Cover Page

(Front)
Cover Page
(Front-Back)
 THE MESSAGE
Editor: Hujjat-ul-Islam Wal Muslimeen Sheikh Shabbir H. Lakhani (Maisami)
Editorial Board: Mr. Mazher Ali Jumani, Molana Sajjad Qaimi, Dr. Hussain Kanani,
Mr. Hasnain Nanjiani, Dr. Sana Muhammad Sadiq.
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Email: themessage@zahraacademy.org Web: www.zahraacademy.org
Disclaimer: The Editor does not necessarily agree with the views expressed in the matter
published herein. The views and opinions presented in the Journal reflect the views of the authors
and not of the Journal or its Editorial Board or the Publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.) 02
2 From The Editors Desk 03
3 Your Daily-Life Questions Answered 05
4 Today, The World Needs The Holy Quran 06
5 Fasting - A Body/Mind/Spirit Healing 14
6 The Government of Imam Ali (A.S.) 24
7 The Demise of the Truth 29
8 Importance of Lailatul-Qadr 45
9 Itikaf, The Spiritual Retreat 47
10 Stay hydrated during Ramadan 54
11 Commandments or Prohibitions in Islam 55

Kids Corner
12 What plans do you have for this Ramadan? 61
13 My First Fast 62
14 Kindness of Imam Hasan Mujtaba (A.S.) 64

Published by

Zahra (S.A.) Academy

Institute of Islamic Education, Development & Relief

1
The Message
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)
1. It is incumbent upon you to
seek forgiveness and suppli-
cate excessively in the
month of Ramadan. By
means of supplication, ca-
lamities are warded off
from you, and by means of
seeking forgiveness, your
sins are wiped away.
2. He (Allah Almighty) appor-
tions sustenance, abundant-
ly and sparingly, and He dis-
tributes them to those in
need as well as to those
who prosper, and He is Just
in His allotment in order
that he may test whomever
He wishes with prosperity
or with hardship, and that
He may test therewith the
gratefulness and persever-
ance expressed by both rich
and poor.
3. Three things enable a
servant to attain Allah's
pleasure: persistence in
seeking forgiveness, affabil-
ity towards people, and fre-
quent giving of charity.
2
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
4. The sign of Allah's pleasure
with His servant is the satis-
faction found in the servant
himself with all that Allah
decrees, be it in his favour
or not.
5. Try to the best of your
ability not to displease your
Lord by pleasing any of His
creatures, for verily Allah
can easily substitute a serv-
ant for another but the
servant has recourse to no
other substitute for Allah.
6. The rational man must
calculate his soul's misdeeds
against religion, reason, eth-
ical virtues and good moral
conduct. He must gather
this information within him-
self or write it down in a
book and work at eradicat-
ing them.
7. He who consults with the
wise, seeks for the lights of
intelligence to be enlight-
ened with", (and will recog-
nize right from wrong).






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH The Message

From The Editors Desk

In the name of Allah, the trepidation is normal. It is,
all mercy, the ever mercy. after all, a whole month of
Brothers and Sisters, going without food or water
during daylight. For others,
Salam Alaikum.
there will be other challenges.
The holy month of Ramadan Sympathy for them and their
has started with its long hours parents is necessary.
of fasting by hundreds of
The holy month of Ramadan is
millions of Muslims. It is a way
a time for us to try to be busy
for Muslims to show their
more in praying. This is true
devotion to Allah (SWT), and,
that the fasting time finishes
some say, to understand the
by the evening, but this does
suffering of those who have
not mean that we should
no choice but to go without
resort to things and actions
food.
that brings down the values of
The Ramadan fast is not easy. our fasting and praying.
From dawn to dusk, Muslims
Some TV channels start to
are not supposed to eat, drink
broadcast unethical programs
or smoke, and abstain from all
quickly after Iftar. This
the things, which invalidate
conveys a message that
fast. For hours, they dream
Ramadan is from dawn to
about a sip of water or a bite
evening and we can do
of bread. Then comes the
anything we want after the
iftar, which means breakfast,
evening time. This puts a
but which is often a heavy
negative impact on the
dinner with family and friends.
religious belief of the young-
Then come a few hours of
sters who do not know
freedom from deprivation,
enough about the religion.
until dawn, when the next
days fast begins. Since Islam is a total religion,
Ramadan has a message for
For whom this is their first
the common people, social
Ramadan of fasting some
3
The Message
leaders and politicians as well.
The way the first Arab-
Islamic-American Summit was
turned into an anti-Iranian
show was perhaps most
visible in the speeches made
at the event. This will likely
irritate people of Pakistan and
Turkey as both countries seek
to engage with Iran, instead
of confronting it.
It is not surprising that the
summit totally ignored Pales-
tine and Kashmir cause and
the atrocities committed by
Zionist regime and India on
the people living there. Then
comes Bahrain government,
which is breaking all the
records of unhuman acts on
its people and propagated as
a close friend of United
Shaitan of America. Yemen
being destroyed by Saudis,
Syria already in shackles, but
the only target were Shias.
This is a clear announcement
of war against us. We need to
get ready for this.
One of the main messages of
Ramadan is compassion and
understanding for the less
4
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
fortunate. Unfortunately, our
world, and our region, is sadly
overburdened with people in
need of help. At this time, our
compassion must be with
them and, for those able to
give, some measure of gener-
osity would be a valuable gift.
Zahra (S.A.) Academy has the
honor, Alhamdulillah, to
provide services in this regard.
Some of the important events
of the holy month of Ramadan
are: Wesal of Umm-ul-
Momineen Hazrat Khadija
(S.A), Wiladat Day of Imam
Hasan Mujtaba (A.S.), Sha-
hadat of Amir-ul-Momineen
Hazrat Ali Ibne Abi Talib
(A.S.), Shab-e-Qadr & Juma-
tul-Weda.
May Allah accept all our duas
and acts of worship in this
blessed month and grant us all
a life-changing Ramadan,
whose benefits we continue to
reap for the rest of our lives.
Long live Islam.
Long live Pakistan.
Editor,
Shabbir H. Maisami (Lakhani)






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Your Daily-Life Questions Answered
Q.1: If one fasted and did
not know the rules of
fasting and omitted the
intention, are his fasts
valid?
Ans.: One can consider the
fasting as valid if he doubts
the validity now and there is a
probability that it might be
valid. The intention of fasting
is not difficult to accomplish
and it is correct from every-
one fasting, since he has the
intention as long as he is
fasting.
Q.2: A person who inten-
tionally invalidates his fast
during the month of
Ramadan by committing a
sin, has he to pay all three
kinds of penalty?
Ans.: The penalty of emanci-
pating a slave is waived when
it is no more possible. It
should, however, be clarified
that in our view, it is not
obligatory to pay all three
kinds of penalty for invalidat-
ing a fast during Ramadan by
committing a sin.
5
The Message
Q.3: Is it possible to
swallow phlegm during
the fast?
Ans.: It is permissible.
Q.4: if somebody decided
that he cannot continue
the fast and poured some
water to drink but then
changed his mind and
decided to fast again, is
his fast still valid or not?
Ans.: If he broke the inten-
tion of fasting and decided to
break the fast, even if he did
not actually break it, his fast
is void and he has to make it
up. However, he should still
refrain from the things that
break the fast for the rest of
that day. Also, he does not
have to pay kaffarah.
Q.5: If the person required
to perform the ghusl of
touching the corpse, but
does not do so until after
dawn, can he fast that
day?
Ans.: The fast is not nullified
by this, so he may fast.






The Message
Today, The World Needs The Holy Quran
By: Ayatollah Khamenei - the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
The following is the full text of
the speech delivered on June 7,
2016 by Ayatollah Khamenei,
the Supreme Leader of the
Islamic Revolution, at the
annual Ramadan Quranic
meeting. The meeting was held
on the first day of the holy
month of Ramadan in Imam
Khomeini (r.a.) Hussainiyah.
In the Name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds, and peace
and greetings be upon our
Master and Prophet, Ab-al-
Qassem al-Mustafa Muham-
mad and upon his immacu-
late, pure and chosen house-
hold, especially the one
remaining with Allah on earth.
Welcome, I became very
happy today and I really
benefitted from your recita-
tions. Thankfully, this blessed
circle of reciting and establish-
ing a close relationship with
the Holy Quran has become
wider on a daily basis thanks
6
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
to the Islamic Revolution and
the Islamic Republic. Of
course, today we are suffering
from the loss of these dear
individuals whose photos have
been set up here [the qura
who lost their lives in Mina
during last years hajj cere-
mony]. I think that all of them
were present here with us last
year. Some of them recited
the Holy Quran and we
encouraged and approved of
them.
I hope that Allah the Exalted
will help them reach high
positions of mercy and
forgiveness in the shade of
the Holy Quran and with the
intercession of the Holy
Quran, God willing. I hope
that He will bestow patience
upon their relatives, com-
pletes their half-finished hajj
ceremony and approves of it
in the best way possible.
The Holy Qurans beauty does
not only lie in its concepts and
teachings. Its words are
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
beautiful as well. It was these
beautiful words that im-
pressed and astonished those
whose hearts had been locked
up and who were not willing
to understand, see, benefit
from and accept Quranic
concepts at the time they
were sent down. Even such
individuals were moved
deeply in the face of the
miraculous beauty of such
words. They could not resist
Quranic words. The Holy
Qurans words, rhythm,
method and style are a
miracle in their own right.
The Holy Quran is not a poem
or a piece of prose. It is
neither a poem nor a piece of
prose, but it is as beautiful as
the best poem and the best
piece of prose. Sometimes,
there is meter in some
Quranic ayahs as well, but the
beauty of the Holy Qurans
words does not only lie in
poetic meter. Even when
there is no meter, the beauty
of its words attracts us. It is
not correct to use the word
mesmerize, but we can say
7
The Message
that it steals ones heart. The
Holy Quran is like this.
Well, this beauty should be
used as a tool. The Holy
Qurans goal was not to
display beautiful words so
much so that orators, elo-
quent personalities and poets
would acknowledge its
beauty, bow down before it
and say that it is good and
beautiful. This was not the
only goal of the Holy Quran.
Its goal is that we use this
gate of beauty to reach that
blessed and glorious garden
of Quranic teachings. This is
the goal. Quranic concepts
and teachings are a thousand
times more beautiful than
Quranic words I am saying
this figure as a common figure
in our daily speech, otherwise
it might be thousands of times
more beautiful because we
are not capable of measuring
its beauty exactly. Who will
understand Quranic teach-
ings? Those who contemplate
on it, who open the gates of
their heart and who let these
truths in.
The Message
In every era and in every age,
if a person who is involved in
the affairs of life and for
whom such affairs are im-
portant establishes such a
close relationship with the
Holy Quran, they will under-
stand its miracle. Some
individuals understand more
and some less. And this
understanding is more at
certain times and less at other
times.
In my opinion, if we entrust
our hearts to spirituality and
to the Holy Quran, we can
understand the miracle of
Quranic teachings and the
miracle of the Holy Quran
better than those who lived a
thousand years ago: Verily in
this is a message for any that
has a heart and understand-
ing or who gives ear and
earnestly witnesses the truth
[The Holy Quran, 50: 37]. In
this complicated and stormy
world, in this world that is full
of complications because of
the existence of powers and
scientific progress when the
Holy Quran enters the arena
8
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
and when it speaks to us,
then Surely this Quran guides
to that which is most upright
[The Holy Quran, 17: 9]. We
feel that it really Guides to
that which is most upright and
gives good news to the
believers.
Well, we really take spiritual
joy from the bottom of our
hearts when you good reciters
recite the Holy Quran. I really
enjoy your recitations, wheth-
er your individual or your
collective recitations, and I
really enjoyed the songs that
were performed. I take two
joys from such recitations:
one is the joy that I take
because of these recitations,
voices and performances
themselves and another is the
joy that I take because of
witnessing the growth of
Quranic personalities on a
daily basis. For this humble
person, the second joy is
more important than the first
one. Twenty, thirty years ago,
there was nothing like this.
Before the Revolution, it was
not at all the case that our
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
youth, our middle-aged
individuals, our children, and
our teenagers take the path of
the Holy Quran, of preserving
the Holy Quran and of pursu-
ing methods to recite it.
Well, the beauties that you
created and you should
create as many beauties as
you can: you should definitely
do so should become a door
that leads to Quranic teach-
ings. They should familiarize
us with the Holy Quran and
help up to establish a close
relationship with it. You
should not mistake the Holy
Quran for singing. Singing is a
different issue. Of course, in
the present time, there are
unfortunately some individuals
among Egyptian qura who are
reciters of the Holy Quran, but
who sing it. There are such
individuals. The qura of
previous generations the
likes of Sheikh Mustafa
Ismael, Sheikh Abdul-Fattah
Shashayi and even Muham-
mad Rafat were great
personalities who were
musicians, but they recited
9
The Message
the Holy Quran with a Quranic
rhythm and melody. They did
not allow it to be mixed with
bar songs and such and such
decadent music. Today, some
individuals do not have such
considerations. One can see
this in their recitation. These
beauties should help us get
close to the Holy Quran. They
should strengthen our rela-
tionship with the Holy Quran.
One of the tasks that is very
good if it is carried out in the
country is that we should
have meetings with the
purpose of reciting the Holy
Quran. Of course, such
meetings exist more or less.
Before the Revolution, this
existed in some ways, but
after the Revolution, it has of
course been better and it
exists in a better way. How-
ever, it should be promoted.
Before the Revolution, we had
meetings to read the Holy
Quran from start to finish. I
myself used to hold such
meetings in those years. I
was present in such meetings,
I participated in them and I
The Message
saw them up close. I am not
speaking about such meet-
ings, however. The purpose of
those meetings was to teach
the Holy Quran. Individuals
took turns reading the Holy
Quran one by one and they
used to learn it. What I mean
by a meeting to recite the
Holy Quran is that meetings
should be organized in which
individuals show their pres-
ence and the reciter of the
Holy Quran sits and reads the
Holy Quran for one hour
more or less and the
participants should only listen
to the Holy Quran. They
should come and listen to it.
This is very efficient. Some-
times, this even exerts more
influence than the time when
we ourselves read the Holy
Quran. There are some
individuals who understand
Quranic words the meaning
of Quranic words. Of course,
we non-Arabs are unlucky
that our mother tongue is not
Arabic. Arabs language is the
same as the language of the
Holy Quran. When a qari
10
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
stresses a sentence and when
he repeats it two, three, five
times, all of them know what
he is saying.
If we want to make a crude
comparison, this is like the
sentences from Gulistan of
Saadi that all of us are
familiar with. For example,
Why should those whose
record is clear be afraid of
judgment? When they read
this to us, everyone under-
stands it and everyone listens.
Now, Quranic sentences are a
thousand times wiser both in
terms of quantity and quality.
When a qari reads them, the
Arab audience understands
them, but a non-Arab audi-
ence might and might not
understand them. First of all,
we should try to learn the
language of the Holy Quran.
We should familiarize our-
selves with the language of
the Holy Quran. This is a very
good advantage if we gain it
in society.
In our Constitution and in the
laws that were passed in the
beginning of the Revolution, it
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH The Message

