Meeting with the Ayatollah

Iran along with Iraq is the stronghold of Shia Knowledge and the institutions of Knowledge known as Hawzas are based in these two countries and more specifically the two main centres of learning are in Najaf in Iraq and Qum in Iran. These religious seminaries are run by the high ranking clerics known as Grand Ayatollahs - a term of define the personnel within the institution of Marjiyyah. The Grand Ayatollahs or Marajae are the religious figures who are a source of emulation for the millions of Shias around the world following the concept known as Taqleed.

During my visit to Iran previously I had been honoured to meet many of the high ranking clerics. However this time around it was different and in many special as well. Ayatollah MakaremShirazi is a grand ayatollah who resides in the Holy city of Qum where he runs a seminary of religious studies. Many thousands around the world follow him in matter pertaining to the Sharia and Jurisprudence. He is also an author of many great books and articles as well as an exegesis of the Holy Quran.

We sat off to visit him on a Friday evening in Mashad, his office was near the Haram of Imam al-Ridha [a] which was quite a norm for the high ranking clerics. We were welcomed by some of his students and aides into a small room which seemed like a place where gatherings are usually held by the Grand Ayatollah.

His speech was quite inspiring and interesting for the youths, he talked about how the portrayal of Islam should be in our countries due to us being representatives of the religion in the respective countries, he touched on that the distortion of the image of Islam is mainly due to the Wahhabi ideology that is prevalent. He also talked about how the youths should be the pioneers in the fields of science and industry in their countries and taking up roles which show progression to the world regarding Muslims. His vision was that the Muslims previously were pioneers of certain subjects of education and that era should be revived and re-established within the Muslim Ummah.

Lastly and the most important point of the day was regarding unity. He stressed the importance of unity during these times especially when different factions in Islam are causing problems between one another. He stated that the youths should be responsible and try to not create discord or divisions as Muslims and try to unite so that the world does not see the Muslims as scattered pieces. His speech ended with a note of thanks and prayers for the youths and hoping that they benefited from the Ziyarah of Imam al-Ridha [a].

While it was a short speech it touched on many of the points that are a cause for concern within the Muslim Ummah. I for one really appreciate his awareness to the extremist Wahhabi ideology and his advice for us youths on how to counter it by being non-confrontational as such. Ethics and moral do play a big role in enlightening others and this is sometimes the best approach. The speech was followed by a session of Q&A with the Grand Ayatollah.

I have included the full transcript of the speech in this entry for the readers.

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful

I am very glad to see you youths, who have come from various European countries as well as other Western countries for this Ziyarah trip. I will begin my speech by addressing the youths from the West.

You that live out there are the messengers and representatives of Islam. Therefore your conduct can spread the religion or prevent this spread of religion. Both your responsibilities and rewards are more. The enemies of Islam have started a dangerous campaign against us in the media.

They portray Islam to be a religion of violence and not love and peace. The reason behind this propaganda is because of the Wahhabi's who are causing problems everyday. We have to show through our conduct that these people are a minority. The best sign we can present is the Holy Book where 113 Surahs start with Bismillah. So we need to undo this propaganda by our conduct.

They say that the Muslim population is very backward. We have to prove through our actions by planning scientific and industrial developments in order to prove that this is wrong thinking. We should remind them that the subjects of Sciences, Maths and Humanities were all developed by the Muslims in the recent ages. Inshallah you all work in these fields as well.

The conflict about the differences within the Muslims is also something which is picked up by the enemies of Islam. They show us very divided people. It is the responsibility of all Muslims that which ever sect they are from they do not cause any division or differences.

When I see you youths, I see Islam spreading through the likes of you.

I pray with wholeheartedly that you leave this city with your sins forgiven, with light of the AhlulBayt [a] in your heart and I sincerely pray for all of you with the intercession of Imam al-Ridha [a].

Supplication: Armament of the Believer

One of the beautiful aspects of any religious trips is those times when one connects with Allah and the AhlulBayt [a]. Be it through Ziyarah, Dua, Supplication or Munajaat; these resources all are abundant in nature and constantly remind us of our Creator as well as the Infallible ones. We are lucky to have such great supplications which have the strength to re-affirm our faith in this beautiful religion and to keep us on the right path.

Thursday nights are special, you see people from all over gather over in the Haram of Imam al-Ridha [a] for Dua Kumayl. It was one of those times where one wishes they could just remain in this vicinity forever; the atmosphere is buzzing with spirituality, the whispers of supplication and the raised hands are a sight to cherish. I had missed this for a very long time, living in the West we are never subjected to such a gathering and the spiritual effects of it so this was a great opportunity.

I would delve into the importance of Supplications but I felt it would be better to include an article which highlights this quite eloquently:

Armament of the Believer

"Call your Lord day and night, for Du'a is the weapon of a believer," said Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny).

Bringer of blessings, reverser of destiny, remover of adversaries, and the shield of a believer – these are some descriptions of the most powerful weapon of a believer: Du'a (supplication). Perhaps one of the reasons why the significance of Du'a is sometimes underestimated is because it is not obligated upon us. If it were made compulsory, we would look towards it with more seriousness. On examining this issue closely, we will find that it is pointless to compare Du'a with the rest of our obligations, simply because of its unique and private nature. When we supplicate, our heart communicates directly with our Lord with no medium in between, and we allow His mercy and blessings to engulf us from all sides. Hence, Du'a not being an obligation provides no excuse for us to stay away from this blessing.

