Misconceptions of Intercession

This is the kind of Prayer we should aim for, where we actually start feeling as if Allah(swt) is talking to us. This can’t be possible unless we strive day and night and beseech Allah(swt) for help with the intercession of Ahlulbayt (a.s.).  Unfortunately, many people misunderstand the concept of intercession, to the extent that followers of the Ahlulbayt (a.s.) are often labeled as mushriks (polytheists) by many groups of Sunni Muslims.  It is essential for us to be clear on what is shirk and what is not, and to be certain that intercession is not only allowed but encouraged in Islam.  


Shirk means associating partners (in any of the exclusive divine attributes) with Allah (swt).  Of course, if one believes in idols or gods besides Allah (swt), then one is a mushrik, as one violates the first condition for being a Muslim: believing in "la illaha il Allah" (there is no god but Allah).  However, this is not the only form of shirk, and shirk can often be quite subtle.  For example, if one follows one's own reason rather than obeying the clear commands of Allah (swt), one could be committing an act of shirk, by putting oneself at the level of Allah (swt).  Also, if one thinks that a creature can create another creature independently from his Lord, then one has committed an act of shirk, because everything is created by the permission of Allah (swt).  A perfect example of this is found in the Holy Qu'ran.  Allah (swt) says about Prophet Jesus (a.s.): 


"And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers."  (Holy Qu'ran 3:49, trans. Sahih International)


Jesus (a.s.) was a prophet and he was given the ability to create a bird, but only with the permission of Allah (swt).  Likewise, he could raise the dead to life, but again only with the permission of Allah (swt).  Jesus (a.s.) makes it clear that he could not have done either of these miracles independently, which makes it obvious that Jesus (a.s.) should neither be treated as an independent deity nor as part of a trinity, as many Christians believe.


Now, why do some incorrectly claim that seeking intercession from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) is a form of shirk?  It is because they think we seek help from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) independently from Allah (swt).  If we did ask the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) for help, incorrectly thinking that they could help us without permission from Allah (swt), then we would be committing an act of shirk.  However, intercession in the school of thought of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) means asking for help, knowing that Allah (swt) is the ultimate provider.  It is just like asking someone to du'a for you, or going to the doctor to seek a cure for your illness.  Of course, Allah (swt) is the only cure, but this does not mean we should not go to the doctor!  The doctor, the medicine, the person who dua's for you etc. are all means or agents that act exclusively by Allah (swt)'s permission.  This is the system that Allah (swt) has created for us--to receive something, we sometimes need to seek others, while indirectly receiving everything from our Lord.  If we received everything we needed directly from Allah (swt), there would be no life in this dunya as we know it!  We could simply ask Allah (swt) for our food, for our education, for the ability to enter paradise etc.  But Allah (swt) wants us to strive for success in this life---that is the entire point of this life; it is a test!


Furthermore, some claim that it is wrong to seek intercession from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) because they are no longer alive (with the exception of Imam Mahdi (ajtf).  It is true that their physical bodies are no longer alive, but why should that mean they cannot intercede for us?  Their souls are still alive, so why should they need to walk on this Earth in order to help us?  Allah (swt) states clearly, "And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, 'They are dead.' Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not." (The Holy Qur'an 2:154, trans. Sahih International).  All of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) have been martyred for the sake of Allah (swt), and thus they are all still alive.


However, this does not at all mean we should not ask Allah (swt) for help directly.  We should always pray to our Lord directly, but we should additionally seek intercession from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).  One may ask why it is not sufficient to ask Allah (swt) for help.  In my opinion, by seeking the intercession of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) we understand their importance, and more importantly we strengthen our connection with them.  While the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) are not present in this life, we must still have a connection with them to keep them as role models in our lives, and one way to establish this connection is by seeking intercession.  Allah (SWT) knows whether or not we deserve something.  By no means can the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) change Allah (swt)'s view of us, but by seeking intercession, we prove that we understand and love the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), which in turn makes us more deserving of what we seek from Allah (swt).


Therefore, intercession is clearly not shirk, and in fact it gets us closer to the Ahlul Bayt (AS), and thus closer to Allah (swt).  Hence, intercession is encouraged in Islam.  Of course, we understand why intercession is both permissible and encouraged, but how can we voice our beliefs over the widespread propaganda of our staunch enemies?

Salat: The Me’eraj of Mumin

One should make a point of perfecting their prayer, and then take other active and practical steps towards achieving true submission to Allah (swt), and implementation of the path of the Ahlulbayt (as). Unless the first step, i.e., perfection of prayers is completed, it would be hard to move on to the next stages. The question that arises here is: "what constitutes a perfect prayer?"

