Q. 48
Fydor Dostoevsky wrote: "Imaging that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end, giving them peace and rest at last, but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death only one tiny creature ... and to found that edifice on its unavenged tears, would you consent to be the architect on those conditions?"
This question could be seen from three different angles:
1. It can imply that life has no meaning, because God -who is Almighty- does not need our servitude, so then why are we created to suffer?
2. It can also imply that life with all its miseries cannot result in other than absolute pessimism, so why shall we live?
3. It can as well question whether the believers will accept the challenge of a descent leadership on earth, while it involves -at the end of the day- the commitment of certain unjust acts?
The first question was posed by another philosopher, i. e. Leo Tolestoy, who said:
Without knowing why I am and why I am here, life is impossible.
Indeed we may hear this question from an atheist, either with a hidden agenda to perplex, or to confuse a believer, or to proof his religion wrong. The best response is to refer the question back to him. We reply: "Why ask us? If you are an evolutionist, so return to your origin and enquire from them. (Animals, mother nature -human through development- human by birth -etc.). So why do you not ask the apes?" And if they are humanists -not evolutionists-, and believe that they are free and responsible themselves (Human being's existence necessitates freedom and responsibility, which leads to birth etc ...) so why do they not ask
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themselves or their forefathers? Thus a non-believer will either be referred back to ask the apes, or to himself.
Human beings have of course limitations and however much one tries to understand the whole of Allah's reasoning behind creation, one cannot exceed a certain limit.
However if a believer poses the question, we have to look at the first Human beings, Adam and Eve. The story is that they were in the garden enjoying a state of unaware perfection. After temptation came to them through Satan, he said: "I swear by Allah (s.w.t) this is the tree of eternity." He succeeded in seducing them into eating from the tree of eternity -to become immortal- and then fell after a transformation into a new state of trial-life on earth. They were placed on earth in order to strive for a state of aware perfection. However on earth there are other tasks that include reproducing the new generation, who shall inherit the earth and rule over it with God's blessing.
Thus our souls had a taste of paradise before we came here to earth and we naturally desire to return to that blissful state. The aim of creation is thus to live eternally in Paradise, and any 'suffering' in the literal sense but rather a means to achieve internal peace and eternal happiness. (See for example our answer to Q. 44)
We can take the day of Karbala as the best example. The closer Imam Husayn (as) and his companions came to death, the happier they were. This historical fact reflects that Imam Husayn (as) and his companions had realized that happiness cannot be attained without knowing Allah (swt). Once they reached that stage they were ready to receive the final reward.
So how do we know Allah? A tradition says that if you want to know Allah, know yourself! Another tradition says that if you want to know yourself, you must realize that you are from God and to Him will you be returned. Therefore one can claim that we are nothing in the sense that whatever we are, it is because of the faculties Allah has given us. He has breathed some of his "Spirit" into us. Therefore we can find in ourselves a tiny fiction of Allah's attributes, which we have to fulfill or achieve consciously
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or unconsciously. If you observe around you, you can understand the love behind Allah's (swt) creation. God is the Creator and He is taking care of what he has created. He is "Rab al Alameen". The Looker After (Lord Cherisher) His creation (of the worlds).
Allah (swt) is the Most Perfect, therefore we should strive towards perfection. He is the Most Loving, so we also have to love. He is the Creator, so we also imitate Him in creation, through being the means by whom God achieves his goals. We struggle to have children, because we love, and in order to follow the Divine example we teach them and pass on through our care, our love and knowledge, so that they may become divine as well.
One might argue that we act on "instinct" or on an "urge" in that we still have a choice whether to have children or not. If we choose not to have choice whether to have children or not. If we choose not to have children, we deprive ourselves from the wonderful experience of caring, giving, sharing and receiving all these in return. We are in a way trying to achieve godliness while at the same time being servants of Almighty God. In conclusion, we are not suffering, but moving towards perfection, and following the Divine example, which shall result in an eternal happiness.
Let us now deal with the second structure, i. e. this question could imply that life, with all its miseries, must lead us into profound pessimism. One is obliged to evaluate things with a through assessment. The Swahili proverb says:
"Usikumbuke uovu ukasahau fadhila" which means: Don't only remember the evil things, while forgetting to be thankful for the good deeds.
This offers wise advice so as to pass judgement based on both, the good and bad side of everything.
