROPHETS P.B.U.H.

The Seal of Prophets and Chief of Messengers Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah upon whom be blessings and peace, who possesses a book and a Shari'ah was born fifty-three years before the beginning of the hijra calendar in Mecca in the Hijaz amidst the family of Banu Hashim of the Tribe of Quraysh, who were the most honored of the Arab families. Here is a poetic tribute to him on Rabi`ul Awwal 17 – his birth anniversary:
Muhammad P.B.U.H, a special person was he,
Something special inside him that everyone could see.
His father died before he was born,
He never wanted to make anyone mourn.
Muhammad P.B.U.H. was known as Al-Ameen,
The best man the world has ever seen.
At forty, a message he got
From his Lord
To pronounce his Prophet-hood,
All his life, for truth he stood.
He was the seal of Prophet-hood,
People of the Book, in their heart understood.
He established peace and forbid terror,
So that mankind would be nice, without error.
Muhammad P.B.U.H. was nice all along,
Gentle, yet firm and strong.
In Medina, he established an Islamic state,
Yet, he was humble, and truly great.
When he conquered Mecca, he was not filled with pride,
He gave them security, and peace of mind.
His life is an example for those who are heedful,
Follow him sincerely, and be successful.
Remain stuck to Qur’an and Ahlul Bayt
This was the advice, he gave to his people.

THE HISTORY OF SHRINE OF HAZRAT ALI A.S.

THE VISIT OF PROPHET IBRAHIM AND ISHAQ (ISAAC) AND IBRAHIM'S PREDICTION AND DESIRE TO BUY THE VALLEY OF PEACE

Those who have visited Najaf will remember vividly that to the north and east of the town there are acres of graves and myriads of domes of various colours and at various stages of disrepair. Whoever goes to Najaf will follow a road that approaches the town by a winding course through this vast cemetery.

The Prophet Abraham had come to this place along with Isaac; there had been many earthquakes in the vicinity, but while Abraham remained there, there were no tremors. On the night, however, when Abraham and Isaac went to a different village, and sure enough Najaf was visited with another earthquake. When they returned, the people were most eager for them to make Najaf their permanent dwelling-place. Abraham agreed to do so on condition that they would sell him the valley behind the village for cultivation. Isaac protested and said that this land was neither fit for farming nor grazing, but Abraham insisted and assured him that the time would come when there would be a tomb there with a shrine, at which seventy thousand people would gain absolutely undisputed entrance to Paradise, and be able also to intercede for many others.1

The valley that Abraham wanted to buy is called the Valley of Peace (Wadiu's-Salaam), and it is related on the authority of the fourth Imam Ali in Al-Hussein Zayn-ol Abideen (AS), that Ali once said that this ValIey of Peace is part of Heaven and that there is not a single one of the believers in the world, whether he dies in the east or west, but his soul will come to this Paradise to rest.2 "As there is nothing hidden in this world from my eyes," Ali went on to say, "I see all the believers seated - here in groups and talking with one another."

How Najaf was given its name is explained in the tradition. At first there was a mountain there, and when one of the sons of Prophet Noah refused to enter the Ark, he said that he would sit on this mountain until he would see where the water would come. A revelation came therefore to the mountain, "Do you undertake to protect this son of mine from punishment?" And all at once the mountain fell to pieces and the son of Noah was drowned. In place of the mountain a large river appeared, but after a few years the river dried up, and the place was called Nay-Jaff, meaning, "the dried river."3

And so as per the prediction of Abraham, the first infallible successor of Prophet Muhammad (S) Imam Ali (AS) was buried here.

