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IMAM Jafar Sadiq
His name was Ja’far al-Sadiq and his patronymic name was Abu Mohammed. If we start writing about his qualities and miracles then it is not easy to cover all of them. He inherited from Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA) and he is the real heir of the Prophet. Ja’far al-Sadiq’s greatness is such that we can call him the king of Muslim ummat (nation). He was the follower of truth and ascertainment and also the true follower of the pious persons. He was great among all the saints and successors of the Prophet. He was descendant of Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA) and the Prophet’s family. Due to his greatness, we all praise him. As already mentioned above that to write the details about the works and achievements of Prophet, their companions and members of the Prophet’s family is not easy and will need many volumes to describe. After seeking the blessings for writing this book, we are mentioning here the stories of pious persons who were passed away after the family members of the Prophet. Here we are writing about Ja’far al-Sadiq.
Ja’far al-Sadiq was ranked after the companions of the Prophet. He was member of Prophet’s family, hence many of his teachings about mystic knowledge and also his other narrations are available. We are mentioning here some of his sayings about good felicity. Those who follow his religion, in other words are following the religion of twelve Imams (religious leaders), as he was the successor of the twelve Imams. So it is one that is equal to twelve and also twelve that is equal to one. If we mention about his works and achievements then it will be equivalent to mention the works and achievements of twelve Imams. If we mention about his character, he was master in every kind of knowledge and wisdom. He was the leader of learned people and they all had full confidence in him. He was not only a great leader of mystic persons but he was also the follower of literary persons and lovers of Allah. He has written many books and in these books he has explained the controlling powers of Allah in the best possible manner. He has also narrated many of the sayings of Imam Baquer’s.
The author explains as follows:
“I am surprised to know that a group of persons due to their poor knowledge thought that Sunnat Jamat (followers of the Prophet) has enmity with the family members of Prophet. But the fact is that the members of Sunnat Jamat are the followers of the Prophet’s family members.” So we must remember that every one who has faith in the Prophet, he should also love and have faith in the Prophet’s family members. When Imam Al-Shafe’i was imprisoned on the charge of enmity with the Prophet’s family members, he uttered some couplets at that time. The meaning of one of the couplet is as follows:
“I am friend of the holy Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and his family members so if this is enmity then all human beings and jins should be witness on this enmity.” Who is Sunni? In its real meaning Sunni is one who accepts the greatness of the Prophet’s family members. If it is not compulsory the rule of faith to know about the Prophet’s family members and his companions but it is good for everybody to know about them. As you know some other things and some unnecessary things. The importance of companions of the Prophet is very great because due to their sacrifices and great efforts as well as due to their Islamic knowledge which they learned from the Prophet and which helped the Muslims to spread the religion of Islam throughout the world. They set great examples of their sacrifices and efforts, which will guide the Muslims till the day of judgement. If we follow them then we can achieve real Islamic goal in our lives. So for you it is good to know about the king of this world and the world after the death, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and his companions and their followers. The Prophet’s family members who made distinguished services and sacrifices for the Islam and Muslims. With the help of their teachings we can become a true Muslims. So for this reason one should respect and love for the followers of the holy Prophet and his family members. When some persons asked Abu Hanifa who is superior in the followers of holy Prophet. He said, “In the older Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA) and Omar Farouq (RA), in the young men Osman Bin Affan (RA) and Ali Bin Abi Talib (RA), in the women Ayesha (RA) and in the girls Fatima (RA).” One night the caliph Mansur of Baghdad ordered his minister to bring Ja’far al-Sadiq before him for his killing so the minister told him, “Why did he want to kill such a noble and great person who is in loneliness in the house and busy in the worship of Allah and who left the worldly life and pleasure so it is against expedience.” Mansur angry when heard the reply from his minister and told him it is his duty to obey his orders. The minister tried his best in this matter but he was not successful so he went to call him helplessly. The caliph ordered his slaves to kill him upon his arrival to the palace at the time when Mansur takes down his crown from his head. But when he came to his palace Mansur stood before him and ran to receive him and gave him a most suitable place to sit him and he sat before him with sincerity and with great respect. The slaves were surprised when they saw the actions of Mansur. The caliph asked him if he need any thing from him. Then he told him that he should not be called again there to enable him to continue the worship of Allah. Mansur said good bye to him with great respect and at the same time Mansur’s body began shivering and became unconscious and he was in that condition for three days and some persons told he was in that condition in which his three prayers were lapsed. When he was all right then the minister asked him, “What was the matter with him?” Mansur told him, “When he entered his palace he saw a big python with him and his two lips were open and one was on the upper side and the other was below of the throne.” The python told him, “If you do any harm to Ja’far al-Sadiq I would swallow you with your seat.” So when I heard this I was afraid of python and I could not know what I was telling to him so I excused him and become unconscious.”
