Allah’s Bounty: The Baqiyatullah
How beautiful is the earth with the bluish green sea and boulders at places with the flesh fish in it to eat. Colorful birds singing praise of the Almighty. While the waves of the sea move up and down with low and high tide praising the creation of Allah (SwT).
The wandering wind moving on dark and dense grooves and grayish green shaded trees singing the praise and hamd of Allah (SwT).
After creating these bounties, Allah has created Adam and asked the angels to bow. Everyone bowed on the command of Allah (SwT) except Iblis (Satan) who became the transgressor and vowed to Allah (SwT) that he will deviate the progeny of Hazrat Adam (‘a) from the right path. Allah (SwT) has sent Prophet Muhammad and his successors to remove tyranny and injustice from the world. This paper aims to analyze the numerous bounties of Allah (SwT) and to be grateful for them as human beings.
The Ways Of Allah (SwT)
Allah (SwT) doesn’t have a partner. He is Omnipotent and the creator and controller of the entire Universe. ‘He created the heavens and the earth, and took no assistant when He aroused the Zephyrs’ or souls of the living creatures1. He is the creator of all living and non-living things. He has created life and death. He is the one before whom every particle of the Universe is submissive and needy. He bestows His bounties upon his creations, morning and evening. He created man ‘full of weakness, and founded us on infirmity, and originated us from unstable water, so we have no power except Thee, and no strength but Thy aid.’2
Allah, the invincible created cattle for you (man) to have in them warm clothing and many advantages and for you to eat it. He also created horses and mules so that you could ride them. He has send water for you to drink and to grow the trees. He causes for you herbage and olives, Pomegranates and palm trees. He has created night and day, the sun and moon and the stars.
In the Holy Quran, Surah Adh-Dhaariyat, Allah (SwT) states ‘I have only created Jinns and the men except that they should serve me.’(5156)3 Certainly in all his bounties you have commandment from Allah (SwT). If man surely could ponder on them. As we can also see in the Holy Quran Surah Al-Araaf ‘The most beautiful names belong to Allah so call on him by them…’ (7 180) after creating the earth with its innumerable bounties, He, the Almighty had created mankind so that we could call on him. The angels asked “are you going to create and send to your beautiful world one who will spread mischief and shed blood in it.’ ‘I know what you know not” was the divine reply. The angels accepted the divine decree and even bowed in prostration in front of Adam on His (Allah’s) command.4
Satan revolted with conceit and asked respite from Allah (SwT)(38 79), the High and Almighty as a recompense for his thousands of years of worship and efforts to deviate the progeny of Hazrat e Adam (‘a) except ‘His purified servants,(3883) ‘Allah the Just, granted him respite for a precise era.(3880) Satan said, “My Lord I swear by you, most certainly I will deviate your servants” (Surah Saad 38 82). Allah (SwT) has created seven heavens one above another. Can you see any disorder in his creations (67 3)
No we cannot. He has adorned this lower heaven with lamps and made these missiles for the Shaitans. And those who disbelieve in their Lord are the followers of Satan and for them is the chastisement of hell. (Surah Mulk 67 5) The creator has bestowed intellect and reasoning on his creation, the children of Adam. (‘a) Then He sent His Apostles, Prophets and revealed the Holy Quran and sent His Last Prophet Muhammad (S) and Imams for the propagation of Knowledge and Shariah. Thus through the last Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (S) and his Holy Progeny (‘a) he has illuminated the path of guidance and Salvation to mankind. Subsequently, He gave a choice to man either be among the thankful ones or be those who deny the bounties. And those men who refute the bounties of Allah (SwT) on them His anger is directed they will be thrown into hell.
Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) was asked Who is the Progeny of Muhammad al-Mustafa He (‘a) replied ‘I, Hasan (‘a), Husayn (‘a) and the nine Imams (‘a) from the progeny of Husayn (‘a), of whom the ninth one will be the Mahdi (aj) and the Qaim (aj). Neither will they separate from the Book of Allah nor will the Book of Allah separate from them, till they meet the Messenger of Allah (S) at the pool of Kauthar’5
The Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) who were the successors of Prophet Muhammad (S) and protectors and teachers of Allah’s religion, were placed under perpetual house arrest. The successorship of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) was usurped. Imam Hasan (‘a) was forced to go for peace treaty and later as there was sullying in religion Imam Husayn (‘a) to save the Shariah (Islamic laws) most willingly sacrificed his life in the way of Allah (SwT). He was killed famished, thirsty and mercilessly by the persecutors of Islam. The fourth Imam Zayn Al-Abidin (‘a) along with the women of Ahl al-Bayt was inflicted with untold afflictions. The lives of the Imams, Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a), Jafar al-Sadiq (‘a), Mus al-Kazim (‘a), Ali Ibn Musa al-Ridha (‘a), Muhammad al-Taqi (‘a), Ali al-Naqi (‘a) and Hasan al-Askari (‘a) were subjected to agonies and detention as they were the assurance for the preservation of Allah’s religion and the Shariat of Messenger of Allah (S). Varied restrictions were imposed upon Imams who were gifted with all the sciences and Divine recognition. However, in times of difficulty when the waylaid people had difficulty when they had no solution, they consulted the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) out of sheer necessity.
It is an undisputable fact that Almighty Allah (SwT) has in every era, kept an infallible Imam as a check for what is true and what is false. In shaa Allah! When Allah (SwT) grants permission, the ninth son of Imam Husayn (‘a), the infallible descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, who went into occultation, will return one day to fill the world with justice and peace. He is the ‘Imam of the Era” and when he reappears the standard for truth and falsehood will become clear as He is infallible and possesses the true revealed religion expounded by the Prophet (S).
From time immemorial, whenever the world was replete with oppression and injustice. Allah’s wrath has descended on earth in the form of cyclones, earthquakes or pandemic. People oppress and are cruel to innocent people for their worldly interests. The Quran tells us that “…not a leaf falls, but He knows it...” (659).
As Imam Husayn (‘a) has said on the Day of Ashura that his oppressor’s bellies were filled with haram food hence they became cruel, egoist and unable to think rationally. Same is going on in this era. Hence if want to restrain ourselves from becoming cruel and oppressive then we need to follow a strict diet of Allah’s halal bounties and refrain ourselves from Haram food. Similarly, if we find that our faith, actions and morals have become flawed and imperfect, then it is essential that we turn towards Baqiyatullah (aj), the living Imam, the Successor of Prophet Muhammad (S) and weep and plead for his guidance as Allah (SwT) has sent him as a bounty for our guidance.
Conclusion
When he (Baqiyatullah, the last Hujjat of Allah, aj) reappears, the beauty of the world will be restored and the hearts of the believers will fall in love with their Lord, the Almighty Allah (SwT).
The desire to see the era of ‘Yusuf al-Zahra’ and his handsome persona well-up my eyes. Oh Allah! (SwT) the creator of this beautiful world, keep us both, the reader and the writer, of this article among your faithful servants and make us follow the path of truth, patience and righteousness.
Notes
1. Trans. Mohani, Syed Ahmad Ali The Sahifat=ul=Kamilah “The Psalms of the Children of Muhammad” Being ‘The Prayers of Imam Zainul Abidin (Pbuh) (2011) reprinted by Hasan, Syed Wasi Mustafa, Digital Press, Hyd pg. 183 (His 63rd Prayer) Print
2. The Sahifat=ul=Kamilah “The Psalms of the Children of Muhammad” Being ‘The Prayers of Imam Zainul Abidin (Pbuh) (2011) reprinted by Hasan, Syed Wasi Mustafa, Digital Press, Hyd pg. 50 (His 9th Prayer) Print
3. The Holy Quran TEXT, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY Vol. III Trans. Abdullah Yousuf Ali, Lahore, Shaikh Muhammad Ashraf, Kashmiri Bazar Ripon Printing Press
4. Cfr. Qur’an, Surah al-Baqarah, 230.
5. Kamaluddin, Volume 1 pg.240-241.
AUTHOR: BY DR. FARHAT FATIMA
SOURCE: WWW.AL-ISLAM.ORG