THE MAUSOLEUM

"The Mausoleum itself of Imam Ali at Najaf, is breathtaking. There is one large central dome which stands out of a square-shaped ornate structure at the two sides of which are two minarets. The predominant color of' the exterior is gold, bright shining gold and the entire exterior of the mausoleum is inlaid with a mosaic pattern of light powder blue, white marble, gold again with an occasional splash of Middle East rust." So says D. F. Karaka after his visit to Najaf, and further adds, "I have sat and wondered at the marbled splendour of our Taj Mahal, the tomb which Shah Jahan built for his Empress Mumtaz Mahal, but despite its beauty, the Taj appears insipid in comparison with this splash of colour at Najaf. The tomb surpassed anything I have seen in gorgeous splendour. All the great kings of the world put together could not have a tomb as magnificent as this, for this is the tribute which kings and peasants have built together to enshrine the mortal remains of the great Ali."
Countless number of people from all over the world flock to his tomb day after day to pay their respects and to offer salutations and to pray to Allah seeking his intercession. And those who cannot afford to go there personally, are constantly praying to Allah to help them to visit the shrine of their Maula Ali, and when somebody goes on a pilgrimage to Najaf, they request him to offer salutations on their behalf, and to pray to God - for some particular favour - and to seek Imam Ali's intercession.

THE DEAR HUNTING INCIDENT OF HARUN-UR-RASHEED

"During the reigns of the Umayyad Caliphs, his blessed resting-place could not be disclosed, and so it was also under the Abbasids until the reign of Harun ur-Rashid. But in the year 175 A.H. (791 A.D.), Harun happened to go hunting in these parts, and the deer he was chasing took refuge on a small piece of raised ground. However much he asked his hunting dogs to capture the quarry, they refused to go near this spot. He urged his horse to this place, and the horse too refused to budge; and on this, awe took possession of the Caliph's heart, and he immediately started to make inquiries of the people of the neighborhood, and they acquainted him with the fact that this was the grave of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), the cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S). Harun ordered a tomb to be erected over the grave, and people soon began to settle down in its vicinity."4

Footnotes:
1. Majlisi op. cit. page 108.
2. Mailisi op. cit. Page 111.
3. Majlisi op. cit. page 111.
4. The Shrine of Ali at Najaf from "The shi'ite Religion" by Dwight M. Donaldson.

A POETIC TRIBUTE ON HAZRAT ALI A.S' MARTYRDOM

Poetess: Zainab Kazim

Sleep reigned over the Kufan town,
As from the mosque came a godly sound.
The call for prayer filled the sky,
Moving the air with a gentle sigh.
Awakening Muslims with a gentle prod,
“O people come, and pray to God.”
And in the silent mosque, Ali (AS) stood alone,
Gazing at every wall and stone.
He knew that these walls would be stained with blood,
Innocent, pious, saintly blood.
Today his blood would be shed,
These clean walls would be covered in red.
He was eager for martyrdom I am sure,
It was then he heard a tiny snore.
In a corner a sleeper lay,
Ali (AS) knew he had not come to pray.
Gently Ali (AS) awoke the man,
“Awake awake, O Ibn Moljim.
Come it is nearly time to pray,
Awake for the coming day.
I know your work, I know why you’ve come,
Remember your deed cannot be undone.”
Ibn Moljim, nothing did say,
Quickly he rose and walked away.
Ali (AS) prepared for prayer as the Muslims came,
Ready to pray in Allah’s Name.
“Allah-u-Akbar” his voice began,
Behind him stood Ibn Moljim.
“Allah-u-Akbar” Ali (AS) said again,
And knelt before God with the other men.
Suddenly Ibn Moljim moved forward to kill,
His sword with poison was definitely filled.
He raised his sword and struck it down,
Confusion was there all around.
Ali’s neck was covered with blood,
His head prostrated before his God.
Ibn Moljim quickly ran,
He was a scared and sinful man.
And Ali (AS) reeled back not crying out his pain,
His blood drenched lips spoke in Allah’s name.
His heart felt happy, his mind so light,
He was finally ending his worldly life.
His sons held him in their arms,
As if to protect him from this physical harm.
His smiling lips parted and then he said,
“I thank Thee O Lord for a martyr’s death.”
Soon Ibn Moljim was brought before Ali (AS),
His state was terrible, Ali (AS) could see.
His bonds were cutting deep in his skin,
Causing the blood to spurt from within.
A frown creased Ali’s brow,
He ordered the bonds be loosened NOW.
The murderer into tears broke,
Ali (AS) smiled faintly and then he spoke.
“Was I an unjust or cruel Imam?”
Then to his sons, Ali (AS) said,
“Give him a drink to relieve his head.”
But Ibn Moljim didn’t trust Ali,
He refused the drink quietly.
Ali (AS) then spoke, “O Ibn Moljim,
Why do you not trust your dying Imam?
If you had taken this juice of mine,
You’d be with me in Heaven divine.”
In two more days Ali (AS) died,
So “Think not of those slain in the way of Allah as dead, Nay, they are living, with the Lord they have provision.”
(Qur’an, 3:169)

