Saying No. 11: Definition of Islam
Date: Dec. 15, 2004

Ya Ali Madad! Let us read the following ayats on the topics of obedience, faith, submission, and recognition of the God's power. All these topics fall under the heading of Islam as described by NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.). "O ye who believe! Obey God, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 4:59) "Whoever submits his whole self to God, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the most trustworthy hand-hold: and with God rests the End and Decision of (all) affairs." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 31:22) "So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding) have certitude." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 6:75) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) has defined Islam as follows: "I define Islam for you in a way that nobody dare do it before me. Islam means obedience to God; obedience to God means having sincere faith in Him; such a faith means to believe in His Power; a belief in His Power means recognizing and accepting His Majesty; acceptance of His Majesty means fulfilling the obligations laid down by Him; and fulfillment of obligations means action." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 124, p. 286) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 12: Three classes of people with respect to their obedience
Date: Dec. 17, 2004

Ya Ali Madad! Let us read the following ayats on the topics of gratitude and obedience: "If ye avoid the great (things) which ye are forbidden, We will remit from you your evil deeds and make you enter at a noble gate." (Holy Qur'an (Pickthall) 4:31) "But verily thy Lord is full of grace to mankind: Yet most of them are ungrateful." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 27:73) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) has defined three classes of people with respect to their obedience: "There are people who obey God to gain His Favours, they act like businessmen trading with God; while there are some who obey Him to keep themselves free from His Wrath (Anger), they act as slaves; but there are few who obey Him out of their sense of gratitude and obligation, they act as gentlemen and noblemen." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 208, p. 294) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 13: Character of Blessed Muslim Men and Women
Date: Dec. 20, 2004

Ya Ali Madad! Let us read the following ayats about the character of blessed Muslim men and women. "For Muslim men and women,- for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God's praise,- for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 33:35) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) has defined character of a blessed person: "Blessings are for the man who humbles himself before God, whose sources of income are honest, whose intentions are always honourable, whose character is noble, whose habits are sober, who gives away in the name and in the cause of God the wealth which is lying surplus with him, who controls his tongue from vicious and useless talk, who abstains from oppression and tyranny, who cheerfully and faithfully follows the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.) and keeps himself away from innovation in religion." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 122, p. 286) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 14: How we should live in this world?
Date: Dec. 21, 2004

Ya Ali Madad! Let us read the following ayats about life in this world and in the hereafter. "But those will prosper who purify themselves, and glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer. Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; But the Hereafter is better and more enduring." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) Surah Al-aalaa 87:14-17) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) has defined how we should live in this world: "This world is not a place of permanent settlement, it is passage, a road on which you are passing; there are two kinds of people here, one is the kind who sold their souls for Eternal Damnation (Everlasting Punishment), the other is of those who purchased their souls and freed them from damnation (punishment)." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 132, p. 288) "I wonder at the man who takes great pains to decorate and to make comfortable this mortal habitat and totally forgets his permanent and immortal abode." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 125, p. 286) This is the last posting for this year, however, if Mowla wishes, we will continue this series in preparation for Idd-e-Gaddir which marks the first Imamat Day of our beloved first Imam, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.). A special prayer for the readers of these postings: May Mowla accept your effort to learn about our Holy Faith as a seva and may He bestow upon you and your family the inner vision of the truth! Ameen. Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 15: Attributes of Knowledge Seekers
Date: Jan. 3, 2005

Ya Ali Madad! Let us learn about the knowledge of God and the book of deeds in which everything is recorded from the following ayat of the Holy Qur'an: "With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf does fall but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read)." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 43:85) From the above ayat, it is clear that God has treasures of all kinds of knowledge. Therefore, it is our duty to seek these hidden treasures through the acquisition of secular and spiritual knowledge. In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) has defined the attributes of people who seek knowledge. "...Knowledge is power and it can command obedience and following; a man of knowledge during his life time can make people obey and follow him and he is praised and venerated after his death; remember that knowledge is a ruler and wealth is its subject. ...Those who amass wealth though alive yet are dead to realities of life and those who gather knowledge will remain alive through their knowledge and wisdom even after their death; though their faces may disappear from the community of the living beings yet their ideas, the knowledge they had left behind them and their memory will remain in the minds of men." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 146, p. 289) Sayings of NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) are archived on the following pages: http://salmanspiritual.com/sayings/index_01.html and http://salmanspiritual.com/sayings/index_02.html. Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 16: How to be happy in this world?
Date: Jan. 6, 2005