When once Dawood Tai came to see him and asked him, “Oh! Son of the Prophet, pray for me as my heart become black.” Then Ja’far al-Sadiq told him, “Oh! Abu Suleiman, you are also pious person of the time so no need of my prayers.” Then Dawood Tai told him, “Oh! Son of the Prophet, Allah gave you a such greatness and it is obligatory for you to give advice to all Muslims.” He told, “Oh! Abu Suleiman, I am afraid that on the day of judgement my grand father will caught me and will ask me why I have not fulfilled my duties properly and Allah will not see the inheritance but see the good deeds.” Then Dawood Tai wept and told, “Oh! Allah, his inheritance is from the holy Prophet and his habits are superior and his grand father is the holy Prophet and his mother is batool (great woman) but he is still worried then who is Dawood and why he is so proudly on his deeds.”
One day Ja’far al-Sadiq was sitting and he told his slaves to come and make a promise that on the day of judgement whoever will be successful then he should recommend the others. Then they told, “Oh! Son of the Prophet, why did you need our recommendations as your grandfather will recommend all the creatures?” Then he told them, “He is ashamed of his deeds so he is afraid to see the face of his grandfather.”
Once Sufyan Thauri went to see Ja’far al-Sadiq when he discontinued going outside of the house and stayed alone in the house and he told him, “Oh! Son of the Prophet, people are not getting your grace as you are in the loneliness of the house.” Then he told him, “I think this is better for me” and recited these two couplets and the meaning of them is as follows: “The faithfulness is not seen as the traveller on the journey will not see again and people are busy with their thinking and necessities. People express love for each other but their hearts are full of poison.”
When the persons saw him wearing a wealthy dress and they told him, “Oh! Son of the Prophet, it is not suitable for the Prophet’s family member to wear such a dress.” Then he caught his hand and took it inside of the dress of his shoulder and showed him the inside dress which was made of jute and it scratched his hand. He told him, “This dress is for the Allah and other is for the mankind.” Ja’far al-Sadiq asked Abu Hanifa, “Who is wise?” And he replied, “One who makes difference between good and bad.” Then he told him, “The animals could do these things. As they recognize who beat them and who love them.” So Abu Hanifa asked him to explain in this matter, “Who is wise?” He told him, “One who could make difference between two good things and two bad things and choose one good thing which is more good from the two goods things and one bad thing which is less bad from the two bad things.”
When the persons told him, “You have all qualities of pious persons and have kindness and coolness of the family members of the Prophet but you have more proudness.” So he replied, “I am not proudly but my lord is great so when I discontinued proudness and greatness these things entered into me. So upon Allah’s greatness one can feel proud but one should not be proudly for greatness of his own.”
Somebody lost his bag of dinars (money) so he caught Ja’far al-Sadiq and told him, “You have stolen my dinars,” as that man could not recognize him. He asked him, “How many dinars have you lost?” The man replied, “One thousand dinars.” He took that man to his house and gave him one thousand dinars. Later that man found his bag of money some where and explained him the whole event and made apology to him and requested him to take the money which he brought back for him and he also told him, “It was his mistake.” He told him, “He would never take back anything which he gives to anybody.” That man asked, “Who is this person?” And people told him, “He is Ja’far al-Sadiq” Then the man was very sorry for his mistake and went away. One day he was going on the road lonely and he was saying ‘Allah, Allah’, and one poor pious person was also following him and saying ‘Allah, Allah’. When he told, “Oh! Allah, I do not have trouser and dress with me” and at the same moment one clean pair of dress was appeared there and he wore the same. Then the poor pious person asked him, “Oh! Great man, I was also reciting ‘Allah, Allah’ behind you so please give me your old dress.” So he liked his idea and gave him his old dress.