LOVE FOR ALI A.S

The Prophet of Islam Muhammad Al-Mostafa (Peace be on him and his holy progeny) said regarding love for Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (peace be on him):

‘The love of Ali ibn Abi-Talib is a tree whose root is in Paradise and its branches are in this world. Whoever from my community clings into any of its branches, it will reach them to Paradise. The hatred of Ali ibn Abi-Talib is a tree that its root is in hell and its branches are in this world. Whoever clings into any of its branches will enter into hell."

Source: Behar-ul-Anwaar, Volume 40 Page 46

WILL OF HAZARAT ALI A.S AFTER ZARBAT ON 19 RAMZAN

In the 40th year of Hijri, in the early hours of the morning of 19th Ramadan, Imam Ali (AS) was struck with a poisoned sword by a Kharijite Ibn Muljim (may the curse of Allah be upon him) while leading prayers in the Masjid of Kufa.

He was martyred on the 21st day of Ramadan 40 A.H. and buried in Najaf-ul-Ashraf. He was born in the House of Allah, the Ka'ba, and martyred in the House of Allah, Masjid-e-Kufa. The Lion of Allah, the most brave and gentle Muslim after the Holy Prophet (S) himself, began his glorious life with devotion to Allah and His Messenger, and ended it in the service of Islam.

"And do not speak of those who are slain in the Way of Allah as dead; nay, they are alive, but you perceive not." Qur'an 2:154

Following is Ameer-ul Momineen Al-Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) last will to his sons: Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Hussain (AS) after a fatal blow on his head during morning prayers by Ibn Muljim (a Kharijite):

"My advice to you is to be conscious of Allah and steadfast in your religion. Do not yearn for the world, and do not be seduced by it. Do not resent anything you have missed in it. Proclaim the truth; work for the next world. Oppose the oppressor and support the oppressed.

I advise you, and all my children, my relatives, and whosoever receives this message, to be conscious of Allah, to remove your differences, and to strengthen your ties. I heard your grandfather, peace be upon him, say: "Reconciliation of your differences is more worthy than all prayers and all fasting."

Fear Allah in matters concerning orphans. Attend to their nutrition and do not forget their interests in the middle of yours.

Fear Allah in your relations with your neighbors. Your Prophet often recommended them to you, so much so that we thought he would give them a share in inheritance.

Remain attached to the Quran. Nobody should surpass you in being intent on it, or more sincere in implementing it.

Fear Allah in relation to your prayers. It is the pillar of your religion.

Fear Allah in relation to His House; do not abandon it as long as you live. If you should do that you would abandon your dignity.

Persist in jihad in the cause of Allah, with your money, your souls, and your tongue.

Maintain communication and exchange of opinion among yourselves. Beware of disunity and enmity. Do not desist from promoting good deeds and cautioning against bad ones. Should you do that, the worst among you would be your leaders, and you will call upon Allah without response.

O Children of Abdul Muttalib! Do not shed the blood of Muslims under the banner: The Imam has been assassinated! Only the assassin should be condemned to death.

If I die of this stroke of his, kill him with one similar stroke. Do not mutilate him! I have heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say: "Mutilate not even a rabid dog."