322 Life reflects both good and bad aspects, but one should not sacrifice the positive sides for what appears to be negative. We have seen many individuals who considered this life as negative in general. However, even one of the most pessimistic of philosophers, would not hold to such a doctrine. No one can truly be an absolute pessimist in life. Even one of the most pessimistic philosophers in history, Schopenhauer,
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322. KANGA WRITINGS, by Hassan Ali, Ottawa, Canada, 1995. A Swahili/English Website.
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did not really hold that no value is attainable in life. After all aesthetic contemplation, artistic genius, a life of philanthropy and justice, asceticism, and renunciation of the will, all are supreme values to some human individuals. The individual who escapes from the will achieves nothing less than 'salvation', which seems to be a state whose value is unassailable. All of this is true; but it conflicts with 'pessimism' only if you think pessimism is the view that nothing is of any value at all. It does not conflict with Schopenhauer's views that non-existence would have been preferable and that this world is the worst possible world. The values of will-lessness are genuine, but only by being, according to Schopenhauer, some amelioration of the worst situation possible. Someone might object that a worse world still, would be one in which even the salvation of will-less resignation was not open to us. But Schopenhauer's reply would be that in that case existence would be so intolerable that no one who really understood its nature would be able to endure it. It would, in that sense, not be a possible existence.
323
Looking at the question from a third angle, we could see at how Imam Ali (as) answered a similar question:
I swear by Allah if I am offered all the things in the seven heavens and all that is under the sun on this earth in exchange for the husk of a barely grain from the mouth of an ant, I will never commit this sin.324
Allah (swt) has placed destiny into the hands of man, allowing them choice and giving them the option of bringing about a self-made future. He will assist and guide them, step by step, and give them the necessary instruments and tools for their journey towards perfection. He will keep telling them: "I am going to make mankind My representative on this earth."
325 He will give them theoretical guidance by telling them "Your nation is only one nation, and I only am your Lord, so worship Me."
326 And he will give them the wisest practical advice: "Threat others as your expect them to treat you."
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323. German philosophers, Christopher Janaway, p.326, England
324. Muzaffar, Muhammed Ridha, The Faith of Shi'a Islam, p.112, Islamic Seminary Publications, 1985
325. Qur'an 2:30
326. Qur'an 2:30
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Humanity has the option to make use of this guidance, and to build a just future not based on oppression or injustice.
Summary
In this chapter in which we have concluded the message of this book we discussed our conception of victory. We have also discussed Nostradamus, and the people who quote him for their interest, and we have made a comparison between two Shi'ah eschatological beliefs. As well we have discussed the appearance of Al-Mahdi (as), the signs, the deadline, the tasks, and the benefits of having an Imam in occultation. Finally we have throughly discussed the definition of Justice and have tried to clarify the distinctions between the impostors and the real Imam (as).
We have arrived at the end of this book. I invite the reader to read the following poem and supplication. The first poem is by James Martin Gray (1851-1935) who wrote these words about the reappearance of the Savior:
The Savior who loves me
This saints will be with Him, O heavenly bliss!
How tearful the parting from faces we miss!
But clouds are descending, and we who remain
Are caught up to meet them with Jesus again!
O hearts that are weary, and sinful, and sad,
We carry the tidings that make us so glad;
We punish the Savior o'er mountain and plain;
The Lord who redeemed us is coming again!327
A young contemporary girl -who is keen to be a poet Ms. M. Sadeqhi- writes the following poems. She wrote about Al-Mahdi (as) as she was inspired by this book's information:
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327. http://tch.simplenet.com/htm/s/saviorwl.htm
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The Hope of the Innocent
The hope of the innocent ...
In the darkness of the night,
In the soft, cold twilight,
Coming with the soft, morning breeze,
Come the voices of the Muslims, their cries and pleas,
Like a ship marooned in the sea,
Like a forest without the trees,
Like a hive without a queen,
We are, without the leader of our faith,
Whenever and wherever there is injustice,
Whenever and wherever the dust we must kiss,
Our voices raise high and loud,
All of us, even the strong and proud,
Call your name, await the day.
When you will come and you will stay,
A red light in the sky will be a sign,
And misery in Iraq and dying,
And two eclipse in Ramadhan,
Then, like the moon coming out from behind the sun,
Like the stars coming out in the midnight sky,
Like the rain coming from the cloud, up high,
You will appear and free the world,
And like a rose's soft scent everywhere will be
filled with Allah's word ...
I beseech Thee, O Mahdi
O Mahdi, I beseech thee ...
