Mahe Ramazan

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn al-Qasim from Muhammad ibn Sulayman from Dawud from Hafs ibn Ghiyath who has said the following: “Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, recipient of divine supreme covenant, about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed, . . .’ (2:185) but there were twenty years between its first and last (words).’ Abu ‘Abd Allah, recipient of divine supreme covenant, said, ‘The Holy Quran was revealed in one piece in the month of Ramadan to Bayt al-Ma’mur, then it was revealed in twenty years.’ The Imam said, ‘The Holy Prophet has said, “The books of Ibrahim were revealed in the first night of Ramadan, Torah was revealed on the sixth day of Ramadan, Injil was revealed after thirteen nights of the month of Ramadan had passed, al-Zabur was revealed after twenty six days were passed from the month of Ramadan and the Holy Quran was revealed after twenty-three days had passed from the month of Ramadan.’”(Usul Kafi vol 2 Part 3, Chp 14 h 6, H 3556)

Introduction to Usul Kafi, Vol 2, Part 3 – Book of Excellence of the Holy Quran

Mahe Ramazan is the best time to dive in the ocean of traditions about the excellence of the Holy Quran. We present herewith some details about the traditions available in Usul Kafi.

The third part of Volume Two is dedicated and named as Book of Excellence of the Holy Quran. It has 14 chapters consisting of 124 traditions.

These chapters are :

1. The Excellence of Holy Quran
2. The Excellence of the Carriers of the Holy Quran
3. Those Who Learn the Holy Quran with Difficulties
4. One Who Memorizes the Holy Quran Then Forgets
5. Reciting the Holy Quran
6. The Houses Wherein the Holy Quran is Read
7. The Reward for Reading the Holy Quran
8. Reading the Holy Quran from a Copy
9. Reading the Holy Quran with Elocution and Attractive Tone of Voice
10. People Fainting (Reading the Holy Quran)
11. Within What Period of Time the Holy Quran Should be Read and Completed?
12. The Holy Quran will be Raised as it Was Sent Down
13. The Excellence of the Holy Quran
14. The Rare Ahadith

We present a few traditions for your reference

H 3480, Ch 3, h 1 - Al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said the following: “I heard Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah, (a.s.), saying, ‘Those who face difficulty memorizing the Holy Quran due to lesser ability of memorization will be rewarded twofold.’”

H 3484, Ch 4, h 2 - Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from abu al- Maghra’ from abu Basir who has said the following: Imam“Abu ‘Abd Allah, (a.s.), has said, ‘If one forgets a chapter from the Holy Quran it will appear to him in the best form and high position in paradise. When he will see it he will say how beautiful you are! I wish you were mine.’ It will ask, ‘Do you not know me? I am chapter so and so,had you not forgotten me I would have raised you to this.’”

H 3489, Ch 5, h 1  - Ali has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz from Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah, (a.s.), who has said the following: “The Holy Quran is a covenant of Allah with His creatures. A Muslim must look at his covenant and read fifty verses every day.”

H 3493, Ch 6, h 3 – Imam Abu Abd Allah (a.s.) has said the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib, (a.s.), has said, ‘A house wherein the Holy Quran is read, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is spoken of, blessings therein increase, the angels come down therein and Satan keeps away from it. It shines to the inhabitants of the heaven just as stars shine to the people of the earth. A house where the Holy Quran is not read, and Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is not spoken of, its blessings reduce, angels leave it and devils crowd therein.’”

H 3495, Ch 7, h 2 – Imam Abu‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said the following: “Why should any thing prevent a business man working in the market place from reading one chapter from the Holy Quran before going to sleep when he is home? For the reading of each verse the reward for ten good deeds will be written down for him and ten of his evil deeds will be deleted.”