HAZRAT FATIMA S.A, MASOOMA-E-QUM

From the children of the seventh Imam A.S. Hazrat Fatima Masooma Bint Musa Ibn Jafar A.S. has a special position after Imam Raza A.S. Due to her faith, virtuousness and training under the guardianship of Imamate she reached such a position that the Ma’soom (Imam) gave her the title of Ma'soomah (infallible) , and because of her worship and abstemiousness she acquired the status of intercession. This is why the most learned scholars, the greatest Maraje', and the real Gnostics are humbly standing at her holy shrine saying:
O Fatima A.S. intercede for us in heaven since you have reached a dignified status from a high rank with Allah
There is a tradition that states that out of the eight gates of heaven, one will open towards Qum and due to her intercession all Shia’s will go to heaven. Her eighteen years of life was spent with suffering and difficulties. She had to bear separation from her beloved brother.

VISITORS ENTITLES TO HEAVEN

In tradition it is excessively mentioned that whoever visits (does ziyarat of) Hazrat Ma'soomah, heaven is incumbent upon that person and this position is obtained by her after the fourteen Ma'soomeen.
Imam Raza A.S. has said:
“Whoever visits her (does her ziyarat) acknowledging her right, is entitled to heaven.”
In Kamil al ziyarah, it is quoted form Imam Raza A.S.
“Whoever does the ziyarat of Masooma in Qum it is as though he/she has done my ziyarat.”
Majlisi quoted in Bihar:
“Whoever visits Ma'soomah it is as though he/she has visited me. It is equal to heaven.”

HEAVEN OF AHL-E-BAIT A.S.

Ma'soomah stayed in Qum fro seven days only. Due to her brief stay and her holy shrine, Qum was blessed with such a special position that Imam Jafer Sadiq A.S. says:
Haram of God – Mecca
Haram of Rasool- Medina
Haram of Imam Ali –Kufa,
And the Haram of Ahlul Bait A.S. is Qum
According to the quote of Imam Musa Ibn Jaffar A.S.
”Qum is refuge of Aal-e-Muhammad A.S.”
A group of people from the town of Rai came to Hazrat Abi Abdullah A.S. and said that we are the settlers of Rai.
Imam A.S. said: “Welcome to our brother from Qum.”
They said again: "We are from the town of Ray. Imam A.S. replied with the same statement as before. This act repeated several times, and then Imam A.S. said that:" God's haram is Kufa, main and my progeny's haram will be Qum. Qum is a small Kufa. From the eight gates of heaven three open towards Qum. One chaste lady from our family, named Fatima will be buried there. Her status and position is such that due to her intercession all Shias will go to heaven.
It is due to the blessed lady Masoomah, that after the city of knowledge Najaf al ashraf the greatest center and learning institute of the Shia world is in Qum, surrounding her holy shrine where more than twenty thousand students, the most learned scholars are busy studying, teaching and conducting research. This city has embraced numerous libraries and learning institutes with in its vicinity.

DEATH

After the shahadat of our 7th Imam, Imam Musa Kazim A.S, the 8th Imam, Imam Ali Raza A.S. took care of his family and his sisters.
Bibi Fatima loved her brother immensely (similar love as that of Bibi Zainab S.A. and Imam Hussain A.S. In 200 AH Mamoon Rashid called Imam Raza A.S. to Khorasan from Medina, no family member was allowed to accompany him. Bibi Masuma missed her brother very much and left Medina for Iran to meet his brother. When she reached Saveh, which is about 62 Km from Qum, she learnt the news of shahadat of her brother. On learning this, she became very ill and asked to be taken to Qum. Musa Ibn Khazray took this dignified lady to their home. Ma'soomah passed seven days in Qum suffering from illness until finally she departed from the transient abode on the 10th of Rabi-us-Sani at the age of 18. She was buried in Qum.