It can also be argued, "If Allah knows my needs, then what good is it for me to ask Him?" No doubt Allah knows our needs more than we ourselves do, but to make such a claim is evidence to the fact that the purpose and meaning of Du'a has not been properly understood. By invoking Allah through Du'a, our attention and hopes are completely directed towards the Almighty. It is also a confession of our insignificance and helplessness without Him. The Du'a is a means of belittling our ego; therefore the Quran proclaims that to neglect Dua is actually a sign of arrogance! (23:60)

Allah says in the Quran, "Call on Me, I will answer you." (40:60) Does this mean our Du'a will always be accepted? Sure, but not as promptly as we might think. Furthermore, some Du'as may not be accepted at all. Does this make us give up our hopes? No, it must not. Rather, it should arouse our curiosity to look into the rationale behind why our Du'as are not being accepted. Some reasons can be lack of sincerity, doubtfulness in the acceptance of Du'a, asking Allah for something which is not permissible, or simply that Allah does not deem what you ask appropriate for you. Also, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) had said: "He who prays but does not exert effort is like the one who shoots without a bow-string." The biggest reason for non-acceptance of Du'as may just be that!

Although Du'a is a means of fulfilling our desires, but its benefits extend farther. As stated earlier, true supplication weakens our egos and uproots all elements of pride. Hence it becomes a great tool for nurturing our spirituality! In addition, it is highly recommended to supplicate in the manner directed by the Infallibles (peace be upon them). These are the supplications that we find in books such as Mafatih al-Jinan, Sahifa Sajjadiya, and the like. They guide us towards the perfect means of approaching Allah, but also illuminate our imagination and increase our awareness (Marifah) of our Creator. Thus, Du'as are perhaps the best sources of Islamic teachings on spirituality.

Let's not forget that we are never unarmed. Our insignificant selves leave us with no means other than Du'a. As Imam Ali says in Du'a Kumayl: "O You who is readily pleased – forgive one who owns nothing but supplication!"

For detailed information about Du'a and related topics, please refer to the book Oddatol Daee (The Asset of a Supplicant), available online.

We pray to Allah to strengthen our belief and to keep us steady on the right path and to give us the ability to be Shia of AhlulBayt [a] in every manner.

A Pure Heart

The heart of the person is a place of tranquility if it is pure and embraced with the remembrance of Almighty. An example of such a heart is rare in these times nevertheless there was one example that remained amongst the creation until very recently and that was Ayatollah Bahjat [r]. A man who was pure, spiritual and gentle in his character towards all. He was someone who had reached the high spiritual levels and became an example for all.

In Iran, I had the oppurtunity to meet Ayatollah Bahjat [r] with the group in Mashad. While I had the honour of meeting him previous years the feeling is always different to be in his presence each time. We were at the hussainiyah near his office in Mashad where he had arranged for a majlias to take place on the occasion of the martyrdom of Imam Al Kadhim [a]. The gathering started with the recitation of Ziyarat e Ashura followed by a lecture from Agha Rasheed Yazdi. In his lecture, the Agha highlighted on the need to for purification of the heart to self develop and slowly become a better person. He mentioned various methods to do this and emphasised greatly on abstaining from sinning, as sinning is what causes man to stop evolving spiritually and finds himself with obstacles.

Meeting such personalities is a time to seek lessons for ourselves, to understand that the flaws within our characters and to try to remove them. Polishing our hearts so that it reflects the shining light of piety and eman is a goal that we should seek. Our hearts are plagued by many spiritual diseases such as backbiting, jealousy, riya etc and sometimes we are unable to realise that we possess such vices. If we fail to remove these vices they become an obstacle in our journey towards God which is the ultimate goal.

Ayatollah Bahjat [r] was a person who had achieved a great status of piety through his sincerity and his good actions. He was someone who had always indicated that one should act in a just manner and do actions which conform with the Sharia for the happiness of Allah lies in that.

For me meeting him bought back alot of memories, this person was someone who had inspired me along with many to work towards a change in ourselves. While leaving from the gathering images from previous meetings flowed in my head reminding me of how great a feeling it is to see someone so spiritually awaken and aware of the reality and to learn from them. Many of us were fortunate to see him and meet him, not knowing that this would be the last time we would be seeing him.

On 17th May, this holy man returned to his Lord with a pure heart. His return has left a void forever which is irreplaceable for that day the Ummah lost a very big asset. We are from Allah and onto Him we shall return

May Allah elevate his status in the hereafter and grant patience to his family.

Inna Lillah Wa Inna Ilayhee Rajioon - A tribute to Ayatollah Bahjat [r]

Following the Footprints

Nishapur, a small city located out of Mashad is well known for the 'Qadmgah' – a place where the footprints of Imam Al Ridha [a] have been preserved from the time he went through this village till today. In and around Nishapur there are graves and shrines of many Imamzadehs as well as certain religious figures.