H 3499, Ch 7, h 6 – Imam Abu‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said the following: “If one listens to the reading of one letter from the book of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, without reading, Allah writes for him the reward for one good deed, deletes one of his evil deeds and raises for him one degree. If one reads looking but without audible voice Allah writes for him the reward for one good deed for each letter, deletes one of his evil deeds and raises him one degree. If one learns one clear letter Allah writes for him the reward for ten good deeds, deletes his ten evil deeds and raises him ten degrees. The Imam said, ‘I do not say, ‘for every verse.’ I say for every letter. ‘B’, ‘T’ and so forth are letters.’ The Imam said, ‘If one reads one clear letter in prayer in a sitting position Allah writes for him the reward for fifty good deeds, deletes fifty of his evil deeds and raises for him fifty degrees. If one reads one letter in prayer standing, Allah, for each letter, writes for him the reward for one hundred good  deeds, deletes one hundred of his evil deeds and raises him one hundred degrees. If one completes reading the Holy Quran, for him there is an accepted prayer, sooner or later.’ “

I (the narrator) then said to the Imam, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, is it completing the whole of it’? The Imam said, ‘Yes, it is completing the whole of the Holy Quran.’”

H 3502, Ch 8, h 2 - “Imam Abu Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘I love the presence of a copy of the Holy Quran in a house; Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, thereby wards off devils.’”

H 3504, Ch 8, h 4 – Imam Abu Abd Allah (a.s.) has said“Reading of the Holy Quran from a copy relieves suffering punishment of one’s parents even if they are unbelievers.”

H 3554, Ch 14, h 4 - Abu Ali al-Ashari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from abu Basir from Imam Abu Jafar (a.s.), ‘The Holy Quran came in four parts: One fourth is about us (Ahl al-Bayt) one fourth about our enemies, one about traditions and axioms and one fourth about obligations and laws.”

H 3523, Ch 11, h 4 - A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Yahya ibn Ibrahim ibn abu al-Balad from his father from Ali ibn al-Mughirah who has said the following: “Once I asked abu al-Hassan, (a.s.), ‘My father once asked your grandfather about reading all of the Holy Quran in one night.’ ‘(Do you mean it to happen) every night?’ Your grandfather inquired. ‘Yes, in the month of Ramadan.’ My father replied. Your grandfather asked him, ‘In the month of Ramadan?’ My father said, ‘Yes, in the month of Ramadan if I could.’ My father would read the Holy Quran forty times in the whole month of Ramadan. After my father I would read the Holy Quran sometimes more and sometimes less than he did, as I would get a chance within my work, activities and laziness. On 'id day (after the month of Ramadan) I would assign the reward for reading the Holy Quran once for the Holy prophet, one for Imam Ali, one for Al-Sayyidah Fatimah and one for each Imam until yourself and I assigned the reward for reciting the Holy Quran once for you from the time I am doing this. Will there be anything for me in this? The Imam said, ‘On the Day of Judgment, you will be with them. Allah is greater than can be described, this much for me!’ I exclaimed. The Imam, (a.s.), said three times, ‘Yes.’”

May Allah give us taufeeq to recite Holy quran and gift it to our Imam of the time – Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)

Divine Power of Aimmah (a.s)

Divine Power of Aimmah (a.s)

There are various discussions in the society with regards to asking for your needs directly from Aimmah (a.s.). Some people question the permissibility of asking from them and some question about their capability. Various books and treatises are available on the first question and we would not deal with it in this article. In this small discussion we will deal with the second question – capability of the Aimmah (a.s.) in answering our needs.

Allah (swt) has gifted them with Divine Knowledge and Divine Power which makes them able to do many things which are unimaginable for a mortal like us.

Hazrat Ameerul Momeneen (a.s.) wrote to Sahl bin Hunaif:  “I swear to Allah that when I tore out the door of Khaibar and then threw it at a distance of forty ells, my body did not feel the weight and the strength I used to perform this act was not a result of my dietary consumption.  I was supported by the supreme power and by (My) soul, which shines from the light of his lord…”  [Bisharat Al-Mustafa Le Shiyate Murtaza, Chp.5 H.25]

Holy Quran has pointed to his fact through this verse

وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ

“And we have kept the account of everything in an evident Imam” [36:12]

The tafseer of this ayat is found in the sermon of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a) on the day of Ghadeer, as narrated by Imam Muhammad Baqir (as).