HAZRAT BIBI KHADIJA S.A

BIRTH AND GENEALOGY

Bibi Khadija S.A. was the first wife of the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H. She was born in Makkahh. Her father's name was Khuwaylid bin Asad and he was a wealthy trader. The Genealogy of both Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. and Bibi Khadija S.A. was the same reaching up to Qusayy.

EARLY LIFE

Her mother and father both died within 10 years of each other. Their wealth was divided amongst the children but it was Bibi Khadija S.A. who took over the family business and expanded it. With the profit she made she helped the poor, widows, orphans, sick and the disabled people of Makkah. She had a cousin called Waraqa bin Naufal who was very learned man and who was not an idol worshipper. Both Waraqa and Bibi Khadija were monotheists and believed in one Allah.

FIRST CONTACT WITH PROPHET MUHAMMAD P.B.U.H.

Because of her excellent Akhlaq the Arabs (who at that time used to look down upon women) called her Tahira - the pure one. She was also known as the 'Princess of Makkah because of her wealth. A lot of Arab nobles and princess wanted to marry her but she refused all of them. In 595 AD, Bibi Khadija was looking for someone to be in charge of her caravan to Syria. Hazrat Abu Talib A.S. suggested the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. to her. She had heard of his trustworthiness and agreed to employ him although he did not have much trading experience. To help him she sent her slave Maysara. The trading caravan was a great success and when Bibi Khadija S.A. heard of the Prophet's skills and excellent conduct, she became his admirer.

MARRIAGE WITH PROPHET MUHAMMAD P.B.U.H.

Soon it was arranged for Bibi Khadija S.A. to be married to the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. At that time, Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. was aged 25 and Bibi Khadija S.A. was 40 years of age. According to Shiite tradition, this was her first marriage and that she was not a widow as is narrated by non-shiite sources. Hazrat Abu Talib A.S. read the Nikah on behalf of the Prophet whilst Waqara bin Naufal read it for Bibi Khadija. Hazrat Abu Talib A.S. paid the mehr for his nephew and fed the people of Makkah for 3 days in celebration. Bibi Khadija too fed the people. The marriage was a very happy one and their first child was a son called Qasim. The second was Abdullah. Both died in infancy. Their third and last child was Bibi Fatema Zahra S.A.

HER SERVICES FOR ISLAM

When the Prophet used to go to meditate in the cave of Hira on Jabel-e-Noor, it was Bibi Khadija S.A. herself who would climb up there to give him his food and necessaries. She was the first person to accept Islam as taught by the Prophet P.B.U.H.
In 616 AD, the Quraish isolated the Bani Hashim (the family of the Prophet) and they took refuge in a ravine called Shaib-e-Abu Talib. Bibi Khadija S.A. was there too and it was her wealth (which she donated for Islam) that sustained the Muslims at that time. The siege lasted for 3 years during which time they experienced hunger, thirst, and the cold and heat of the desert.

HER DEATH

Bibi Khadija S.A. was married to the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H. for 25 years. Shed died in 619 AD on the 10th of Rmazan 3 years before the Hijrah. When she died nothing was left of her wealth - all of it was served for the propagation of Islam. She was buried in Makkah in a cloak of the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H. Hazrat Abu Talib A.S. died in this year too. The Prophet P.B.U.H. called the year Aam-ul-Huzn (the year of grief). While Bibi Khadija S.A. lived, the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H. did not marry another woman and in later years he always said that she was the best of his wives.
He also said that she was one of the four perfect women who had ever lived. The other three are Bibi Aasiya, the wife of Fir’aun, Bibi Maryam S.A, the mother of Prophet Isa A.S., and Bibi Fatima Zahra S.A.

HAZRAT ALI AKBAR A.S.