has been stressed that we tions for the Imams (a.s.).

should learn the Arabic One of the two precious
language which is the lan- things is Ahlul Bayt and
guage of the Holy Quran. another is the Holy Quran
Those who do not or cannot [referring to the Holy Proph-
have this opportunity, very ets (S) Thaqalayn hadith: I
well, they can open the Holy leave among you two precious
Quran in front of them and things: the Book of Allah the
look at the translation if they All-Mighty and the Ahlul
do not understand its meaning Bayt].
and listen to the qari when he
So, you should hold meetings
recites the Holy Quran. In this
for the Holy Quran. This is
meeting of ours, qura usually
one of the tasks that will
recite the Holy Quran for 10,
increase the rate of Quranic
12 minutes. However, in those
growth in the country and will
meetings, they should recite it
familiarize the people with the
for as long as 45 minutes, one
Holy Quran if it is carried out
hour. And it should be one,
and promoted by Allahs favor
two individuals who recite it in
and if you men of the Holy
a good voice and by adopting
Quran show determination
the methods that exist for
and organize such meetings.
beautiful and artistic recitation.
It is your duty to do so.
This is one of the things that
And my dear ones, you should
will promote Quranic teach-
know that today, the world
ings in the country: Quranic
needs the Holy Quran wheth-
meetings, meetings for the
er it accepts and acknowledg-
sake of the Holy Quran only.
es it or not. Today, the world
Such meetings are like the
suffers from a void of identity,
ceremonies that we hold to
ideology and faith. A faithless
show our love of the Holy
individual is like an empty
Prophets (S) household (a.s.),
fruit. This is the reason why
such as elegies and celebra-
you see that the rate of

11
The Message Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH

murder and crime is increas- of faith and the Holy Quran on

ing in western countries on a a daily basis, that we learn
daily basis. This is one of the the language to share the
reasons. When you see that Holy Quran with others and
the rate of suicide is increas- that we convey Quranic
ing, this is one of the reasons. teachings. This works like a
strong medicine. When you
Humanity no longer has any
pour one drop of it in a glass
food to satiate the minds,
and give it to a person, he
hearts and souls of individu-
takes it and it works. Howev-
als. Of course, they fabricate
er, if you pour five drops
certain things, but this is not
instead of one, it might fail to
accepted by the hearts of
work and he might not be
peoples. However, the Holy
able to digest it. So, the
Quran can do so. If only one
proper language should be
drop of the Holy Quran not
found. However, we should
the entire Holy Quran, only
satiate ourselves and our
one drop of it is sent to
hearts and souls and we
people with a proper lan-
should fill ourselves with
guage, then hearts will be
Quranic teachings first. We
attracted to it. We ourselves
ourselves need this very
are experiencing and witness-
much.
ing this today. Today, human-
ity needs the Holy Quran. The blessings of the Holy
Quran are not confined to the
The Holy Quran can do
things that I expressed with
whatever it wants in todays
my incomplete explanations.
world. It can work and move
The blessings of the Holy
forward. And powers, super-
Quran are endless blessings.
powers, atomic bombs, the
There is dignity, power,
Zionist regime and the like
progress, material welfare,
cannot do a damn thing. The
spiritual transcendence,
important point is that we
development of ones mind
should strengthen our bases

12
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
and ones belief, joy and
tranquility of ones soul in and
with the Holy Quran. There is
tranquility and peace of mind
in the Holy Quran: Allah sent
down His tranquility to His
Messenger and to the believ-
ers, and made them stick
close to the command of self-
restraint, and well were they
entitled to it and worthy of it
[The Holy Quran, 48: 26].
When that religious tranquility
and religious peace appears,
piety increases: It is He Who
sent down tranquility into the
hearts of the Believers, that
they may add faith to their
faith. This tranquility and
peace of mind increases our
faith on a daily basis.
Faith in what? Faith in God
and in divine power. And it
says afterwards: for to Allah
belong the forces of the
heavens and the earth [The
Holy Quran, 48: 4]. Every-
thing is in Gods hands.
Everything is Gods army.
Elsewhere, it says, And none
can know the forces of Your
Lord, except He [The Holy
13
The Message
Quran, 74: 31]. No one other
than Him can count the
number of His forces. This is
the Holy Quran: an extraordi-
nary and infinite power that
we should able to benefit
from within the scope of our
capacity, God willing.
In any case, I hope that God
will preserve you. I Hope that
He will preserve you youth. I
hope that God will help you to
stay with us, God willing. I
hope that You are protected
by Him, that you stand up for
the Holy Quran and that you
live and die in a Quranic
manner.
Greetings be upon you and
Allahs mercy and blessings






Repentance
The Holy Prophet (S) told Ali-
ibn-Abi-Talib (a): "O' Ali!
Blessed is he who Allah looks
upon while he is weeping for
the sin that none is aware of
except Allah."
[Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 63]