“….O People! There is no knowledge except that Allah has kept its account in me. And all the knowledge that I have, have taught Ali and the Pious ones from his progeny [Imam’s (as)] and He [Ali (as)] is the evident Imams that has been mentioned by Allah in Chapter of  Yasin, “And we have kept the account of everything in an evident Imam”.          [Al-Yaqin, Sayyid Ibn Tawus, Pg. 350]

Let us have a look at some of the incidences which show the divine power

Power over the lion in the portrait

Janabe Ali ibn Yaqteen narrates : “Harun Ar-Rashid was looking for someone who could make fun of Abul Hassan Musa ibn Ja’far (as), belittle him and defeat him in arguments in a meeting. A magician volunteered to do so. When they spread the table to eat, the magician put a spell on the bread so that whenever Abul Hassan (as) wanted to grab a piece of bread to eat, it would fly away from his hands. Harun was very pleased and laughed lot at this. 

Then Abul Hassan (as) turned to the picture of a lion which was on a portrait and said, “O Lion! Seize this enemy of God!” The narrator of the tradition added, “Then the picture of the lion turned into a big lion, jumped on the magician, and tore him up.”

Then Harun and all his companions who were present were watching got scared, fainted and fell down. When they regained consciousness, Harun told Abil Hassan (as), “I beg you by the right I have over you to ask the picture to return that man.” Then the Imam (as) said, “If the Cane of Moses (as) returned the canes and the ropes which it swallowed, this picture will also return that man.”

[Source: Uyoon akhbar ur raza, Vol 1, Chapter 8, Pg.95,96]

Aimmah (as) travelling through many worlds: 

Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Razi Al-Jaamoorani, from Ismail bin Moosa from his father, from his grandfather, from Abd Al-Samad bin Ali who said : A man came up to Imam Ali bin Husain (as). Imam Ali bin Husain (as) said to him, "Who are you?” The man said, "I am a astrologer." Imam (as) said, "So you are a fortune-teller."
Imam (as) then looked at him and then said, "Shall I show you a man who since the time you have come to us, moved through 14 worlds, with each world being 3 times bigger than this world, without having moved from his place?"
The man said, "Who is He?" Imam (as) said, "I and if I wish, I can inform you what you ate and what you have stored in your house."

[Source: Basaair Al-Darajaat, Vol. 8, Chapter. 12, Hadees. 13]

Story of the falling wall:
 Abdullah bin Ubayy met Jadd bin Qais and said: Muhammad is an extremely clear magician but Ali is not so clever. Therefore, invite Ali for a feast in your house and after digging the foundations of the walls of your garden, make some men stand behind holding that wall with the help of wooden planks. When Ali and his companions begin to eat, let the wall fall on them, so that all may die together. The cursed one did so. 

When Ali (a.s.) arrived, he gave that wall a support of his holy hand and prevented it from falling. Then he asked his faithful companions to start eating reciting: Bismillaah. Ali (a.s.) himself also began to eat with them. When all ate perfectly, then also he kept the wall, which was thirty yards long, fifteen yards high and two yards thick, from falling. 

His faithful companions said: O Sir! How can it be that we continue eating and you continue to hold this heavy wall from falling. How hard it is for your honor. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) replied: I find this wall lighter than the morsel of food in my right hand. 

Jadd bin Qais then fled away from there imagining that Ali (a.s.) and his companions will be killed under the falling wall and then the Prophet will call him to giving compensation. He hid in the house of Abdullah bin Ubayy. Finally they came to know that Ali (a.s.) had stalled the wall from falling with his left hand and was eating with his companions with his right hand and that they had not been crushed under the wall.