Imam Al-Sadiq(a.s) narrates some conditions that might lead to perfection of prayers

• Salat will not be complete till a person performs the ablutions (Wudhu) completely and prays without any   shortcomings.
• Unawareness, hypocrisy and deviation should be totally discarded.
• He should recognize Allah(swt) and stand before Him with total cognition.
• A feeling of humility and modesty should encompass him.
• He should find himself between complete hope and absolute despair, patient as well as anxious. That is, he should stand as if Allah’ promises will be fulfilled for him and that His threats will be actualized against him.
• He should put aside his own honor and dignity.
•  His aim and goal should be right in front of his eyes.
• He must submit his heart to the Almighty and tread on His path.
• He should not be distanced with his prayers to such an extent that his relationship with his Lord is totally severed. Remember, he is standing before Him who is his aim and brought for Him his own gift, and at the same time, hoping for His Help, Assistance and Grace.

Ref:Salat (Prayer): The Mode of Divine Proximity and Recognition By Ayatullah Mirza Mahdi Isfahani 

Another question that might come up is: "how do you stand before Allah(swt) with full recognition?" We can only love someone if we understand their attributes and personality, so how can we expect to love Allah(swt) when we don’t know anything about Him? Therefore it’s important to read/understand Quran and recognize His greatness and magnificence. Ayatollah Khorasani in one of his lectures stated that one should complete a Quran every month and dedicate it to Imam Zamana(ajtf). After a year on Shab-e-Qadr when Imam(ajtf) will look at our deeds file he will see how we have read Quran for his sake. You can imagine how happy he will be and what the reward for that could be. If we love the AhlulBayt(s.a), Allah(swt) has promised to love us. Once this mutual love develops, our prayers can truly become our Meeraj.

To see an example of what happens when this level of worship is reached let’s look at another example from the life of the sixth Imam(a.s). Sayyid Ibn Tawus(r.a) in the Falah al-sa'il, states:

Imam(a.s) was once reading Quran in his salat. He went into a swoon, and when he emerged from it he was asked, "What was it that led you into that state?" He gave a reply, which meant, "I continued repeating verses of the Qur'an until I reached a state wherein it was as if I heard them directly from Him Who had sent them down. And it is beyond human power to witness Divine glory.

This is the kind of Prayer we should aim for, where we actually start feeling as if Allah(swt) is talking to us. This can’t be possible unless we strive day and night and beseech Allah(swt) for help with the intercession of Ahlulbayt (a.s.).

Baby Steps

“O you who believe! Enter into submission one and all and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan; surely he is your open enemy."

[Surah Baqarah: 108]

We must try to implement the lifestyle of the Ahlul Bayt (ع) in all aspects of our lives, from the way we pray to the way we preach, from the way fast to the way we eat, from the way we entered this life to the way we will leave it, both with a clean slate Insha'Allah. The question then is how to fully implement the lifestyle of the Ahlul Bayt (as). It is easy enough for one to adapt changes into their lifestyle every now and then, or to cherry pick what one perceives as lifestyle changes which are convenient enough. The verse stated above however asks those who have believed to follow the religion in totality, with perfect belief and conviction, not selective submission so to speak.

In order to achieve such perfection, there are many steps which one can take. One way is through following the Ahlulbayt (as). Imam al Baqir (as) gives us a valuable insight into how to become true ‘followers’ of the Ahlulbayt (as). He is reported to have told Jabir:

"Is it enough for a person to (merely) embellish (oneself) as a Shi'ah (follower) by professing love of us, Ahlul-Bayt? Nay! By Allah, a person is not our follower except the one who fears Allah and obeys Him. O' Jabir! Our followers are not recognized save by humility; submission; honesty; praising Allah abundantly; fasting and prayers; filial devotion; attending to the poor, needy, debtors, and orphans who live near him; saying the truth; reciting the Qur'an; withholding the tongue from people except for benediction; and being trustworthy for relatives in any affairs..." [Al Kafi]

So it is easy enough to say: We are followers of the Ahlulbayt! We believe in wilayah, and are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sake of Allah (swt) and the ahlulbayt (as)! A close examination of this statement through looking at our actions and deeds shows that this is not the reality on the ground. How can one claim to love Lady Fatima (as), yet have no or little regard for modesty? We often cry when we remember how Imam Ali (as) was struck while in prayer, but do we have true regard for our prayers?