The Message
Fasting - A Body/Mind/Spirit Healing
By: Shaykh Mansour Leghaei
Allah the Almighty says in the
Quran:
And seek (Allahs) assistance
with Patience and Prayer; and
truly it is extremely heavy and
hard except for those with full
submission. Who are certain
that they are going to meet
their Lord and that unto Him
they are going to return.
(2:45-46)
Numerous Prophetic traditions
interpreted the Patience in
the Ayah as fasting, which
means fasting is the very first
element of the spiritual
journey to God. All the
prophets in their spiritual
journey have been seeking
assistance with fasting.
1. Prophet Moses
I had gone up the mountain
to receive the stone tablets,
the tablets of the covenant
which He had made with you;
and I remained on the moun-
tain 40 days and 40 nights
without eating bread or
14
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
drinking water. Then the Lord
gave me the two stone
tablets..[1]
2. Prophet Jesus
In his spiritual journey was
aided by fasting against the
devil: Then Jesus was led by
the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil, and
after fasting 40 days and 40
nights he was hungry[2]
It also appears from chapter 5
of the Gospel of Luke that the
disciples would frequently fast
and pray.
3. Prophet of Islam
The entire Quran was re-
vealed to the Prophet of Islam
in the holiest night of the
holiest month of Ramadan;
the month of fasting.
The month of Ramadan in
which the Quran is revealed.
[2:185]
Indeed, We revealed it (the
entire Quran) in the night of
Measure. [97:1]
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
According to many Hadiths,
the Torah was revealed to
Moses on the 6th of Rama-
dan, Injil was revealed to
Jesus on the 12th of Rama-
dan, Psalms of David revealed
to him on the 18th of Rama-
dan and the Holy Quran in
the Night of Qadr (most
probably 23rd of Rama-
dan).[3]
In other words, all revelations
occurred during the fasting
month of Ramadan. Could it
be any reason more important
than the spirituality of fasting?
Benefits of Fasting
1) Physical Healing
It is quoted from the Prophet
of Islam to have said: Fast,
youll be healthy. An Egyptian
pyramid inscription in 3800B.C
also reads: Humans live on
one-quarter of what they eat;
on the three-quarters live
their doctor!
The three fathers of Western
Medicine; (Hippocrates, Galen
& Paracelsus) prescribed
fasting as the greatest remedy
15
The Message
and the physician within. Life
Magazine in its September
1996 issue considered fasting:
the healing revolution. There
are more than 500 medical
journal articles available on
therapeutic fasting on the
internet.
The outstanding physicians
named fasting as being; the
medicine for the 21st century.
They believe the human body
is designed to heal itself, if
only given the opportunity.
Dr. Otto Buchinger; Germa-
nys great fasting therapist
after more than 100,000
fasting cures says: Fasting is,
without doubt, the most
effective biological method of
treatment it is the operation
without surgery it is a cure
involving exudation, redirec-
tion, loosening up and purified
relaxation.
He furthers therapeutically;
fasting cures many of our
modern illnesses, including the
following: allergies, cardiovas-
cular disease, chronic diseases
of the digestive system,
degenerative and painfully
The Message
inflammatory illnesses of the
joints, myriad disturbances in
ones eating behavior, glau-
coma, initial malfunction of
the kidneys, tension and
migraine headaches, as well
as skin diseases. Preventively,
its designed to cleanse, and
to regenerate, rejuvenate and
restore a persons sense of
well-being, in body, mind and
soul. As Doctor Buchinger
would conclude: "When the
body fasts, the soul is hungry;
when the body becomes
lighter, the soul also craves
relief."
Dr. Joel Fuhrman in Fasting
and Eating for Health notes:
Fasting has been repeatedly
observed to alleviate neuro-
ses, anxiety & depression.[4]
Fasting marvelously decom-
poses and burns all the cells
and tissue that are aged,
damaged, diseased, weak-
ened or dead, a process called
in medicine autolyze or self-
digest or detoxification.
Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.,
Director of the California-
16
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
based Orthomolecular Health
Medicine Medical Society,
notes on the significance of
fasting as a detoxification
program: "The hidden cause
of many chronic pains,
diseases and illnesses may be
invisible toxins, chemicals,
heavy metals and parasites
that invade our bodies . . .
Chances are slim that your
doctor will tell you that toxins
may be the root cause of your
health problems. He or she
may not even know about
how these toxins are affecting
your body . . . As your cells
go, so goes your health. If
your cells have been invaded
by toxins and dangerous
chemicals, your resistance to
disease is diminished. Clean
and nourish your cells, and
youre on the road to better
health."
When by fasting you stop the
input of nutrition for a while,
then a flurry of cleansing
starts up, the rugs are lifted
and the dirty dishes are
brought out of the cabinet
where they were stashed.
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Cleansing begins in earnest.
U.S Congress approved $20
million in 1998 for funding of
the National Institutes of
Healths fledging office of
Alternative Medicine. This
went up to $50 million in 1999
and to $68.7 million in 2000
which shows the growing
interest of the Congress.
Healing Crises:
Those fasting sometimes
experience side effects during
the first days. The side effects
may vary from fatigue,
malaise, headaches, vomiting
to the symptoms of cold and
flu. These reactions are
sometimes called in medicine
healing crises, which are
temporary and caused due to
elimination and cleansing of
toxins. A fasting person
should be patient and let this
period pass.
I should however stress that
there are circumstances,
which exempt people from
fasting as mentioned in detail
in the books of Islamic Juris-
prudence, e.g. a diabetic who
17
The Message
not only needs to take regular
medication but their diet is
very strict throughout the day,
hence should not fast, or else
not only his/her fasting is void,
it is even considered sinful.
Similarly, a pregnant woman is
exempt from fasting if it is
going to either harm her or
the baby. In general, the rule
is that fasting is forbidden, if
the person is confident that
fasting will be physically
harmful to them.
2) Social Healing
Indeed Allah does not wrong
people in the least; rather it is
people who wrong them-
selves. [10:44]
A man wrote a letter to Imam
Askari (a.s) asking him: For
what reason did Allah make
fasting compulsory?
The Imam (a.s) wrote in
reply: God has made fasting
compulsory so that the rich
shall find the pain of hunger
so they have a mercy upon
the poor.[5]
Starvation and its related
diseases cause one person
The Message
per second to die on this
planet, 75% of them being
infants and children under the
age of 5.
Typically, stories involving
deaths in Africa receive lesser
coverage than those, which
occur elsewhere. Nonetheless,
let us read the following news.
Exodus newsmagazine in its
July 22, 2001 issue reported:
Starvation In Ethiopia, Help
Slowly Arriving, Death Toll
Cannot Be Determined By
Howard A. Gutman
A massive tragedy is unfold-
ing in Ethiopia as thousands
of starving people are ex-
pected to die. Without help,
many expect the death toll to
be in the millions. Yet little is
being done in the U.S.
According to the same news-
magazine in the last famine,
there were approximately one
million deaths.
Now compare the above news
with the following:
More than half of U.S adults
(20+) are overweight. Nearly
18
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
one-quarter of U.S adults are
obese. And the figures are
drastically increasing. This is
despite all weight-loss pro-
grams in these countries.
According to Wolf & Colditz in
Current estimates of the
Economic Cost of Obesity in
the US 1998: Economic cost
in the U.S related to the
overweight in 1995 was the
total of $99.2 billion. And
according to the same source
Americans spend $33 billion
annually on weight-loss
products and services. This
includes low calorie foods,
artificially sweetened prod-
ucts; such as sodas and
memberships to commercial
weight-loss centres.
And if you want to know
whether you are among those
over-weight people in a time
when starvation causes one
person per second to die,
here is your scale.
The biggest problem facing
the world today is not people
dying in the streets of Mum-
bai, Zimbabwe or Ethiopia; it
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
is rather the lack of a sense of
caring for those disadvan-
taged people whose rights
have been usurped by others.
Fasting provides the oppor-
tunity for the faster to feel
and find for himself or herself
the pain and agony that a
poor person is going through.
A fasting person can also keep
his or her money, usually
spent on lunch, away to feed
a group of poor people with.
Thus, Zakat al-Fitrah is
compulsory and is regarded
as the compilation of fasting.
Nonetheless, some fasters
sleep during the day as much
as they can to avoid the so-
called pains of fasting, and
upon sunset enjoy a feast
greedily and hence lose the
entire medical, social and
spiritual benefits of it.
Reduction of crimes during
the month of Ramadan is
another social benefit of
fasting.
3) Spiritual Healing
O you who believe! Fasting is
prescribed to you as it was
19
The Message
prescribed to those before
you that you may gain self-
restraint. (2:183)
Despite all the above-
mentioned benefits of fasting,
we believe the main benefits
of religious fasting are its
spiritual rejuvenation and
healing.
Fasting is prevention from
certain things most of which
are not only normally permis-
sible but also even quite
essential in our lives. By
fasting we avoid food and
drink which are the main
nutritional sources for our
body. This challenge against
permissible and normally
useful inputs is to give us the
strength to avoid taking things
that are harmful, including
toxins, for our body and soul.
In other words, I am able to
fast against Halal food and
soft drink over a month,
should I not be able, by far, to
fast against intoxicants and
Haram foods over a year?
This is in spite of the fact that
the first are my essential
needs and the latter are not.
The Message
A religious fasting is not just a
physical diet program. When
we fast from food we are
expected to also fast from all
harmful and forbidden actions
and intentions. I may call this
process a spiritual detoxifica-
tion.
Fasting, if made with the
intention of closeness to God,
ascends one from the king-
dom of animals to the realm
of angels. You therefore, close
your physical mouth to open
your spiritual mouth. You fast
your body to let your spirit
feast with mysterious morsels.
When you fast, you empty
your stomach from the bread
to fill it up with Unique
Glorious Pearls.
Fasting is the Heart of
Servitude
Fasting is prevention and
prevention is separation and
detachment and detachment
is the heart and the reality of
servitude to God.
Other benefits of Fasting
Fasting has many other
benefits such as punctuality,
20
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
patience, contentment and
many others that unless one
fasts cannot really realize
them.
Degrees of Fasting
A Natural Diet
People at this level fast solely
for medical purposes. This is
certainly not a religious
fasting.
Religious Fasting
Religious fasting may be
observed in three different
levels:
1. Fasting of Al-Shariah
(Jurisprudential Fasting)
Fasting for many Muslims is
mainly to refrain from what
they must jurisprudentially
refrain from such as eating,
drinking, sexual intercourse
etc. Although this is the
lowest and the least level of
religious fasting, once it is
offered for the sake of God,
the faster is religiously
considered fasting. To give
you an idea of how low the
level of this stage is, let me
share some examples with
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
you. A Muslim girl may fast
without practicing her Islamic
dress code at school and her
fasting is valid on this level. A
Muslim may observe fasting
and yet listens to rock and roll
and his/her fasting is jurispru-
dentially valid.
No doubt, the purpose of
fasting is not just to avoid
food and drink and hence this
is the very lowest level of
fasting for the very beginners
to start their journey towards
perfection and promotion.
Thus, it is quoted from the
Prophet of Islam (S) that:
Many people gain nothing
from their fasting save hunger
and thirst.[6]
The Shariah fasting is pre-
scribed for beginners as a
form of training to help them
become acquainted to waking
up at dawn with the excuse of
eating and drinking lest they
feel hungry and thirsty during
the day, in order for them to
experience the pleasant
breeze at dawn, to be awake
at a time when the divine
cups of spirituality are served.
21
The Message
The least he is expected,
therefore, to gain by the end
of Ramadan is to have gotten
used to offering his/her
morning prayers on time.
A faster at this level is ex-
pected to think why he or she
is told to refrain from eating
and drinking which are
essential nutrition for his or
her body? Could it be that by
refraining from consuming the
essentials I learn to more
easily refrain from unneces-
sary and even harmful inputs
to my body and soul? Once he
or she successfully finishes a
month of Shariah fasting by
refraining from soft drinks and
Halal food and even finds
him/herself healthier than
before, the faster should find
it easier by far to avoid
intoxicants or Haram foods
which are even harmful for his
or her body and does not
really require.
Once the faster is aware of
such facts, they will be ready
to enter the higher level of
fasting, which I have called
the fasting of Al-Tariqat.
The Message
2. Fasting of Al-Tariqat
(Ethical Fasting)
This is the fasting of noble
people. People in this degree
not only fast from what is
jurisprudentially mentioned,
but they also observe an
ethical fasting too. Such noble
fasters let their eyes, ears and
all other body parts fast
against whatever which is
regarded in religion as Haram.
Gossiping is always Haram,
but for them it is more Haram
during the fasting period.
Non-Islamic dress is always
Haram but for them is an
essence during Ramadan. This
is called the fasting of Tariqat.
Imam As-Sadiq (a.s) is quoted
from his ancestors from the
Prophet of Islam (S):
When you fast, let your ears,
your eyes, your hair, your skin
and all your body fast too. Do
not let your fasting day be the
same as non-fasting ones.[7]
It is quoted from Prophet
Jesus to have said: Renew
yourselves and fast, for I tell
you truly, except you fast, you
22
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
shall never be freed from the
power of Satan, and from all
disease that come from
Satan.[8]
A lady whilst fasting was
swearing at her maid in the
presence of the Prophet of
Islam (S). The Prophet (S)
offered her some food to eat.
She said: Im fasting O
Messenger of God! the
Prophet replied: How are you
fasting and you swear at your
maid. Fasting is not only from
food and drink. Indeed God
made it that way so that food
and drink are used as a veil
against other sins, verbal or
action. How few are fasting
and how many are just
hungry.[9]
3. Fasting of Al-Haqiqat
(Mystical Fasting)
This is the highest level of
fasting, which belongs solely
to the special nobles. Fasters-
who are not many- at this
degree believe you are what
you think and hence they fast
from all other than God
including, Paradise. They
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
make sure that during the
month of Ramadan they
detach themselves from
whatever which is other than
God. This state of absolute
detachment is the reality of
servitude to God. This is why I
named this stage the fasting
of Al-Haqiqat (Reality).
They believe as physical
fasting burns the fat and
removes the toxins, such
mental fasting also does the
same to the mind. The reward
of fasting in this degree is
none other than God Himself,
the Almighty. This is the
meaning of the Holy Hadith
that Allah the Almighty says:
I will reward all rituals of
mankind from ten times to
seven hundred times save
Patience, for it is for Me and I
am its reward, and Patience is
fasting.[10]
A faster at this stage, since he
or she is fasting from other
than God, deserves to be His
guest in His month. This
status is called in Islamic
mysticism Assimilation in God,
(Al-Fana Fil-Lah) which is the
23
The Message
ultimate purpose of servitude
to God. To this end, Muslim
mystics consider fasting even
greater than prayers, in that,
the devotee during his prayers
needs to engage his organs,
which in a sense means
engagement within the self,
whereas fasting is equal to
refraining and detachment
and requires no engagement.
This is the stage where one
can gain the Visit of God as
described in the Ayah, in the
beginning of this article, as
the ultimate purpose of
servitude to God.
Notes:
1. Deut 9:9
2. Matt 4:1-10
3. Al-Kafi; Vol.2, p.628, Vol.4,
pp 157, 159, 193
4. Fasting and Eating for
Health, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman,
p. 19.
5. Bihar al-Anwar Vol.96, p.339.
6. Bihar al-Anwar Vol.87: P.207.
7. Bihar al-Anwar Vol.96 p.292.
8. From Dead Sea Scrolls found
in 1947.
9. Bihar al-Anwar Vol.96 p.293.
10. Bihar al-Anwar Vol.96, p.252.






The Message Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH

The Government of Imam Ali (A.S.)