Hearing this, Abushuroor and Abuddawahi, who were the original planners of this plots said: Ali is very expert in the magic of Muhammad, so we cannot defeat him. At last when all had eaten, Ali (a.s.), with his left hand, made that wall  stand upright, filled up its gaps and returned from there with his companions safely. Seeing him back, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) told Ali (a.s.): O Abul Hasan! Today you acted like brother Khizr (a.s.). He had also repaired a falling wall. Almighty Allah had made that job easy for Khizr (a.s.) through our Ahlul Bayt’s supplication.

[Source: Tafseer of Imam Hasan Askari(as), Sura Baqara, Verse 23-25]

Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani – False Claimant

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani is the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. In 1891, he claimed on the basis of Divine revelation (which is not true), that he was the Promised Messiah (Hazrat Isa) and Mahdi whose advent had been foretold by Muhammad (saww), the Holy Prophet of Islam and by the scriptures of other faiths. His claim constitutes the basis of the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community

He had made various claims which were recorded and published in September 1904 issue of the Review of Religions (Vol.3, No.9.) We present a few of them along with its reply.

Claim No.1

He writes “…………………After a heavy fight, the Messiah of God would drive back the powers of darkness, and the glory, majesty, unity and holiness of God would be proclaimed upon earth and would continue to be declared for a thousand years, the

seventh day of the Holy Books of God. Then will be the end. I am that Messiah: let him who will, accept me.

Reply:

Imam Mahdi (atfs) will remove all the tyranny and injustice from the world, and will fill the earth with justice and equity. And after the advent of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani injustice and oppression seems to increase day by day in this world and in 21^st Century also we all are witness to what is happening in the globe.

Claim No.2

He writes “……….I see that a mighty revolution has taken place in the world since I was appointed by Almighty God to this heavenly office. While in Europe and America the doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus is being rejected by all sensible thinkers, in India idol-worship is fast losing ground.”

Reply:

Divinity of Jesus is still the part of Christianity and there are more than billions following this doctrine. Secondly,we also see that Idol Worship is not losing ground at all; its increasing multifold and it does not seems to end till the Re-appearance of Imam Mahdi (atfs)

Claim No.3

He wrote in his book Noorul Haq Part 2, Roohani Khazaen Vol 8 page 196:

"Dare qutani has recorded that Imam Muhammad bin Ali has narrated that there are two signs for our Mahdi which never appeared before, that is, never occurred for any other person since the creation of the earth and the heavens and these are that the moon will begin to be eclipsed in the beginning of the night in Ramazan and the sun will be eclipsed in the remaining half of the month.”

Reply:

 Forget about the authenticity of hadith, even if we assume as authentic this saying would only be true when the meaning is kept according to the face value of the obvious words that lunar and solar eclipses will occur on first night and 15th of Ramadan but Astronomical studies are enough to prove that from the creation of the heavens and the earth, eclipses have never occurred on these dates.

Apart from above Claims, lets briefly compare Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadianis particulars with those of Imam Mahdi:

1. Genealogy: As Sheikh Muhyiddin Ibn al-‘Arabi (and Sheikh Abdul Wahhab Sha'arani in short) wrote, Imam Mahdi (atfs) is the son of Imam Hasan Al-Askari (as) whose genealogy he has recorded up to Amirul-Mumeneen Ali bin Abu-Talib (as); and all his ancestors (up to Ali bin Abu-Talib) are the well-known figures of history and are the Imams of the Shia Ithna-asheris.

'This specific genealogy does not leave any room for Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani to claim that he was the said Mahdi. He was Ghulam Ahmad son of Ghulam Murtaza son of Ata Muhammad son of Gul Muhammad.

So far as his origin is concerned, he seems to make various contradictory statements. Sometimes he claimed to be a Mongol; at others to be a Chinese; sometimes he was of Persian origin, at others of Turk. And the world knows him as a Punjabi Indian.

2. Date and Place of Birth: Imam Mahdi (atfs) was born on 15th Sha'ban, 255 A.H. in
Samarra in Iraq; and in the year 958 his age was 703 years.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani was born in 1839 or 1840 AD, i.e about 1000 years after the birth of Imam Mahdi (atfs), and he did not live even up to 76 years as he claimed to be promised by God. He was born in Qadian in India.