Taking it a step further, so we pray five times a day, but do we give our prayers the due attention to detail, and seek to perfect our prayers? After all, in a narration from Imam al Baqir (as) he is reported to have said:

“On the reckoning day, the first thing that a servant will be made to reckon for is the prayer, therefore, if it is accepted, the rest of his good actions will be accepted, otherwise his other good deeds will not avail him.” [Bihaar al Anwaar]

Ayatullah Naraki gives us a beautiful lesson on the importance of detail and perfection in prayer. He describes salah using the analogy of a human body and says: Of what use is a body without a soul? It is dead, and therefore incapable of anything. Similarly, in salah, the soul of our prayers is khushuu’ i.e. concentration through keeping the mind and heart attentive to every moment during the salah, not straying in and out. [Khudhuu on the other hand refers to keeping the limbs/body attentive during the prayer and not making movements that are not part of the prayer]. He then goes on and describes a body which lacks all vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, or any of them. Again, survival of the body without the vital organs is practically impossible. Similarly, in prayer, the ‘vital organs’ are the pillars/rukn of salah, and their presence and perfection is necessary for the ‘survival’ of salah. He then looks at other parts of the body, which though not vital organs are useful to the body, and to having a quality life, such as the limbs. In salah, the ghayr rukn are these limbs/non-vital organs. Sure, not having them does not “kill” the prayer, but they certainly reduce the quality of it. The body also has extra parts which function mainly for the added beauty of the body, and which though not vital to its survival, make for a beautiful form, such as a flawless complexion, or having beautifully shaped eyes. The perfecting/beautifying aspects of prayer are the mustahibaat/recommended acts of prayer, such as the prolonged sujoods and qunoots (Greater Sins).

One should make a point of perfecting their prayer, and then take other active and practical steps towards achieving true submission to Allah, and implementation of the path of the Ahlulbayt (as).

Introduction

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.


"O' Thou who knoweth my destitution and starvation, O' Lord! O' Lord! O' Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy glory and Thy honour, by Thy supremely high attributes and by Thy names to cause me to utilise my time, day and night, in Thy remembrance, by engaging myself in serving Thee (Thy cause) and to let my deeds be such as to be acceptable to Thee, so much so that all my actions and offerings (prayers) may be transformed into one continuous and sustained effort and my life may take the form of constant and perpetual service to Thee."
--from Du'a Kumayl (adapted from duas.org)


Peace be upon you!

This is not an ordinary blog.
 
It is an experiment.
     
It is a community project.
 
It's purpose?
To foster creativity in the youth of our community, and more importantly to increase our spirituality, faith, and devotion to the path of the Ahlul Bayt (ع).  Now that you have the motivation, here are the specifics.

The Rules

• Every blog post must start with the last sentence of the previous post (which will always be italicized).
• Anyone can write a post, and e-mail it to spiritualladder@gmail.com, or if you have a Blogger account ask to be added as a contributor to the blog.  
• If the post meets some undetermined, flexible criteria, it will be published Insha'Allah.  
• Your post should be within 250 and 800 words.
• Your post will be edited as the editor(s) see fit.
• This is the first post, so the second one will start with the last sentence of this one.

The Recommendations

• Keep in mind what you choose for your last sentence.  It should be relatively easy to continue writing about, but not too easy.
• Try to stay on topic with the first sentence.  Don't just write a few words related to it, and continue with unrelated topics.  
• While the blog as a whole is meant to focus on spirituality and the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt (ع), it is okay to discuss other themes within your post, such as comparative religion, education, science, technology, or history, but try to avoid topics of a political nature (especially ones with a political agenda).  
• While continuity is a motivation for this blog (see epigraph from Du'a Kumayl), feel free to change topics, as long as it relates to the first sentence.  Also feel free to debate or present points that may differ from those already presented, so long as it is done in a civilized manner.
• Please try to write as professionally as possible.  Try to avoid typos, but if you cannot, we will try to remove them.  Also, if you notice any typos or bad grammar please point them out to us.

One of the goals of this blog is to improve the writing of youth in our community. Professional writing is very important for our youth.  Unfortunately, many of us do not take writing very seriously, and when we have good points to share, we do not present them in a clean, easy-to-read, or professional way.  We live in a world of "lol"s and "brb"s, but if our religion was founded on such a world, would we really follow it?  One of the most attractive features of Islam is the beauty of the Holy Qur'an: the juxtaposition of rhythmic eloquence and profound meaning, outer simplicity and inner complexity makes the Holy Qur'an an alluring magnet to those who are willing to be moved.  The same can be said of the wonderful du'as of the Ahlul Bayt (ع).  If the Imams (ع) did not preach with the eloquence that they did, would we have been captivated by them?  Would their ahadith have stood the test of time if they spoke with speech akin to that of the colloquial speech of today?  It is true that we live in different times, and perhaps we need to use a different form of speech, but that does not mean we should use a lower quality of speech or writing.  The Holy Qur'an, the du'as, and the ahadith have not changed in their original Arabic, and it is in their original language that they are the most captivating.  We must try to implement the lifestyle of the Ahlul Bayt (ع) in all aspects of our lives, from the way we pray to the way we preach, from the way fast to the way we eat, from the way we entered this life to the way we will leave it, both with a clean slate Insha'Allah.