By: Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani

Question: realized the Persian forces

were preparing for a great
How is it that the government
attack, he came to the masjid
of the first three caliphs was
and summoned the people
successful whereas the rule of
and asked for their sugges-
Imam Ali (as) wasnt?
tions. Talhah said: You should
Concise answer attend the battle in order to
The vast majority of victories give your soldiers confidence
in the time of the caliphs were and enhance their battle.
due to the experienced and Uthman suggested: Go to the
clever strategies of Amir Al- battlefield along with all the
Momineen (a.s.). people of Syria, Yemen,
Medina and Mecca so the
The most important factor
Muslims would gain confi-
implemented during the reign
dence and battle well. Uthman
of Imam Ali (a.s.) was the
sat down but nobody stood up
exceptional manifestation of
after him. Umar bin Khattab
justice that has not been
once again asked: Oh Mus-
witnessed since. And this was
lims, suggestions. Imam Ali
all in addition to the spread of
(a.s.) then stated: It is not a
taqwa and confrontation with
clever tactic to send the
aggression, corruption and
Syrians to war because the
controversy.
Romans will attack their lands
Detailed Answer and kill their wives and
children. Do not dispatch the
The vast majority of victories
people of Yemen for Ethiopia
in the time of the caliphs were
will attack and sabotage
due to the experienced and
Yemen. If you deploy the
clever strategies of Amir Al-
people of Medina and Mecca
Momineen (a.s.). For instance
the Arabs living on the
when Umar bin Khattab
24
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
outskirts will seek vengeance
and sabotage these two cities.
It is best for you not to leave
either, but direct a letter to
the people of Basrah to
support the Muslims. Umar
bin Khattab was pleased with
this proposition and decided:
This is the right opinion and
we must act accordingly.
Imam Alis (a.s.) words also
included that in the time of
the Prophet (S) we never
fought reliant upon the
amount and size of our forces
but actually fought with
dependence upon Allah, so
dont be afraid of the small
quantity of the Muslim forces.
Not only did Imam Ali (a.s.)
protect the Muslims of Syria,
Yemen, Mecca and Medina
this way, he also saved the
Persians from dying, because,
if the Romans would have
attacked they wouldve killed
the wives and children of the
Muslims. If the Ethiopians
would have attacked they
would have killed the families
of the Yemenis and if the
Arabs from the around Medina
25
The Message
and Mecca would have tried
to get revenge they would
have assaulted whoever was
left in these two cities. On the
other hand, God knows what
would have happened to the
people of Iran if this massive
force of troops would have
attacked their land because in
that period (the period of
Yazdgerd the third, the last
king of the Sasani Empire) the
government of Iran was
extremely weak and falling
apart and a small amount of
Muslim forces were enough to
defeat it, let alone ten times
the forces based in the
Persian territory.
Therefore Imam Ali (a.s.) as
an infallible, passionate and
kind-hearted Imam for
mankind (even non-Muslims
and kafirs), made this war
have the least danger and
lowest number of casualties,
and this happened.
His holiness sent his children
to war under the command of
the caliphates; for his holiness
did not ask anything ever for
himself and all he ever sought
The Message
was the benefit of Islam. It
was with this impeccable
insight that the imam wouldnt
allow the enemies of Islam to
reach their goals.
Historians report corruption
under the broad reign of the
caliphs that would have never
occurred if Imam Ali were to
be the sole governor of the
Islamic society. Now, we will
mention an example of one of
these deviations and leave the
details for another time:
A. A class had developed in
the Islamic society that
endorsed Islam and was loyal
to its principles, but only
familiar with the outer layer of
Islam instead of the core and
true spirit; a group that would
only emphasize and insist on
the performance of prayer as
opposed to wisdom and the
purpose and objective of
Islam.
B. Spreading division and
prejudice and neglecting
justice. For instance, in Iraq,
non-Arabs were considered as
2nd-class citizens and be-
cause of that the toughest
26
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
and most difficult jobs, for
instance, managing and
supervising the bazaar or road
management were allotted to
them.
In the time of the second
caliph, Iranians were not
allowed in Medinah and this
was apparently in order to not
allow them to mingle and
socialize with the Arabs and to
seize the influence of the
Iranians in infiltrating the
capital of the Islamic world.
When the caliph realized that
the people were able to have
foreign slaves, he did not
agree with Arabs being slaves
anymore.
Ibn Juraih writes: When
the 2nd caliph saw two indi-
viduals speaking Farsi, while
performing his tawaf, he told
them: Speak Arabic for
whoever decides to learn and
speak Farsi will lose his
dignity. And according to the
tradition that the 2nd caliph
established, Arabs could
choose wives from foreign
families but would never give
their daughters to foreigners.
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
In line with this attitude, in
the time of the Bani Umayyah
children of foreign mothers
were not qualified to become
caliph. Hajjaj, the caliph of
Iraq said: not a single for-
eigner should stand as the
leader of congregational
prayer. He would also force
the Mawalis (non-Arab
Muslims) to attend war or
when they would attend war
they were given less spoils of
war than the Arabs. Even
worse, no share of the Ata
from Bayt al-Mal (treasury of
the Islamic government) was
given to the Mawalis.
And indeed this attitude
distanced the Muslims from
the true Islam and made them
believe that Islam was only
what they had experienced,
saw and heard.
And this is why uprisings took
place in conquered territories
after invasions, compelling
Imam Ali (a.s.) to deploy an
army to Qazvin and two other
armies to Khorasan and seize
cities like Neishabour for a
second time.
27
The Message
The closing point is that in his
short time of rule, Imam Alis
(a.s.) aim was to redress the
deviations the Ummah of
Muhammad (S) was undergo-
ing after the loss of the
Prophet. Also, if it wasnt for
Imam Alis (a.s.) advice who
knows what would have befell
Islam.
6. It is inevitable that in every
government a few oppositions
emerge to create division by
starting tension and contro-
versy and preparing the
grounds for disorder and
unrest in the government. Not
every opposer can be like
Imam Ali (a.s.) and stay silent
and abstain from complaining
so that Islam remains pro-
tected and united, and not
only do that, but additionally,
every now and then, take the
hands of the rulers and advise
or assist them. Most opposers
usually tend to initiate disor-
der and unrest throughout the
government in order to prove
that the government is
inadequate and incompetent
or to completely eliminate it.
The Message
Therefore, if we find that
there was less disorder and
chaos in the time of the three
caliphs, it was simply because
of the patience and decency
of opposers like Ali ibn Abi
Taleb (a.s.) keeping silent, not
just the competence of the
government.
On the contrary, when power
was passed on to the oppos-
ers of the former government
and Imam Ali (a.s.) was
appointed ruler and caliph and
the Imams way of imple-
menting justice gave an end
to the illegitimate reception of
goods and money by promi-
nent figures of the previous
government, his opposers
were certainly not patient and
embracing of hardships for
the sake of the development
and unity of the society and
Islamic community. Thus,
they put in all of their effort to
bring down the government
and replace the Imam with
someone else.
However, Imam Ali (a.s.)
wasnt the type of person to
give in to defeat, compromise
28
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
and gain the peoples content
with money so quickly, so he
stood against and tried to
annihilate them and this
procedure escalated to the
extent where he was mar-
tyred in the alter of prayer by
the very initiators of tension
and chaos.
If he had compromised and
surrendered even a little bit,
neglected Islamic rulings,
deviated from the path of
legitimacy and rightfulness
and collected bribes, a vast
amount of these battles and
disorders that took place in
his period of reign wouldnt
have occurred.
Therefore, we must note that
not every model of peace and
quiet is favorable and idealis-
tic. Peace and tranquility must
be achieved in the context of
justice and religion. Obtaining
such peace requires several
battles and confrontations
that Imam Ali (a.s.) faced and
overcame but was mercilessly
martyred and as a result his
mission was left unfinished.






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH The Message

The Demise of the Truth

Edited excerpts from the book, The Life of Imam Al-Hasan Al-Mujtaba
By: Hujjat Al-Islam Baqir Shareef al-Qurashi

After the Battle of Siffin, from among you to His

Imam Ali (a.s.) stayed in Kufa. Mercy!
He was sad and distressed.
Imam Ali was the most
He received various kinds of
brilliant reformer in the world.
terrible misfortunes. He saw
He spared no effort to estab-
that justice was wronged,
lish justice and spread equali-
good was lost, error became
ty in the earth. So how was it
great, and tyranny was
possible for him to stay in the
excessive. He was unable to
world of desires and devia-
battle against Muawiyah
tion? The opportunists fought
because his army mutinied
against him. The seekers of
against him. He commanded
high ranks and authority
them, but they did not obey
resisted him. The society,
him. He summoned them, but
which mean desires played
they did not respond. They
with and which ambitions
inclined to rest and hated the
spoiled, denied him. There-
jihad for the sake of Allah.
fore, how was it possible for
These disasters left in his soul
his government to continue in
bitter sorrows, to the extent
that insignificant society? The
that he wished for the depar-
Imams sadness increased
ture from this world, that he
because he had lost the
might get rid of its problems
righteous remainder from
and evil. He supplicated Allah
among the companions of the
to quicken his travel to Him,
Prophet (S) who knew his
saying: O Allah, hasten al-
trend and studied in his
Muradis unhappiness!
school. His companions were
Addressing the people of
Ammar bin Yasir, Hashim al-
Kufa, he said: By Allah, I
Mirqal, Dhu'sh Shahadatayn,
wish that Allah took me out
and the like from among the

29
The Message
prominent believers on whom
he had depended to establish
the truth, refute falsehood,
and enliven the principles of
the religion. After he had lost
them, he lived as a stranger in
that society. He had neither a
supporter nor a friend. He
supplicated Allah and be-
seeched Him to take him to
His neighborhood, that he
might get rid of the pains of
this world where he found
nothing except exhaustion
and tiredness.
The Mean Plot
During the season of hajj
some Kharijites held a meet-
ing and remembered their
companions and the Muslims
who had been killed. They
accused three unbelievers, as
they claimed, of that. The
three were Imam Ali (a.s),
Muawiyah, and Amr bin al-
Aas. Abdurrahman bin Muljam
said: I will kill Ali bin Abi
Talib for you. Amr bin Bukayr
said: I will kill Amr bin al-Aas
for you. And al-Hajjaj bin
Abdullah al-Suraymi said: I
will kill Muawiyah for you.
30
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
They agreed on a certain day
to assassinate these three
men. The day was the 18th of
Ramadan, in the year 40 A. H.
They also appointed the time
of the assassination. It was
the time of the Morning
Prayer. Then they separated.
Each of them headed for the
person that he was to kill.
Abdurrahman bin Muljam
arrived in Kufa carrying with
him evil and unhappiness to
all the inhabitants of the
earth. He came to put out the
light that illuminated the
world. He went to his mali-
cious cousin, Qatam who
believed in the Kharijites
thought. Her father and
brother were killed at the
Battle of al-Nahrawan. So she
was bereaved of them.
Abdurrahman bin Muljam
proposed to her, but she
refused to accept him as a
husband unless he would
satisfy her thirst for revenge.
He said to her: I will carry
out all what you want!
She told him about the dowry
she wanted. It was three
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
thousand dirhams, a boy
servant, a girl servant, and to
kill Ali. The sinner, Abdurrah-
man bin Muljam said: You
can have all you asked for,
but as for the killing of Ali, I
see that shall not get it. He
intended to conceal the
matter from her. However,
this sinful woman (Qatam)
made him approve to kill
Imam Ali and encouraged him
to commit the crime, saying:
If you kill him, you will please
me, and life with me will be
happy for you. If you are
killed, then the reward of
Allah will be better for you
than this world. When he
saw that she was serious, he
made her know about his
intention, and that he had
come to that town just for
that purpose.
The Imams companions
feared that the Kharijites
would assassinate him. They
asked him to take some
guards to guard him when he
went out to offer prayers or to
carry out some task. Howev-
er, he (a.s) refused that and
31
The Message
said to them: On me there is
great protection from Allah.
When my death comes, it (the
protection) will leave me and
hand me over (to death). At
that time the arrow (of death)
will not fail, and the wound
will not heal.
The Great Disaster
The month of Ramadan is the
best of months and the
greatest of them in sacred-
ness with Allah, that it has
been ascribed to Him and
called the Month of Allah.
When this month came, the
Imam knew that he would
depart to Allah in this month.
He had supper one evening
with al-Hasan, one evening
with al-Husayn (a.s), and one
evening with Abdullah bin
Abbas. He never had more
than three mouthfuls of food.
On one of those nights, he
was asked about that, and he
replied: I like that the decree
(death) of Allah comes to me
while I am hungry.
When the eighteenth night of
Ramadan came, the Imam
The Message Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH

was very upset. He walked save with Allah! Hooters that

around the courtyard of the will be followed by weepers!
house. He looked towards the Imam Ali (a.s) wanted to
stars and reflected on them. open the door but it was not
He foretold the occurrence of opened. He plucked it out.
the important event on that
Al-Hasan became worry
night, saying:
because of his fathers going
By Allah, I have not lied nor
out during that early time. He
have I been accused of lying.
asked him:
It is the night which I have
been promised of. What made you come out at
this time?
The Imam (a.s) was upset
and sad throughout that The dream I saw this night
night. He supplicated his Lord has frightened me!
and asked Him for forgiveness
You have seen good, and
and contentment. He recited
good will happen! Tell me
the Quran.
about it!
Before the light of the dawn
I have seen Gabriel coming
shone and the shadow of the
down from the heaven on the
dark night ended, he had
Mountain of Abi Qubays. He
performed the ritual ablution.
took two stones of it and went
When he wanted to leave the
to the Kaaba. He struck them
house for prayer in the
against each other and they
mosque, some gees, which
turned into ashes. Some of
were given to al-Hasan as a
these ashes entered all the
gift, hooted before him. He,
houses in Mecca and Medina.
from the hooting of the gees,
predicted the occurrence of What is the interpretation of
the terrible event and the this dream?
breaking misfortune, saying: If my vision was true, then
There is no might and power your father would be killed.