However the importance of Nishapur and its relevance has been exalted due to a prominent event that occurred there during the journey of Imam Al Ridha [a] from Medina to Toos. On his way the Imam [a] narrated a hadith which became preserved in the pages of history as the Hadith of the Golden Chain. The Imam [a] stopped at the town of Nishaphur and in a large gathering he narrated; 'The Kalima of 'La Ilaha Illallah' is My Fort and whoever enters it is safe from My punishment'. The people witnessing this scene started voicing the Kalima. After a short while, the Imam [a] stated further; 'But all depends on some conditions, and I am considered one of those conditions.'

It is interesting to note the statement that the Imam [a] mentions after stating the first part of the hadith. It sheds light on two fronts; the necessity of believing in the Imamah as well as adhering to the commandments of the Immaculate Imams [a] in our actions. To be successful we have to have firm belief in both these aspects. We, the Shias, have always believed in Muwaddat however we have failed to implement this fully. Muwaddat is not just love but love which is reflected in our actions and our deeds. Love which is not found in our actions is of no use to us, this love that we have can diminish without the actions that strengthen this love.

Incidentally, in Nishapur we find an example of Muwaddat too. A lady by the name of Shatita rests in Nishapur, the shrine of this lady stands out as an example of true love and it is where lessons are to be learned for those with open hearts. Every time I had been to her grave I had heard her story but I had never reflected as to why she was so blessed and had such a great honour until this visit. Her story is very simple but at the same time very beautiful. It reflects of her firm belief and love for the Ahlul Bayt [a]. She had at the time sent some khums money to the Imam [a] of her time, Imam Al Kadhim [a]. She gave one dirhams and a knitted piece of cloth worth four dirhams to the person who was going to see the Imam [a] and she stated; 'Innallah la yestahee minal haqqay' – Allah is proud of the truth even if the amount be small, while giving it to the person going to see the Imam [a]. When this person reaches the Imam [a] and meets him the Imam [a] asks for the knitted cloth and the dirham that was sent by Lady Shatita, he accepts that and in return sends his salaams to her as well as a bag containing 40 dirhams and a coffin cloth made by the Imam's sister using the threads from Fatima [s], the daughter of the Prophet [p]. And the Imam [a] also instructed to convey to Lady Shatita that the Imam [a] would come to recite her funeral prayers. As stated by the Imam [a] all this did occur within a short time of this person returning back to Nishapur and stating everything to Lady Shatita.

This incident is of importanance for ourselves which is that we need to improve in a manner that we are not thinking about the measure of truth nor we are aloof of our duties and responsibilities which relate to the Imam of our time. The way this lady was blessed with by the Imam [a] in the same manner we could also be if we uphold truth and be God-fearing. This is the lesson from my visit to Nishapur, following the footprints which mark success in this world and the hereafter.

May Allah give us the ability to be righteous and God-fearing and to fulfill our obligations and stay away from that which is forbidden.

Inna Lillah Wa Inna Illayhee Rajioon

We are from Allah and onto Him we shall return. One of the saddest and in many ways the lowest points for me on the trip was receiving the death news of my Grandmother with just three days into the trip.

Prior to the trip, I had been debating with myself whether I should go or not. Till the tuesday before the trip commenced my intention was not to go Iran rather go Pakistan with my mother. After much deliberation and discussion with my family, it was concluded that I should go to Iran as my Grandmother's health was improving. I left for Iran a day after my mother had set off for Pakistan to see her mother. In my heart I still was not convinced whether I should be in Iran or not and that uncertainty plagued me throughout.

On Wednesday morning, after Fajr I was sitting talking to few brothers on the trip when I was told that there is a message for me from my sister in UK. Instanteously I knew what the message was and so I called my mother in Pakistan. She informed me that my Grandmother had passed away yesterday [Tuesday afternoon]. Incidentally, it was around the same time as my first Ziyarah which added to the uneasiness within me.

That evening I sat thinking about what course of action should I take from here; do I go back to UK, go to Pakistan to see my mother or stay here in Iran? I had asked the Aalim who was with us and his advice was be patient and stay here. I was not convinced though and hence was still thinking that I had made a big mistake. That night before going to sleep, I was reading the Holy Quran and I came across this particular ayat; [Shakir 2:153] O you who believe! seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient. This particular verse of the Quran struck me like arrow, I was just lost in amazement. The whole day I had been in this dilemma but now I found my answer as to what I needed to do.

This incident also gave me more insight as to how Allah has a plan and He only wills the best for his servants and sometimes we cannot fanthom His wisdom due to our limited ability. So now with my heart at rest I decided to be patient for what has befallen and to continue my journey here in Iran. It was going to be hard as I had not seen my Grandmother for nearly 10 years and now I wont be seeing her at all till the day of Judgement and I missed her alot but I understood that the station of patience is something which requires letting go of many things dearer to you for the sake of Allah. She remains in my prayers everyday and I pray that she is blessed with the company of the Purified Ones [a] in the hereafter.

May Allah bless her soul and elevate her to the a high position in the hereafter

In the loving memory of my Grandmother