A man came to Ja’far al-Sadiq asked him, “He wanted to see Allah.” He told that man, “Have you not heard what Allah told Prophet Moses (PBUH) that you did not able to see him.” The man told, “Yes.” But this is ummat (followers) of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and among the followers of the Prophet in whom one person said, “His heart was seen Allah and other person is crying that he will not worship Allah until he could see Allah.” So he asked the persons to tie him with rope and throw him in the river Tigris. When he was thrown in the water and he was gone inside water but water brought him to the surface level and he called, “Oh! Son of the Prophet, help me, help me.” But he told the water, “Oh! Water, take him and hide him” and water took him inside. So that man was gone inside of the water many times and came on the water surface many times but he was crying for the help of Ja’far al-Sadiq. When he was tired and gone inside of the water and lost hope for the help from the mankind and at that time water brought him to the upper level of surface as he called, “Oh! Allah, help me, help me.” Then he told the persons to take him out from the water and he was taken out from the water. He sat for some time and he became normal. He asked him, “Have you seen Allah?” He replied, “When I was calling others then there was a veil but when I called Allah for his help with eagerness then I saw Allah in the window which opened in my heart. If there was no eagerness and passion then Allah will be not there.” Allah says, “Is somebody there who will reply the needy person’s call?” Ja’far al-Sadiq told him, “When he was calling others for His help then he was false and advice him to take care of the window in the heart.”
Ja’far al-Sadiq told, “One who says, ‘Allah is on the things or Allah is from things’ and so for this saying he will become unbeliever.” And further he told, “One who commits sin with fear and seek Allah’s repentance and then he will become closer to Allah. When one who worships in the beginning for himself and in the last for the show and proud for this he will be kept him away from Allah. One who is proud for his worship then he will become a sinner. Sincere is one who will repent for his sins.”
When persons asked Ja’far al-Sadiq, “Who is better either sincere pious person or wealthy person?” He said, “Pious person is better than other one because wealthy person always looks for the bags of money but pious person is always with Allah.” He further continued, “The worship is not right without repentance because Allah preferred repentance than worship. As Allah said, ‘Repentance seekers are worshipers.’ ” Refer to Qur’anic teaching in which it is clear that repentance is superior to the worship. The real remembrance of Allah is that in which one should forget all things because Allah is found for such things. He explained one verse of the Holy Qur’an in which Allah says, “He bestow His mercy on any one whom he likes.” So all sources are kept away as Allah’s blessing is given without any source. Ja’far al-Sadiq said, “The faithful is one who stands against nafs-i-ammara (inordinate appetites) and the pious is one who stands in the worship of Allah.” He said, “One who fight against nafs-i-ammara for the sake of himself then he will become the man of miracles.” He also said, “One who fights with nafs-i-ammara for the sake of Allah then he finds Allah.” He said, “Ilham (revelation) is a sign of Allah’s blessing for His accepted persons but when this matter is proved that it is nothing by logic and this is the work of unbelievers.” He said, “Allah is more hidden in the man than the movements of the black ants on the black mountains during the night. The love of Allah is neither good nor bad. The secret which I come to know when I became mad. It is good for a man if he has wise enemy.”
Ja’far al-Sadiq said to keep away from the friendship of the following five persons:
1. Liar who will always deceive you. 2. Foolish who always wish for your good but the result will be bad which he does not know. 3. The miser who will spoil your time. 4. Coward who will leave you when you are in danger. 5. Sinful who will sell you for the sake a morsel and also for his greed he will put you in the trouble for his gain which even it will be less than a morsel.
Ja’far al-Sadiq said, “Allah’s heaven and hell are also in this world. When there are no worries it is heaven and when there are worries it is hell. It is heaven when we should approach Allah for all our works. It is hell when we surrender all our works to nafs-i-ammara.” If there will be effect of enemies on Allah’s men then there was effect on Asiya from the Pharaoh and if there was effect of Allah’s man on the enemies of Allah then there was benefit for the Lut’s wife and Noah’s wife.
His sayings are too many but we have mentioned above some of them only.
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FIRST EPISODE from Tazkeratul Aoulia by Sheikh Farid-ud-Din Attar (Book of Muslim Saints and Mystics)
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Translated from Urdu to English by
Muhammed A. Hafeez, B.COM. Email:hafeezanwar@yahoo.com H.NO.16/1/21/21 , AL-MADINA COTTAGE Hyderabad-36, (India)
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Reference Books
1. Tazkeratul Aoulia by Sheikh Farid-ud-Din Attar (Book of Muslim Saints and Mystics), Urdu translation published by Majedi Book Depot, Kanpur in the year 1383 A.H., India.
2. Tazkeratul Aoulia by Sheikh Farid-ud-Din Attar (Book of Muslim Saints and Mystics), Urdu translation published by Anwar Book Depot, Delhi, India.