32
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Worry and sadness for me
would enter all the houses in
Mecca and Medina.
Al-Hasan became sad. He
asked his father:
When will that happen?
Allah, the Exalted, says: And
no one knows what he shall
earn tomorrow, and no one
knows in what land he shall
die. However, my beloved,
Allahs Apostle (a.s) promised
me that it (death) would be
within the last ten nights of
Ramadan. Abdurrahman bin
Muljam will kill me!
Since you have known that,
then you kill him.
It is not permissible to punish
him before the crime, and the
crime has not been committed
by him yet.
Imam Ali asked his son al-
Hasan to go to his bed. Al-
Hasan did not find any escape
from yielding to him. Imam Ali
went out to the mosque in the
early dawn. It has been
mentioned in the traditions
that the early dawn is the
33
The Message
time when Allah sends mer-
cies, kindness, and good, and
responds to supplication.
When the Imam arrived in the
mosque, he, as usual, wak-
ened the people to worship,
and then he began performing
prayer. While he was present
before the Generous Creator,
the prayer was between his
two lips, and his heart was
busy remembering Allah, the
sinful rogue (Abdurrahman
bin Muljam) struck him on the
head and uttered the slogan
of the Kharijites: Judgment is
to Allah, not to you! He
struck the Imam on the head
and split open his holy fore-
head that often and always
touched the earth in submis-
sion to Allah. The severe blow
reached the Imams sacred
brain. When the Imam (a.s)
felt the sword on his head, he
cried out: I have won, by the
Lord of the Kaaba!
The Imam succeeded. Which
success was greater than his
success? The inevitable end
came while he was before
Allah, and His Name was
The Message
between his lips in one of the
most sacred houses of Allah
(the mosque of Kufa) and in
the greatest month to Allah
(Ramadan)!
The true Imam succeeded
because he had satisfied his
conscience. He did not
equivocate nor did he deceive
throughout his lifetime. He
was killed not for a property
that he had taken or a world
he had enjoyed or an Islamic
Sunna (law) he had changed!
The Imam succeeded. Which
success was greater than his
success? Immortality has
given him survival forever,
that he may be a symbol of
justice, a title of the truth,
and a model of the perfect
humanity that has ascended
the ladder of perfection and
reached its top!
The Imam succeeded. Which
success was greater than his
success? He is mentioned as
equal to the truth and justice.
His sacred beliefs are men-
tioned as a wonder for the
leaders of mans thought, that
34
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
they may follow and act
according to them in the field
of righteousness! When the
Imam fell on the ground in his
mihrab, he introduced his
killer, saying: The son of the
Jewish woman (Abdurrahman
bin Muljam) has killed me! Do
not let him escape from you!
So the people from all classes
hurried to the mosque. They
were weeping and wailing.
The misfortune astonished
them, and the incident
terrified them. They were very
sad. On the head there were
the children of Imam Ali. They
found the Imam lying down in
his mihrab, and saw Juda bin
Hubayra and a group of
Muslims surrounding and
helping him (the Imam) to
perform the prayer while he
was unable to do that. When
the Imam looked at his son
al-Hasan, he ordered him to
lead the people in prayer.
Imam Ali performed the
prayer while sitting and yet he
was bleeding. When al-Hasan
finished the prayer, he took
his fathers head and put it in
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
his lap, and his tears were
flowing on his holy face. He
asked him:
-Who has done this to you?
-The son of the Jewish
woman, Abdurrahman bin
Muljam!
-From which way did he go?
-Let none go to seek him. He
is coming to you through that
gate (he indicated with his
hand to the gate of Kinda).
The people were busy looking
at the gate. After a while,
there was an outcry indicating
that the sinful criminal was
arrested. He was brought tied
and bare-headed. He was
stood before al-Hasan who
said to him: O cursed one,
you have killed Amirul Momi-
neen and the Imam of the
Muslims! Is this his reward
while he lodged you and
brought you nigh? Why have
you rewarded him with this
reward?
Then al-Hasan turned to his
father and asked him: Fa-
ther, this is the enemy of
35
The Message
Allah and your enemy, (Ab-
durrahman) bin Muljam! Allah
has enabled us to arrest him!
The Imam opened his eyes
and said in a weak voice:
You have committed a
dangerous thing and a great
affair! Did I not have mercy
on you and prefer you to
others in giving? So why have
you rewarded me with this
reward? Then he ordered al-
Hasan to be kind to him,
saying: O my son, be kind to
your captive, have mercy on
him, and feel pity for him!
Al-Hasan said: Father, this
cursed one has killed you and
made us bereaved of you
while you are ordering us to
be kind to him?!
Imam Ali (a.s) answered him:
O my son, we are the people
of the house of mercy and
forgiveness. Give him food of
what you eat. Give him a
drink of what you drink. If I
died, then you punish him by
killing him. Do not maim the
man. I have heard Allahs
Apostle (a.s) say: Beware of
The Message
maiming even a mordacious
dog. If I remain alive, I am
more aware of what I do to
him. I am more appropriate
for pardoning. We are the
members of the Ahlul Bayt
who do not meet whoever
commits error against us
except with pardoning and
generosity.
Then Imam Ali (a.s) ordered
the people to carry him home.
He was carried while the
people were running, and
were about to die because of
crying and wailing. They were
shocked. They were crying
out: The Imam of the truth
has been killed! The Imam of
the truth has been killed!
His daughters and family
received him with crying and
wailing. Al-Hasan sadly said:
Father, who will be for us
after you? Our affliction in you
is like ours in the messenger
of Allah (a.s)!
The Imam embraced him and
calmed his fear, saying: O
my son, may Allah calm your
heart with patience, increase
36
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
your reward, and reward your
brothers with a reward as
equal to your affliction in me!
Imam al-Hasan (a.s) brought
some physicians. The most
experienced of them was Athir
bin Amr al-Sukuni. He ordered
a warm lung of a ewe to be
brought to him. He followed a
vein of it and he took the vein
out. He put it into the Imams
wound. Then he blew at the
vein and took it out. He found
that the vein was covered
with the whiteness of the
brain. The blow had reached
the Imams brain. Athir
become disordered. He turned
to the Imam and hopelessly
said to him: O Amirul Momi-
neen, make your will, for you
are about to die!
Al-Hasan wept and said to his
father: Father, your loss will
break my back! How can I see
you in this condition?
Imam Ali (a.s) looked at his
son and he knew that sadness
dominated him. He gently said
to him: O my son, there is
neither sadness nor impa-
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
tience for your father after
this day! Today, I am going to
meet your grandfather
Muhammad al-Mustafa, your
grandmother Khadija al-
Kubra, and your mother al-
Zahra. The houris are waiting
for your father and looking
forward to his arrival an hour
after an hour! There is no
harm on you! O my son, do
not weep!
The Imams blood became
poisoned, and his holy face
turned yellow. During that
condition, he had a calm soul
and he was pleased. He did
not leave the remembering
and glorifying of Allah. He
looked towards the sky and
implored Allah through
supplicating Him, saying: O
Allah, I ask You for the
association with the prophets
and the guardians and for the
highest degrees in the Para-
dise!
Then he fainted. Al-Hasans
heart melted and he began
crying bitterly. Some of his
tears fell on his fathers face,
and he came to conscious-
37
The Message
ness. He said to him to calm
his fear: O my son, what is
this weeping for? There is
neither fear nor impatience
for your father after today! O
my son, do not weep! You will
be killed with poison, and
your brother al-Husayn will be
killed by the sword!
His Recommendations
Imam Ali advised his children
to cling to noble moralities.
He put before them high
ideals. He gave them valuable
lessons. In the first, he (a.s)
advised his two sons al-Hasan
and al-Husayn. Secondly he
advised the rest of his chil-
dren and all the Muslims,
saying: I advise you (both) to
fear Allah and that you should
not hanker after the (pleas-
ures of this) world even
though it may follow after
you. Do not be sorry for
anything of this world that has
been away from you. Say the
truth and act for reward. Be
an enemy to the oppressors
and a helper to the op-
pressed.
The Message
I advise you (both) and all
my children and members of
my family and everyone,
whom my book reaches, to
fear Allah, to keep your affairs
in order, and to maintain good
relationships among your-
selves. I have heard your
grandfather (the Prophet)
(a.s) saying: Keeping straight
the relations among yourself
is better than prayers and
fasting.
Keep Allah in mind concern-
ing the orphans! Let them
participate in your food. Let
them not be lost among you.
Keep Allah in mind concern-
ing your neighbors! They
were the recommendation of
your Prophet. He still recom-
mended of them that we
thought he would make them
inherit us.
Keep Allah in mind concern-
ing the Quran. No one should
precede you in acting accord-
ing to it. Keep Allah in mind
concerning prayer, for it is the
pillar of your religion. Keep
Allah in mind concerning your
38
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Lords house (mosque). Do
not forsake it as long as you
live, for if it is abandoned, you
will not be looked at with
mercy and dignity by Allah.
Keep Allah in mind concern-
ing jihad with your own
property, lives, and tongues in
the way of Allah.
Retain kinship and help each
other. Do not cut kinship and
mutual relations. Do not give
up enjoining the good and
forbidding the evil lest evildo-
ers may gain power over you,
and then you pray but it will
not be responded to you.
Addressing his family and
relatives, he said: O children
of Abdul Muttalib, certainly I
do not wish to see you
plunging harshly into the
blood of Muslims saying:
Amirul Momineen has been
killed! Amirul Momineen has
been killed! Beware, do not
kill for me except my killer.
Wait! If I die because of this
blow, then strike him a stroke
for a stroke. Do not maim the
man. I have heard Allahs
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Apostle (a.s) saying: Beware
of maiming even to a morda-
cious dog!
Then he (a.s) specially
advised his son al-Hasan, to
cling to the principles of the
religion and to perform its
rites. He said to him: I advise
you, O my son, to fear Allah,
perform prayer on its time,
pay zakat when it is due, and
to perform the ritual ablution
well, for no prayer is accepted
except with purity. I advise
you to forgive (others) sin,
restrain anger, retain kinship,
show clemency toward the
ignorant, understand the
religion, be sure of affairs,
take care of the Quran, treat
neighbors well, enjoin the
good, forbid the evil, and to
avoid ill-deeds.
On the 20th of Ramadan,
people crowded around the
Imams house asking a
permission to visit him. He
gave permission to them all.
When they sat down, he
turned to them and said:
Question me before you lose
me, and let your question be
39
The Message
light due to the affliction of
your Imam! People avoided
asking him because of his
painful wound.
Appointing al-Hasan as
Imam
When Imam Ali (a.s) knew
that he would leave the world,
and that his meeting with his
Lord was close at hand, he
entrusted his son al-Hasan
with the caliphate and the
Imamate. He installed him as
an Imam after him that the
community might resort to
him in respect of their affairs.
The Shia have not disagreed
on that. Thiqat al-Islam, al-
Kulayni, has mentioned:
Ameerul Mominin appointed
al-Hasan as his successor, and
he made al-Husayn, Muham-
mad (bin al-Hanafiya), all his
(other) sons, the heads of his
followers (Shia), and his
household as witnesses to the
declaration of his will. Then
he handed him the books
(documents) and the weap-
ons. He said to him: O my
son, Allahs Apostle (a.s) had
commanded me to appoint
The Message
you as my successor and to
hand over to you the books
and the weapons which are
with me. It is just as Allahs
Apostle had appointed me as
his successor and handed his
books and weapons over to
me. And he commanded me
to command you that, when
death comes to you, you
should hand them over to
your brother al-Husayn.
Al-Kulayni has also narrated
that Imam Ali said to Imam
al-Hasan: O my son, you are
the guardian of (my) blood. If
you forgive (the man who
struck me), that is up to you,
and if you kill him, then a
blow for a blow.
Some Sunnis maintain that
Imam Ali (a.s) did not entrust
the authority after him to his
son al-Hasan. They have
indicated that through what
Shuayb bin Maymun al-Wasiti
narrated, saying: Ali was
asked: Will you not appoint
anyone as a successor? He
replied: If Allah wants good
to the community, He will
gather them on their good.
40
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
This narration is among
Shuaybs fabricated and
denied traditions, as Ibn Hajar
has mentioned.
Imam al-Hasan was the
darling of Allahs Apostle and
the master of the youths of
the Paradise. He was an
Imam whether he rose or sat
down, as Allahs Apostle said.
Allah purified him from all
defects and uncleanness, as
the Verse of al-Tatheer has
mentioned. Moreover, he had
all the qualifications that the
caliphate required such as
knowledge, fear of Allah,
determination, and merit.
Therefore, how did Imam Ali
(a.s) not direct the community
to pay homage to him and not
to appoint him as an Imam
after him?
Imam Ali was the most careful
of Muslims for the unity of the
nation. Therefore, how was it
possible for him to leave the
authority in chaos after him
and not to install an Imam
whom the community should
resort to, especially as it
concerned that critical period
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
when dangers and problems
surrounded the Muslims?
To the Better World
After Imam Ali had finished
his recommendations, he
began suffering the agonies of
death while he was reciting
some Quranic verses and
supplications, and asking Allah
for forgiveness. When the
inevitable death came to him,
he recited this verse:
For the like of this then let
the workers work. (37:61)
Then his pure soul went to
the gardens of Paradise and
rose to the Most High Com-
rade! That Divine mercy rose
to its Source, for he was the
light that Allah had created to
disperse the shadows of
darkness. The pillars of justice
swung, and the principles of
the religion were effaced. The
helper of the weak, shelter of
strangers, and father of
orphans died! My master, O
Abu al-Hasan, you have gone
to the immortal world while
you were overworked and
tired. Your right and high
41
The Message
position were ignored by
many! You spent your life
among that dark generation
that paid no attention to
knowledge and justice, that
did not understand your goals
of building a society where
justice, welfare, and good had
to prevail! If mankind had had
luck, they would have handed
over the leadership of the
community to you, that you
might supply the world with
your sciences and knowledge!
To Allah we belong and to
Him is our return!
Imam Ali is prepared for
Burial
Al-Hasan (a.s) prepared his
father for burial. He washed
the pure corpse, embalmed it
with scent, and shrouded it.
When the last part of the
night came, he and a group of
his family and companions
carried the sacred body to its
final abode. They buried the
Imam in Holy Najaf where his
present Shrine is a Kaaba for
comers, a visiting place for
believers and the pious, and a
school for learners. After
The Message
Imam al-Hasan had buried his
father, he returned home
while overcome with sorrow
and astonishment.
The killer is punished
In the morning of that day,
Imam al-Hasan ordered the
sinful criminal Abdurrahman
bin Muljam to be brought to
him. When he was before
him, he (bin Muljam) asked
Imam al-Hasan:
-What did your father order
you to do?
-He ordered me not to kill
other than his killer. He
ordered me to satisfy your
stomach, and to be kind to
you. If he lived, he would
punish or pardon you. If he
died, I would make you follow
him.
The sinner said: Your father
said the truth and acted
according to it during anger
and pleasure!
Then Imam al-Hasan struck
him with the sword. However,
the cursed sinner (Abdurrah-
man bin Muljam) protected
42
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
himself against the sword with
his hand, and it was cut off.
Then al-Hasan killed him and
did not maim him. The curse
of Allah, of the cursers, of
those who were born, of
those who died, and of those
to whom Allah said: Be, and
they were be on ibn Muljam.
On him is the curse that dries
spring, destroys crops, and
burns the plants in the earth
while they are pretty! May
Allah place the sighing and
groaning of the fire in the
origins of his being! May a
thousand Satans destroy him
by turning him on his face in
the fire where there are
burning mouths of flame with
blazing and whistling!
As for the maiming, some
historians have maintained it.
Without doubt it is among the
fabricated things. Imam Ali
(a.s) had prohibited that
repeating the sayings of the
Prophet (a.s): Maiming is
forbidden even to a morda-
cious dog! So how was it
permissible for the darling of
the Apostle (a.s) and his
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH The Message