Just like the sun bihind the cloud,
Just like the earth spinning round,
Just like the stars in the night,
You are hidden till the time is right,
In the end the righteous will be triumphant,
You will return and free the believers,
With your divine sword of light,
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You will bring to the world, peace and delight,
When you come you will destroy all treason,
And fill the world with love and reason,
Towards the Ka'abah you will stand,
Shout your return and take Allah's hand,
And echo it will, Allah's word,
Here and there and all over the world,
And when you, yourself reveal,
All the oppressed will to you appeal,
When you return O Mahdi,
To assist you is our duty,
In respect to your name, true Muslims stand,
In your assistance few, raise their hand,
When you come, you will bring salvation,
Salvation, to every nation,
Everyone likes the fruit to eat,
But no one wants to sow and reap,
So, your companions, will be few,
But rare and sweet like morning dew,
Behind you will sweet Jesus pray,
Which will make the Christians Shahada, say,
For seven years you will be our king,
And for you birds will sweetly sing,
So beautiful the world will be when you are there,
That the dead will want to return and share,
In your hands is Islam's soft flame,
And this can be seen in your name,
O Mahdi, I beseech thee,
I beseech thee, O Mahdi ...
I would like now to write the English translation of the famous supplication (Dua'a al-A'had), which is related to the relationship of a believer to his Imam. It has been narrated that it is recommended for everyone to recite this supplication in order to stay in constant contact with Imam Al-Mahdi (as) and feel his
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presence all the time. And by reading this supplication our book has reached its final message:
O Allah! Lord of The GREAT Light,
Lord of the elevated Throne,
Lord of the tumultuous seas
and the Revealer of the Tawrah, Injeel and Zaboor,
Lord of the shadows and the warmths
and the revealer of the Great Quran.
Lord of the proximate angels
and prophets and messengers.
O Allah!
I beseech Thee, for the sake of Your noble visage
and Your ever existing kingdom,
O ever living
O controller!
I beseech Thee in Your name,
Which lights the heavens and the earths;
and in Your name,
by which the ancient and the latter ones become upright.
O Ever Living who was before every living being.
O Ever Living who shall (exist) after every living being.
O Ever Living who existed when there was no life.
O giver of life to dead.
O One who causes death to the living one.
O Ever Living, there is no God except Thou.
O Allah send blessings to our Master the Leader, the guide.
The Guided, the upriser with Your command.
Blessings of Allah be on him
and his pure forefathers
from all the believing man and believing women.
In the easts of the earth and its wests,
in its plains and its mountains,
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its hands and its seas,
from me and my parents.
Blessings which are the weight of Allah's throne and ink of His
words,
and whatever His knowledge enumerates and his book
encompasses.
O Allah! Renew for him my covenant, pledge and allegiance in my neck in the morning of this day of mine and whatever days (of my life) I live.
I shall never turn away from it nor let it vanish.
O Allah appoint me among his helpers, his alders and his protectors.
Those who hasten to fulfill his commands and obey his orders.
Those who are his supporters and compete with each other to
(fulfil) his intention
and seek martyrdom in his presence.
O Allah! If death occurs between me and him
(before the reappearance) (Death) which You have made obligatory and
decreed for your servants,
then raise me from my grave,
wrapped in my shroud,
my sword unsheathed,
My spear bared,
answering the call of the caller of the caller
in cites as well as deserts.
O Allah! show me the rightly guided face of the Imam (as),
the praise worthy moon (referring to the face of Imam (as))
and enlighten my vision by looking at him.
hasten his reappearance,
make his arrival smooth,
vasten his path,
make me tread on this way
and implement his authority
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and strengthen his back.
O Allah inhabit your cities through him and give life to your
servants due to him
For surely You have said and Your word is truth,
"corruption will become rampant in land and on sea because of the
evil which men's hand have earned"
Then O Allah manifest for us Your slave and the son of your prophet's daughter,
whose name is the same as that of Your messenger,
so that nothing from falsehood is victorious except that he tears them (falsehood) to pieces,
establishes the truth and the truth confirms him.
And O Allah! appoint him as a refuge for your oppressed servants
and a helper for the one who does not find any helper for himself
except You
and the renewer of all the laws of Your book
which have been tampered with
and the rebuilder of the science of Your religion
and the traditions of Your prophet
peace of Allah be on him and his progeny
And O Allah make him among those whom you have protected
from the evils of the adversaries.
O Allah! and provide joy to your Prophet Muhammed
peace of Allah be on him and his progeny
by his vision
and (the vision of) the one who follows him on his call.
O Allah remove this sorrow (of occultation) from this nation
with his presence and hasten for us his reappearance.
They (the disbelievers) consider it to be distant
while we consider it to be near.
For the sake of Your Mercy, O the Most Merciful of all Mercifuls.