3. His Appearing: Muslims will do the Bay'at of Imam Mahdi (atfs) between Rukn and Maqam of Ka'aba. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad did not even see the Rukn and Maqam !!!!

4. Distribution of Wealth: Imam Mahdi (atfs) will distribute so much wealth that nobody will remain needy and no one will accept the charity any more. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, till the last days of his life, depended upon others donations and contributions. In the beginning it were the Muslims who were approached to contribute towards the publication of his books; in the end it were his followers who were taxed to support him and his family.

5.Infallibility: Imam Mahdi (atfs) will commit no mistake. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's life is full of the mistakes in deeds and beliefs and in its actions.

6.Jihad: Imam Mahdi (atfs) will call towards the path of Allah with sword. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani abrogated and cancelled the Jihad (Holy War) and made the fighting in the cause of religion unlawful.

7.Coming of Prophet Jesus (a.s): During the days of Imam Mahdi (atfs) Hazrat Esa (a.s) will come down to assist him and will pray behind him. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani could not persuade Hazrat Esa (a.s) to come down; so he claimed to be Jesus himself along with the claim of Mahdi.

 8. Death: Imam Mahdi (atfs) will die clean and pure. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani died of epidemic cholera which is the dirtiest disease.

9. Not a Follower of any other Muslim Scholar: Imam Mahdi (atfs) will neither be a follower in Fiqh (The Islamic Laws) of any other person nor will he act upon analogies. His source of knowledge will be from God and direct communion with the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad Al-Mustafa (saww).

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, on the other hand, followed the Fiqh of Imam Abu Hanifa till the last day of his life; and so do his followers up till now.

Therefore, Mirza was not Imam Mahdi.

Masaeb of Ammerul Momeneen Ali ibne Abi Talib Imam Ali (a.s.)

Once Imam Ali (as) had asked the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.); "What is the best deed in the Holy month of Ramadhan?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) answered:"The best deed during the month of Ramadhan is to keep away from evil deeds, which Allah has forbidden”.

After that he burst into tears. Imam Ali (a.s.) was quite shocked and asked him why: The holy prophet (s.a.w.w.) explained: “I am crying because I can see a terrible scene that will happen to you in this holy month. While in sajdah (prostration), the most criminal of criminals, will hit you on your head and your beard will be dyed red with your blood.”

The Imam (as) asked; "Shall I be on the right path?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) answered; "Yes!"

It was nineteenth of Ramadhan when Imam Ali (a.s.), in the darkness of dawn, was leaving for Fajr prayers at Masjid-e-Kufa, the pet ducks made a lot of noise. They cackled loudly and got hold of his abaa (dress). The Holy Imam understood that they were crying for him as he was nearing death.

Reaching in the mosque, he recited the adhan (call to prayers). This was to wake up all those who were asleep and among them was Ibn Muljam who was hiding the poisonous sword while sleeping on his stomach.

As our Imam was leading the prayers, while in the 2nd sajdah, the killer got up and quickly removed the poisonous sword hitting the Imam on his head with a big blow. The Imam collapsed crying out "I swear by the Lord of Ka`bah , I have been successful. " Gabriel shouted from the heavens: (Wallahi Tahaddamat Arkaanil Hodaa"). "By God, the pillars of guidance are demolished."

Scared out of his wits, Ibn Muljam ran out of the mosque but was captured by a man from Hamadan. When he was brought before Amir al Mu`minin (a.s.) with his hands tied tightly, our merciful Imam ordered his sons to loosen the rope. He then advised them not torture him in any way and if he died from his wounds to deal with him justly.

 Our holy Imam asked Ibn Muljam: “WAS I A BAD IMAM OR AN UNJUST RULER?”

Our holy Imam suffered greatly for three days and finally left this world on the 21st of the holy month of Ramadhan in the year 40 (a.h.) and was buried in the holy city of Najaf in Iraq by his two sons Imam Hassan (a.s) and Imam Hussein (a.s). (Kitab Al Irshad)