grandson (Imam al-Hasan) to him and not to aggress

turn away from his fathers (against him). However, they
will and commit that which maimed him with the ugliest
opposed the Islamic Law? maiming, and when he died,
Those who have maintained they burnt him with fire.
the maiming have differed
The certain thing is contrary
over the person who maimed
to that which Dr. Taha has
Abdurrahman bin Muljam. Al-
mentioned. We have men-
Muhib al-Tabari has men-
tioned that the historians have
tioned that it was Imam al-
differed over the maiming.
Husayn and Muhammad bin
Besides, the blood guardians
al-Hanafiya who maimed him,
are far away from committing
while al-Hasan prevented
that which disagreed with the
them from doing that, but
Islamic Law.
they did not yield to him. Abu
al-Fida has mentioned that it Anyway, after Imam al-Hasan
was Abdullah bin Jafar who had killed Abdurrahman bin
did that. As for Ibn Abi al- Muljam, people overcrowded
Hadeed, he has mentioned before him to pledge alle-
that it was al-Hasan who did giance to him. We will men-
that. tion that in details. Imam al-
Hasan received the caliphate
This difference makes us sure
with that which none of those
that the maiming was fabri-
who had preceded him
cated and it was not real. Dr.
received with. The Islamic
Taha Husayn has decided that
capital was threatened by the
the maiming was done by the
danger of Muawiya whose
blood guardians, saying: The
power became strong and his
certain thing is that the blood
authority became firm. All
guardians did not carry out
those ambitious, who did not
Alis will concerning his killer.
understand Islam, joined him.
He had commanded them to
They spared no effort to
make him (the killer) follow
corrupt the authority of Imam

43
The Message
al-Hasan and destroy his
government. Besides this
external danger, local sedi-
tions spread among the Iraqi
people. The greatest of them
in danger, affliction, and
tribulation was that of the
Kharijites, who were like a
woodworm boring in the Iraqi
camp, and the most danger-
ous armed group facing the
new government. The simple-
minded and the deceived
followed the Kharijites
thoughts.
Imam al-Hasan received these
two dangers during the period
of his caliphate. He was
greatly afflicted with them.
Not only Imam al-Husayn
(a.s) was afflicted with them,
but all the Islamic state and
the caliphate were also
afflicted with them. Imam al-
Hasan hoped that the Islamic
concepts would spread during
his reign, that social justice
would prevail over the earth,
and that he would put an end
to the social injustice and
oppression.






44
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Backbiting & Fault-
finding
The Holy Prophet (S) said:
"Slander acts quicker against
the faith of a Muslim believer
than leprosy does against his
body." [Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 257]
The Holy Prophet (S) said: "The
abandoning of backbiting is
more valuable to Allah, Al-
mighty and Glorious, than the
performance of ten thousand
rak'at of recommended pray-
ers." [Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 75,
p. 261]
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali
(a) said: "The listener to
backbiting is the same as the
backbiter." [Ghurar-ul-Hikam,
p. 307]
Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali
(a) said: "The most vicious
person is he who looks for
other people's defects while he
overlooks his own faults."
[Tara'if-ul-Hikam, p. 176]
Imam Kazim (a) said: "Cursed
is the one who backbites
against one's brother (fellow
Muslim)." [Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol.
74, p. 232]






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Importance of Lailatul-Qadr
By: Ayatollah Nasir Makarim Shirazi & Ayatollah Ja'far Subhani
Question: Many causes are
mentioned in Islam regarding
the importance and greatness
of Lailatul-Qadr. Well-known
traditions of religious leaders
indicate it to one of the
following nights of the holy
month of Ramadan: 19th,
21st or 23rd. We are instruct-
ed to offer special prayers on
this night.
It seems that Lailatul-Qadr is
not more than one night every
year, but we know this also
that, because of the differ-
ence in horizons the begin-
ning of the month of Rama-
dan in some countries hap-
pens to be one or two days
earlier or later.
According to this situation in
those places, there is differ-
ence of one or two nights of
Lailatul-Qadr. And for those
different places more than
one Lailatul-Qadr comes into
existence. This situation arises
every year, as Lailatul-Qadr
being only one night and in
that particular night the
45
The Message
angels descend with blessings
and bounties, how harmoni-
ous is it?
Is it that Lailatul-Qadr was
especially in the time of the
Prophet (S) and in Mecca and
that night is no more after
that?
Answer: According to the
religious guides it is absolutely
proved that Lailatul-Qadr was
not restricted to the time of
the Prophet (S) and not only
in Hijaz area. But in all the
periods of time and for all
different places it existed with
all its importance and great-
ness and there is no scope for
anything contrary to this.
Above mentioned objection
has come up because it was
imagined that Lailatul-Qadr
being one in the whole year
meant that every year for all
the places in the world only
one common night is fixed as
Lailatul-Qadr and this night is
fixed in every region of the
world and it is liable to end at
a fixed time.
The Message
However this concept is
wrong, as we know that the
earth is spherical and always
one of its hemispheres
happens to be in dark and the
other in light. Therefore there
can never be night at one
fixed and common time in all
the parts of the earth.
By saying that in the whole
year there is only one Lailatul-
Qadr, it means that for the
residents of all the places,
according to their own lunar
year only one night is Lailatul-
Qadr. The explanation to this
statement is that residents of
every place start their lunar
year according to the specific
horizon of that place from the
first of Muharram.
And after passing some lunar
months, the month of Rama-
dan also of that place, starts
with the specific horizon of
that place and in that month,
19th, 21st or 23rd night is
Lailatul-Qadr for the people
residing in that area.
Residents of every place have
to fix their Holy Days and
46
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
times according to specific
horizon of that place and not
only Lailatul-Qadr in particular.
For example, Eid-ul-Fitr and
Eid-ul-Azha are holy days in
Islam and special prayers are
prescribed for those days of
these Eids not a single one
comes on more than one day
in the whole year. In different
Muslim countries fixation of
this day, even though there
being difference in their
existing horizons, each country
fixes the day considering their
specific horizon. This is the
reason that for example in
Saudi Arabia Eid-e-Azha is
mostly celebrated one or two
days before Pakistan and some
other countries.
We should know that this
account regarding Lailatul-
Qadr, is not a negation for
some other purposes (for
example, in this night Angels
are descending) because all
these situations are witness to
the enlargement of the special
blessings of Allah in this night,
for the residents of all the
places.