Hazrat Ali Akbar A.S. was the son of Imam Hussain A.S. He was a handsome young man of eighteen. His mothers' name was Umm-e-Laila A.S. He was also a brave soldier. He had been taught fencing and archery by Hazrat Abbas A.S. He so much resembled the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H. that Imam Hussain A.S. was often heard to say that whenever I remember the Holy Prophet I look at Akbar.
Ali Akbar A.S. had a loud beautiful voice. It was he who always recited Azan. On the morning of Ashura day Ali Akbar A.S. recited Azan. Every one knew that it was the last time they would hear Ali Akbar's Azan. Imam Hussain A.S. began to weep when Ali Akbar A.S. began his Azan. The ladies could also be heard crying in their tents.
After Zuhr prayers Ali Akbar A.S. stood in front of Imam Hussain A.S. He said, "Father I request for permission to go and fight the enemies of Islam." Imam A.S. looked at his son lovingly. He said, "Akbar, you have my permission. May Allah be with you! But Akbar, you know how much your mother, sisters and aunts love you. Go and say farewell to them. "Ali Akbar A.S. went into the tent of his mother. Every time he wanted to come out of the tent the mother, aunts and sisters would pull his cloak and say, "O Akbar, How can we live without you?" Finally Imam Hussain A.S. had to go in and plead with all to let Ali Akbar A.S. go.
Imam helped his youthful son to mount the horse. As Akbar A.S. began to the ride towards the battlefield, he heard foot steps behind. He looked back and saw his father. He said, "Father, we have said good-bye. Why are you walking behind him?" Hussain A.S. replied, "My son, had you been a father of a son like you, you would surely have understood!!"
Ali Akbar A.S. fought very bravely. No one dared come close to him in single combat after he had killed many well known warriors. Umar Ibn-e-Sa'ad ordered his soldiers to finish off the young man saying, "When he dies, Hussain will not want to live! Ali Akbar is the life of Hussain." While a few soldiers attacked Ali Akbar A.S. another (Haseen Ibn-e-Nameer) slowly crept up to him and threw a spear at his chest with such ferocity that it penetrated his chest and he felt faint. As he was falling from his horse, he cried out. "O Father, my last salaams to you!" As he hit the ground the spear broke but the blade remained lodged in Akbar's chest.
When our Imam A.S. heard Akbar's salaam he looked at Furaat where Hazrat Abbas A.S. lay and said, 'Abbas! Now that this brother of yours needs you most, where have you gone?' With all his strength sapped by the anguish in Akbar's voice, Imam Hussain A.S. began to walk towards the battle-field.
Let us pause briefly to remind ourselves of an incident in the seventh Hijrah. The Jews of Khaibar had revolted against the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H. The Prophet P.B.U.H. and the Muslims of Madina laid a siege on Khaibar. They surrounded the fortress in which the Jews had taken shelter. The Muslims could not get victory unless they entered the fortress. There was a moat surrounding the fortress. Hazrat Ali A.S. had been unable to accompany the Muslims due to his illness. Three days passed and the Muslims could not find any solution. Even if they got across the moat they would face the famous gates of the fortress. These were made of steel, and it is said that at least twenty men were needed to push open or close each gate.
On the third day, after the morning prayers, the Prophet P.B.U.H. summoned Ali A.S. Hazrat Ali A.S. immediately responded. He jumped his horse over the moat and with one hand swung open both the gates of the fortress with such force that they broke off their hinges. He carried them and put them across the moat to form a bridge. The Muslims rode into the fortress and conquered Khaibar.
Now let us go back to Karbala. When Imam Hussain A.S. got to where Akbar A.S. lay he took him in his arms. Akbar had his right hand on the chest. He placed his left arm over the shoulder of his father. Hussain A.S. said "Akbar, why do you embrace me with one arm only?" Akbar A.S. would not reply. Hussain A.S. tried to move Akbar's hand. Akbar A.S. resisted. Imam A.S. gently moved the hand. Then he saw it! He saw the blade of the spear. Imam Hussain A.S. laid Ali Akbar A.S. on the ground and sitting on his knees he put both his hands on the blade of the spear. He then looked at Najaf, and cried out, "Father, I too have come to my Khaibar!” He pulled out the blade. Angel Jibraeel A.S. cried out "Marhaba! Marhaba!" Akbar A.S. took a deep sigh and then lay still.