Question 69 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2
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Question 69
The Exalted said: ‘Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and show kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the distant neighbor, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not love anyone who is conceited and boastful’ ([82]). What does this noble verse mean? Peace be upon you. Sender: Ibrahim Rughayl
Ahmed al-Hasan Response:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them abundant peace. ‘Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him’: What is intended here is sincerity in worshipping Allah, Glorious is He, through obedience to His vicegerent whom He appointed over His creation, and avoiding the path of Iblis, may Allah curse him, in refusing to prostrate to Allah’s vicegerent. Allah is worshipped in the manner that He, Glorious is He, wills, not in the manner that the servant wills; otherwise, the servant would be an associator and a follower of Iblis, may Allah curse him ([83]). ‘And show kindness to parents’: The Messenger Muhammad (s) and Imam Ali (a) are the two parents. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (s), said to Ali (a): ‘O Ali … you and I are the two fathers of this nation, so may Allah curse whoever is undutiful to us …’ ([84]), ([85]). ‘And relatives’: They are the family of Muhammad, especially al-Hasan and al-Husayn. The Exalted said: ‘Say, “I ask you no reward for it except affection for the near relatives. Whoever earns a good deed, We increase its goodness for him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Appreciative”’ ([86]). ‘And orphans and the needy’: The orphan is the one who stands alone among his people and has no equal among them ([87]). The needy person is the one compelled toward Allah. The family of Muhammad are the orphans, for they have no equal, and they are Allah’s needy ones who humbly beseech Him, Glorious is He, in every time, place, and condition ([88]). The Exalted said: ‘When We took the covenant of the Children of Israel: You shall worship none but Allah, and show kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy, and speak goodness to the people’ ([89]). The covenant was taken from the Children of Israel and from the rest of the servants concerning allegiance to Allah’s guardian, His Proof, and His vicegerent, Glorious is He. Thus in this verse too, the two parents, the relatives, the orphans, and the needy are Muhammad (s), Ali (a), the Imams, and the Mahdis from the family of Muhammad (s). The Exalted said: ‘Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? We certainly gave the family of Abraham the Book and wisdom, and We gave them a great kingdom’ ([90]). The people in this verse are Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. ‘And speak goodness to the people’ means the best thing that can be said. ‘The near neighbor, the distant neighbor, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess’: that is, say to and about people what you would love to be said to and about you, and treat them as you would love them to treat you: ‘And speak goodness to the people.’ ‘Indeed, Allah does not love anyone who is conceited and boastful’: that is, Allah does not love one who follows Iblis, may Allah curse him, in his arrogance toward Adam (a). Allah loves the wholesome, blessed souls who prostrate, obey, and love His vicegerent, Glorious is He: ‘Say, “If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful”’ ([91]).
Source: The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2; Author: Imam Ahmed Al-Hasan; Question 69; Page Not available; AL-JAWAB-AL-MUNIR-V2-Q069. View Arabic source · Open the original Arabic source ↗
Source footnotes
Footnotes are kept separate from the main question and answer and preserve their source-record association.
↑ [82] Al-Nisa 4:36.
↑ [83] Abu Basir said: I heard Abu Abdullah (a) say concerning the words of the Exalted, ‘Do not take two gods; He is only one God’: ‘By this He means: do not take two Imams; he is only one Imam.’ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 32, p. 357. (Commentator.)
↑ [84] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 36, p. 6.
↑ [85] Jafar ibn Muhammad ibn Said narrated through his chain from al-Sadiq (a), concerning the words of the Exalted, ‘Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and show excellence toward the two parents.’ He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (s) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) are the two parents. “And the near relative,” he said, means al-Hasan and al-Husayn-peace be upon them both.’ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 32, p. 269. (Commentator.)
↑ [86] Al-Shura 42:23, part of the verse.
↑ [87] Abaya ibn Ribi narrated from Ibn Abbas that he was asked about Allah’s words, ‘Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?’ He said: ‘He was called an orphan only because he had no equal upon the face of the earth among the first and the last. The Mighty and Majestic said, reminding him of His favor, “Did He not find you an orphan?”-that is, alone, with no equal to you …’ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 61, p. 141. Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi-may Allah have mercy upon him-said: ‘Then He said, “Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?” He said: “The orphan is one who has no equal. For this reason a singular pearl is called an orphan pearl, because it has no equal.”’ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 61, p. 142. In a hadith, Abu Jafar (a) said: ‘… “But he did not attempt the steep path. And what will make you know what the steep path is?” He says: “What has informed you?” Every instance in the Quran of “What will make you know?” means “What has informed you?” “An orphan of near relation” means the Messenger of Allah (s), and the near relation is his kin. “Or a destitute person lying in the dust” means the Commander of the Faithful (a), covered in knowledge.’ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 42, p. 282. (Commentator.)
↑ [88] Amr ibn Abi al-Miqdam narrated from his father: I asked Abu Jafar (a) about the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, ‘Whatever Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns belongs to Allah, the Messenger, the near relative, the orphans, the needy, and the traveler.’ Abu Jafar (a) said: ‘This verse was revealed specifically concerning us. Whatever belonged to Allah and the Messenger belongs to us. We are the near relatives; we are the needy, for our need of the Messenger of Allah (s) never departs; and we are the travelers, for no path is known except through us. The entire command belongs to us.’ Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 32, p. 258. (Commentator.)
↑ [89] Al-Baqara 2:83.
↑ [90] Al-Nisa 4:54.
↑ [91] Al Imran 3:31.
References
- ↑ Ahmed Al-Hasan. The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2. Question 69; Page Not available. AL-JAWAB-AL-MUNIR-V2-Q069. View Arabic source
Cite this page
Ahmed Al-Hasan. The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2. Question: 69. Page: Not available. AL-JAWAB-AL-MUNIR-V2-Q069. https://ahmedalhasan.org/ar/Library/BookContent/52