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Itikaf, The Spiritual Retreat
By: Shaykh Saleem Bhimji
The Messenger of Allah (S)
has said: The person who
secludes himself (in the
Masjid in Itikaf) in true faith
and hope (for the reward of
Allah), all of his previous sins
shall be forgiven. (Kanzul
Ummal, Hadith 24007)
One of the greatest traditions
of Islam, the spark of which
has recently been reignited in
the hearts of the youth, is
that of Itikaf. This is a
tradition which has been in
Islam from the first days of
the revelation and is also
something known and recog-
nized in other Divine religions
sent by Allah (SWT) and
practiced by them more or
less:
And when We made the
House a pilgrimage for
mankind and a (place of)
security, and said, Appoint for
yourselves a place of prayer
on the standing-place of
Ibrahim [Maqam-e-Ibrahim].
And We enjoined Ibrahim and
47
The Message
Ismail saying: Purify My
House for those who visit (it)
and those who abide (in it) for
devotion, those who bow
down (and) those who
prostrate themselves.
(Baqarah 2, 125)
The great Masajid of Islam
located in cities such as
Makkah, Madinah, Kerbala,
Najaf, Samarrah, Kadamain,
Qum, Isfahan, Mashhad and
other major Muslim cities
have hosted this spiritual
retreat for over 1,400 years
primarily in the White Nights
of Rajab the 13th, 14th and
15th, and more specifically in
the month of Ramadan that
too primarily in the last 10
nights of the blessed month.
Since the life of the transient
world keeps us busy for the
whole year in studies, work,
business, traveling and other
such things and causes us to
be negligent of the next life,
we may sometimes think that
these thing are the sole
The Message
purpose in life and thus, we
end up forgetting our true
goal Allah (SWT). Thus, it is
for this reason that Itikaf is
referred to as The spring of
life in a world struck with the
drought of negligence of Allah
(SWT).
It is the negligence of our-
selves and our Creator which
is given a fresh breath of life
in this short three day period
of Itikaf. In addition, we can
once again find ourselves and
our Lord and return back to
Him now (spiritually return
back to Him) before we are
forced to return back to him
by the separation of the soul
from the body in a state of
complete negligence of Him.
The period of Itikaf is the
best time to force ones self to
sit and think and reflect on
the self and the world around;
the period of the Itikaf is the
best time to forget the worries
of the transient world and to
return to the soul and the
Creator of the soul; the period
of the Itikaf is the best time
to return back to Allah (SWT)
48
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
in true repentance for our sins
committed through the year
and to concentrate on the
Words of Allah in the Quran,
the prayers and supplications
used to call upon Him and all
of those things which are
related to Him and His Sacred
Essence.
Itikaf is not a three day
holiday from work or school; it
is not a time to sit in the
Masjid in complete ignorance
of ones self and his spiritual
surroundings; it is not the
venue to pass ones time in
idleness. Itikaf is not the act
of sleeping and snoring in the
Masjid and killing time
Truly, Itikaf is a three day
spiritual retreat to build the
self; it is the act of leaving
ones personal house to be in
the service of Allah (SWT) and
to recognize ones self in
Allahs house (the Masjid)
while at the same time, being
a guest in the House of Allah
(SWT) eating His food which
He has sent and being around
His servants which He has
guided.
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Definition of Itikaf
The literal definition of the
word Itikaf is to stay in a
particular place, however in
the definition of Islam, it
means to stay in the Masjid
for a particular time period in
the worship of Allah (SWT)
while maintaining certain
conditions, which shall be
covered later on in this article.
In the state of Itikaf, a person
can stand, sit, sleep, etc and
there is not one particular
form that this retreat must be
carried out in (unlike the Salat
which has a specific form to
it). What is important in this
period is to obey the com-
mandments of Allah (SWT), to
refrain from the things which
He has prohibited.
Conditions of Itikaf
There are a few conditions for
the person who wishes to
partake in the Divine blessing
of Itikaf:
(a) Intelligence (Aql)
Thus, the person must not be
mentally unstable;
49
The Message
(b) True Faith (Iman)
Thus, although a Non-Muslim
can perform the Itikaf and it
may be correct from the point
of view of the outer actions,
however to earn the Divine
Reward, he or she must be a
true believer;
(c) Intention (Niyyat)
Itikaf must be performed for
the purpose of seeking close-
ness to Allah (SWT) and not to
show off or due to societal or
family or peer pressure;
(d) Fasting During Itikaf
The person who is not able to
fast, for whatever reason, is
deprived from the Divine
grace of being able to perform
Itikaf. He or she may still gain
a reward from Allah (SWT) for
having the intention to
perform this act of worship,
however cannot directly
participate in this act as will
be mentioned.
Therefore, if a person is a
traveler or one who is not
able to fast due to some
danger to his life, he cannot
The Message
partake in Itikaf. However, if
the traveler who wants to
perform the Itikaf makes an
oath that he will fast for three
days on a trip, then he can
perform the Itikaf even
though his Salat may be
prayed as that of a traveler.
(e) Permission
One must have the permission
of the person whom he needs
to gain permission from to
carry out this act (guardian,
husband, etc) to ensure the
correctness of the Itikaf.
(f) Place of Itikaf
One must stay inside the
Masjid for the entire period
for his Itikaf to be correct.
(g) Time Period (Length)
of the Itikaf
The person performing Itikaf
must stay in this state for a
minimum of three complete
days from sunrise of the first
day until the sunset of the
third day (for example if he
starts Itikaf on Monday at Fajr
time, he must complete it until
Thursday at Maghrib time).
50
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
The first two days of Itikaf are
recommended and if a person
wishes, he may leave after
this period and end his Itikaf,
however if he completes two
full days of Itikaf in the Masjid
(until the Maghrib of the
second day), then it becomes
obligatory upon him to contin-
ue his fast on the third day
and to stay in the Masjid for
the remaining period of his
Itikaf meaning till the time
of Maghrib of the third day.
Similarly, if a person goes into
Itikaf for 5 days, the 6th day
becomes obligatory; and if he
goes into Itikaf for 8 days
then the 9th day becomes
obligatory and so on
Thus, Itikaf is for 3 full days
and 2 nights which are in
between these days and this
period must be maintained.
Time of Itikaf
Anytime in which fasting is
permissible is an opportune
time for Itikaf and the state
of Itikaf does not have a
specific time related to it. Of
course the White Days
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH The Message

which are the 13th, 14th and The Intention for Itikaf
15th of the lunar month and
The intention for Itikaf is of
the last ten days of the Month
three main types. The most
of Ramadan are the best
common form is the recom-
times for this spiritual exer-
mended Itikaf, however it can
cise. Therefore, one cannot
also become obligatory
make Itikaf on the day of Eid
(wajib) if a person makes an
since it is forbidden to fast on
oath or promise to Allah is for
that day and similarly, he
the fulfillment of something
cannot start Itikaf two days
(and in that oath he had
before Eid.
promised Allah is that he
Permission of Guardian would perform Itikaf if his
prayer is fulfilled). The third
As mentioned previously in
intention which can be made
passing, Itikaf performed
for Itikaf is that it is being
without the permission of his
done on behalf of someone
guardian or any person whose
else similar to how people
rights would be taken away if
perform Hajj for their de-
the person was to go in a
ceased relatives or make up
state of Itikaf is not correct.
missed prayers of parents
Thus, it is for this reason that
who have passed away or
the wife must also take her
others. Therefore, it is neces-
husbands permission if her
sary for the correctness of
Itikaf would infringe on
Itikaf to specify the intention
martial rights with his wife.
and the type that one wants
Similarly, if ones parents are
to perform.
not happy or are concerned
for their son or daughter and Time and Place of the
do not permit him to make Intention of the Itikaf and
Itikaf, then the child is not the Place of Itikaf
permitted to go forth for this
The intention must be made
(recommended) act of wor-
from the beginning of the
ship.

51
The Message
time of Fajr on the first day
and it is not permissible to
delay it until the end of the
time of Fajr (just before
sunrise), however if just
before the rising of the sun of
Fajr, one makes his intention,
this will still be sufficient. At
the time of making intention
for Itikaf, the person must be
inside the Masjid in which
he/she wishes to perform
Itikaf.
The place of Itikaf must be
the Masjid and therefore,
performing Itikaf in any place
other than a Masjid such as a
room or hall used for Salat, a
building which is made only
for Jamat Salat and other
places like this such as an
imambargah (which are not
proper Masajid) is not correct.
The preferential order of
where Itikaf should be
performed is: Masjidul Haram,
Masjid an-Nabi (S), Masjid
Kufa and then the Masjid of
Basrah after these, then any
other Central and Congre-
gational Masjid is permissible
to perform the Itikaf in.
52
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
If one was to perform Itikaf
in any place other than the
Central Masjid then he
would need to do so with the
intention that this act would
bring him closer to Allah
(SWT) and that he is hoping
for a reward in this act.
Therefore, if there are three
or four Masjid in one city,
since they are not of the four
Masajid in which Itikaf can be
performed (with that special
intention), the people may
use all of them for the pro-
gram of Itikaf.
The courtyards and entrances
of the Masjid are not consid-
ered as a part of the Masjid
except in the case that they
are recognized and known (by
others) to be an actual part of
the Masjid. If a person doubts
if the place in which he is, is
actually a Masjid or not, then
according to the rules, he is
not permitted to perform
Itikaf there until he ascertains
and has certainty that the
place where he is truly is a
part of the Masjid.
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Prohibited Acts during
Itikaf
The prohibited acts during the
state of Itikaf include:
1. Applying and smelling
perfume (or perfumed items
such as soap, shampoo, oil,
etc.) with the intention of
deriving pleasure (or without
it). This act makes Itikaf null
& void.
2. Discussions and arguments
both in relation to the world
and the faith. This means that
a person argues with another
to prove that he is better or
smarter or that he knows
more, etc However, if a
person must argue or debate
to uphold the truth and
destroy falsehood, it is
permissible - rather this is the
best form of worship and
servitude to Allah (SWT)
during this noble state.
3. Buying & selling anything.
4. Deriving pleasure from the
opposite sex in any way
holding hands, hugging,
kissing, etc is completely
forbidden in the state of Itikaf.
53
The Message
If any of these things are
performed, ones Itikaf
becomes void and in certain
cases a Kaffarah or penitence
must be paid out.
Leaving the Masjid during
the Period of Itikaf
It is not permissible to leave
the Masjid during the state of
Itikaf except for a reason.
Thus, in the following exam-
ples, it would be permitted to
leave the Masjid while in the
state of Itikaf: going to a
doctor in cases of emergency,
going to the bathroom,
visiting someone who is very
sick and taking part in the
burial rites of a person if the
person who has passed away
was a close relation to the
person performing Itikaf, or
to perform a Ghusl (if needed)
or to do Wudu.
If during Itikaf menstrual
cycle of sisters start making
them unable to stay inside the
Masjid their Itikaf becomes
null and void.






The Message
Stay hydrated during Ramadan
By: Dr. Sana Sadiq
Fast to be healthy, said by
Holy Prophet (S). Modern
science has proved His (S)
sayings true. Islam wants its
believers to be active and
healthy. During fast our
digestive system gets a chance
to rest, it helps in excreting
several toxins from the body,
and thus leaving one as a
fresh and healthy personality.
This year, we are going to
observe fast in the hottest
summer days of the year. So
to save the body from dehy-
dration, I would share some
tips.
Drink plenty of water (up to
12 cups) between Iftar and
Suhoor.
Artificial sweets, caffeine,
nicotine, spicy & oily foods
keep you thirsty. So avoid
taking soft drinks, excessive
tea, coffee and smoking etc.
Fresh fruits & vegetables
which contain high water
contents e.g. watermelon,
cucumber are highly recom-
mended.
54
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Cut down amount of salt and
chillies in your meals.
Intake of fresh fruit juices,
shakes, smoothies / lassi
should be encouraged.
Avoid unnecessary direct sun
exposure.
Try to wear loose and light
dresses. If going out, then
cover your head and face with
some shades like umbrella.
Avoid unnecessary physical
activities which may lead to
excessive sweating.
Taking showers or wrapping
a towel, soaked in ice water
around head and face may
control body temperature and
thus would avoid excessive
water loss from body.
All diabetics, heart patients,
kidney patients or those
suffering from some chronic /
debilitating disease, should
visit their consultants before
Ramadan and follow the
advice of relevant specialist
doctor.