Ya Ali Madad! In the 24 hour cycle of day and night, we spend some time sleeping. During this time, the soul has to report its deeds to the Lord. When we wake up, we are given another chance to do good deeds according to the following verse of the Holy Qur'an. "It is He who doth take your souls by night, and hath knowledge of all that ye have done by day: by day doth He raise you up again; that a term appointed be fulfilled; In the end unto Him will be your return; then will He show you the truth of all that ye did." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 6:60) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) reminds us to keep on doing good deeds in context of the Day of Judgement. "Happy is the man who always kept the life after death in view, who remembered the Day of Reckoning (Judgement) through all his deeds, who led a contented life and who was happy with the lot that God had destined for him." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 44, p. 277) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 17: How to acquire Knowledge and Wisdom?
Date: Jan. 11, 2005

Ya Ali Madad! The following ayat of the Holy Qur'an describes the benefits of wisdom: "He grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted receives indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 2:269) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) teaches us how to acquire knowledge and wisdom. "One who takes account of his shortcomings will always gain by it, one who is unmindful of them will always suffer. One who is afraid of the day of judgment is safe from the Wrath of God; one who takes lessons from happenings of life gets vision, one who acquires vision becomes wise, and one who attains wisdom achieves knowledge." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 196, p. 294) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 18: Sayings of Hazrat Ali (a.s.): How to seek protection from fear and grief
Date: Jan. 17, 2005

Ya Ali Madad! The following ayats of the Holy Qur'an describe how God protects his believers from fear and grief: "Nay, -whoever submits His whole self to God and is a doer of good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 2:112) "Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 2:277) "But God will deliver the righteous to their place of salvation: no evil shall touch them, nor shall they grieve." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 39:61) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) teaches us about our time on this earth and what should we do with it. "Time decays bodies but rejuvenates hopes, daily it brings death nearer and nearer but delays fulfillment of desires more and more. Whoever gets anything from the world lives in anxiety of holding it, and whoever loses anything passes his days grieving over the loss." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 72, p. 279) "How I wonder at a man who loses the hope of salvation when the door of repentance is open for him. " (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 87, p. 281) "Whoever warns you against sins and vices is like the one who is carrying news of salvation to you." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 59, p. 278) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 19: Sayings of Hazrat Ali (a.s.): How to analyze this world
Date: Jan. 19, 2005

Ya Ali Madad! The following ayat of the Holy Qur'an vividly describes that this world is an illusion: "Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from God and (His) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of God). And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?" (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 57:20) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) teaches us how to analyze this world: "Who are you to abuse the world, when it has openly declared its mortality and mortality of everything connected with it, when it has given every one of its inhabitants to know that all of them are to face death, when through its ways it has given them all an idea of calamities they have to face here, and through the sight of its temporary and fading pleasures, it has given them glimpses of Eternal Pleasures of the Heaven and suggested them to wish and work for the same. If you study it properly you will find that simply to warn and frighten you of bad results of evil deeds and to persuade you to good action, every night it raises new hopes of peace and prosperity in you and every morning it places more anxieties and new worries in front of you. Those who pass such lives that they are ashamed of and repent for the time so passed abuse this world. But there are people who will praise the world on Day of Judgment, that it reminded them of the hereafter and they took advantage of these reminders, it informed them of the effects of good deeds and they made correct use of the information and it advised them and they benefitted by its advice." (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 130, p. 287-288) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Saying No. 20: Sayings of Hazrat Ali (a.s.): Leaders who invite people towards their Lord
Date: Jan. 23, 2005

Ya Ali Madad! The following ayat of the Holy Qur'an describes how Allah creates leaders (by His Command) in this world: "And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only)." (Holy Qur'an (Yusufali) 21:73) In the following saying, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) describes the leaders who invite people towards their Lord: "But this earth will never be without such persons who will prove universality of truth as disclosed by the Lord, they may be well known persons, openly and fearlessly declaring the things revealed to them; or they may, under fear of harm, injury or death, hide themselves from the public gaze and may carry on their missions privately so that the reasons proving the reality of truth as preached by religion and as demonstrated by His apostles may not totally disappear. How many are they and where could they be found? I swear to God that they are few in number, but their worth and their ranks before God are very high. Through them the Lord preserves His Teachings so that they, while departing, may hand over these truths to persons like themselves. The knowledge which they have acquired has made them see the realities and visualize the truth, and instilled in them the spirit of faith and trust. The duties which were decreed as hard and unsufferable by ease loving and easy going people are considered easy and bearable by them. They feel happy in the company and association of things which frighten the ignorant and uneducated. They live in this world like everybody else but their souls soar the heights of Heavenly eminence. They are delegates of God on this earth and they invite people towards Him. How I love to meet them!" (Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali, Sayings of Hazrat Ali 146, p. 290) Peace, light, barakat, taid and didar, Noorallah

Article by Dr. Noorallah Juma
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