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Commandments or Prohibitions in Islam
By: Ayatollah Muhammad Jawad Chirri
About the Author: Ayatollah
Muhammad Jawad Chirri is
Lebanese by birth and a gradu-
ate of the Islamic Institute of
Najaf in Iraq. Before reaching the
age of 25, he wrote about
Islamic jurisprudence and its
basis. When he returned from
Najaf to Lebanon, Ayatollah
Jawad Chirri and the unforgetta-
ble personality, Shaykh Mu-
hammad Jawad Mughniyya, the
author of many valuable books,
waged a campaign trying to
awaken the people of southern
Lebanon and urging them to rise
in order to gain usurped rights in
the Lebanese society.
During that period, the late Imam
Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din
urged the author to write a book
about the caliphate. The author
honored this righteous request by
writing a book called The
Caliphate in the Islamic Constitu-
tion. The book, in spite of its
small size, was considered to be a
novelty in Islamic dialogue.
During the year 1949, the author
immigrated to the United States
55
The Message
of America in response to an
invitation by the Muslims in
Detroit, Michigan. When he
arrived in the United States, he
found himself in an uncomforta-
ble position, unable to communi-
cate with the Americans and the
American born Muslims because
he did not know English.
Too old to become a student in a
regular American school but
anxious to spread the word of
Islam, he immersed himself heart
and soul into the language.
Within a short time, he taught
himself English well enough to
serve the Muslims of the Detroit
area. Later he became a well-
known lecturer and scholar on
Islam throughout the US, the
Middle East, and Africa.
*****
Wilson: Both Christianity and
Judaism preach the Ten
Commandments which were
revealed to Moses and rec-
orded in the Old Testament.
Does Islam have any com-
mandments, and are they the
same or similar?
The Message
Chirri: The Ten Command-
ments are only a portion of
the Quranic commandments.
Islam commands its followers
to avoid many things. Some
of them are prohibited be-
cause they contradict some of
the doctrines in which a
Moslem is supposed to
believe. Some of them are
prohibited because they are
immoral or unethical or
unhealthy or because they
represent disobedience to the
devotional duties. These
prohibitions may be regarded
as Islamic commandments,
the violation of which may
constitute a major sin. A
Muslim is prohibited:
1. To ascribe to God a
partner or associate: "As-
sociate not any other god
with the Almighty, lest
thou sit down despised
forsaken." (17:22)
2. To deny revelation of God
to His prophets.
3. To deny any of the
prophets who are recog-
nized by the Qur'an, such
56
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
as Jesus, Moses, Abra-
ham, and Noah. The deni-
al of the revelation or any
of the recognized prophets
is a denial of Islam.
4. To feel safe in opposition
to God: "Are they secure
against the plan of God?
But none feels secure
against the plan of God
except the losing people."
(7:99)
5. To lose hope in mercy of
God: "...And despair not of
the mercy of God. Surely
none despairs of the mer-
cy of God except the dis-
believing people." (12:87)
6. To swear in the name of
God falsely: "Have you not
seen those who take for
friends a people with
whom God is wrathful?
They are neither of you
nor of them, and they
swear falsely, while they
know. God has prepared
for them a severe chas-
tisement. Evil indeed is
what they do!" (58:14-15)
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
7. To break a covenant
deliberately: "And fulfill
the covenant of God when
you have made a cove-
nant, and break not the
oaths after making them
fast, and you have, in-
deed, made God your
surety. Surely God knows
what you do." (16:91)
8. To kill a human being
premeditative: "And slay
not the soul which God
has forbidden except for
the just cause...." (17:33)
"Your lives and properties
are sacred and inviolable
amongst you, until you
appear before your
Lord...." said the Prophet.
8. To be traitor to the right
cause of one's own nation.
9. To help defeat it militarily
by retreating at the battle-
field when the nation is
defending itself against
aggression: "And whoso
turns his back to them
(the aggressors) on that
day (of fight), unless ma-
neuvering for battle or
57
The Message
turning to join a company,
he indeed incurs God's
wrath and his refuge is
hell, and an evil destina-
tion it is." (8:16)
11. To steal.
12. To cheat in measuring or
weighing in selling or pur-
chasing: "Woe to the
cheaters. Who when they
take the measure (of their
dues) from the people,
take it fully, and when
they measure out to oth-
ers or weigh out for them
they give less than is
due." (83:1-3)
13. To use an orphan's fund
in a way that is not in his
interest: "And draw not
nigh to the orphan's fund,
except in a goodly way, till
he attains his maturity,
and fulfill the covenant;
surely the covenant will be
inquired to!" (17:34)
14. To insult one's own
parent: "And thy Lord has
decreed that ye worship
none but Him, and do
good to the parents. If
The Message
one of them or both of
them reach old age with
thee, say not "Fie" to
them, nor chide them, and
speak to them kind words.
And lower to them the
wing of humility of mercy,
and say: My Lord, have
mercy on them as they
brought me up (when I
was) little." (17:23-24)
15. To commit adultery: "And
go not nigh to fornication;
surely it is an obscenity.
And evil is the way."
(17:32)
16. To scandalize people,
especially women: "Those
who love to see that scan-
dal should circulate con-
cerning the believers, will
have a grievous chastise-
ment in this world and the
Hereafter, and God
knows, while you know
not." (24:19)
"Those who scandalize
virtuous, believing women
(who are) careless, cursed
are they in this world and
the Hereafter. Theirs will
58
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
be an awful doom, on the
day when their tongues,
their hands, and their feet
testify against them as to
what they used to do. On
that day God will pay
them their just dues and
they will know that God is
the Manifest Truth."
(24:23-25)
17. To spy on others for no
purpose of protecting your
nation or yourself.
18. To backbite others,
exposing to those who do
not know, some shameful
doing: " And spy not nor
backbite each other"
(49:12)
19. To gamble.
20. To drink intoxicants: "O
you who believe, intoxi-
cants and games of
chance are only an
abomination, the devil's
work; so shun it, that you
may succeed. The devil
desires only to create en-
mity and hatred among
you by means of intoxi-
cants and games of
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH The Message

chance, and to prevent 25. To conceal a testimony

you from the remem- when called to testify in
brance of God and from litigation: " And conceal
prayer. So will you obey not testimony. And who-
this prohibition?" 5:93-94 ever conceals it, his heart
is surely sinful. And God
21. To eat pork or any swine's
knows what you do."
products.
(2:283)
22. To eat or drink blood.
26. To deliberately hinder a
(This does not include
good cause.
transfusion of blood for
necessity.) 27. To spread hatred by
conveying to a person a
23. To eat meat of an animal
bad word about him spo-
that dies by itself, or the
ken by another person:
meat of an animal on
"And obey not any mean
which the name of other
swearer, defamer, going
than God is invoked when
about with slander, hin-
it is slain: "He has forbid-
derer of good, transgress-
den you only what dies of
ing beyond the limits, sin-
itself, and blood, and the
ful, ignoble, besides all
flesh of swine, and that
that, notoriously mischie-
over which (a name) other
vous. . ." (68:10-13)
than the name of God is
invoked (when it is 28. To violate the terms of a
slaughtered)" (2:173) dead man's will: "Then
whoever changes it (the
24. To lie deliberately or
will) after he heard it, the
testify falsely or falsify the
sin of it is only upon those
word of God willingly:
who change it. Surely God
"Only they forge lies who
is Hearing, Knowing."
believe not in the messag-
(2:181)
es of God, and they are
the liars." (16:105) 29. To oppress the people.

59
The Message
30. To aid an oppressor:
"...And let not hatred of a
people because they hin-
dered you from the Sacred
Mosque incite you to make
aggression. And help one
another in righteousness
and piety, and help not
one another in sin and
aggression. Surely God is
severe in requiting (evil)."
(5:9)
31. To be proud, looking down
on the people: "And turn
not thy cheek in scorn to-
wards people, nor go
about in the land in inso-
lence. Surely God loves
not any self-conceited
boaster." (31:18)
32. To be envious, wishing
People ill: "Say: I seek
refuge in the Lord of the
dawn, from the evil of
things created And from
the evil of the envious
when he envies."
33. To antagonize a relative
for no right cause: "Will
you be making mischief in
the land and cut off the
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Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
ties of kinship if you come
to power?" 47:22
34. To neglect any of the five
daily prayers.
35. To break fasting in the
days of Ramadan without
a legitimate excuse.
36. To withhold the "Zakah"
this is the share of the
poor in the self-supporting
person's wealth.
37. To neglect the duty of
pilgrimage to Mecca this
has to be done once in a
life-time by every person
who is physically and fi-
nancially able to make it.
38. To neglect the duty of
advising the people to do
good and avoid evil when
such an advice is needed
and likely to be effective.
The last five are regarded as
major sins, because the
prayer, fasting, paying Zakah,
making pilgrimage and
enjoining good and prohibiting
evil are Quranic duties.






Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
Kids
Corner
What plans do you
have for this Rama-
dan?
(A Survey Report conduct-
ed By: Dr Sana Sadiq)
O you who believe! Fasting is
prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before
you, that you may become
pious - (Al Baqrah: 2, 183)
Ramadan is again here with
its glory and blessings. It is
scorching heat and a tough
season in Karachi these
days. Despite the challeng-
ing climate, many of our
little kids love to follow the
order of Allah to observe
fast. We met some of our
friends to ask them about
their plans as to how they
61
The Message
are going to spend the time
during these long and hot
days amid the summer
vacations in schools.
First, we met with Shameer,
a class 10th student. He told
that he would try to attend
all congregations in the
mosque. Also he will spend
his afternoons in studying
his course books while in
evening he would read good
story books along with kids
living in the neighbourhood.
Taseen Ali has just finished
his board examinations. He
will try to spend most of his
time in worshipping Allah
during fast. Also, he will
start studying translation of
the Quran.
Syeda Zarfishan just got
free from her class 9th
exams. She has plans to
relax for most of the time.
Also she will help mom in the
kitchen. She is determined
to complete the recitation
of whole Quran during the
sacred month.
The Message
Fatima Zehra is a student of
seventh standard. For last
few years she joins special
Ramadan courses in
madressah. She fills her
activity calendar during day
hours and attends classes
after aftaar. Also she has
decided to spend time in
helping mom in home chores.
Sakina studies in class 6.
She told us that initial two
days will be spent in the
school. During vacations, she
would join special Islamic
courses in madressah. She
helps mom in kitchen as well.
In leisure time she loves
reading story books.
Samiya Naveed studies in
class 4. She has decided to
spend leisure time in playing
with cousins and during their
play she will try to teach
them good things. She would
tell them some exciting
Islamic stories.






62
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
My First Fast
Muhammad Jabeer Raza,
Age: 10 years
Ramadan is the 9th month of
the Islamic calendar. This is
the month when the Holy
Quran was sent down from
Heaven. During this month,
Muslims observe fasting.
What does fasting mean?
It is a holy practice when
certain restrictions are
placed on the daily lives of
Muslims. They are not
allowed to eat or drink
anything from dawn till the
sunset.
I still remember the day
while I observed fast for
the first time in my life.
It was two years ago when I
was eight-year-old boy. I
decided to observe my first
fast. My parents supported
the decision. My mother was
a little reluctant as she
knew it was always difficult
for me to control my hunger
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
or thirst. But my father
assured her of my spirits
and ability to manage myself
during the fasting. I was
quite excited at sehri time.
Mom served mutton gravy
with parathas, salad, yogurt
and lassi. As the azaan for
Fajr prayers blared from
the mosque, my first fast
began!!
I had a wonderful day at
school and not for even a
single moment did I feel
hungry or thirsty. I was
amazed at my spirits. Allah
really helps us if we decide
to follow His path. After
returning home, I offered
prayers with my father at
the mosque.
I have seen many kids
passing their time, on a
fasting day, watching movies
and playing computer games.
This is against the essence
of fasting! Fasting does not
mean that we have to remain
hungry and thirsty alone.
Allah expects us to spend
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The Message
our time in doing good deeds
especially for the benefit of
humankind, refrain from all
the activities prohibited
during fast and spending as
much time as is possible in
worshipping Him. I tried not
to forget all such things and
offered my prayers in time.
I also helped my parents in
arrangements for a Roza
Kushai party. Before sunset
my grandmother sat with me
and recited the verses of
holy Quran. After the
recitation, she explained the
verses through translation.
It really helped me under-
stand what our religion tells
us and expects from us to
do and follow.
Finally as the call to prayers
was given, we offered
Maghribain. We opened our
fast with eating some fine
dates and quenched our
thirst with sips of water.
Everyone congratulated and
hugged me on my determina-
tion. All of us then had the
The Message
scrumptious food prepared
by my mother.
Since then I observe few
fasts every year. I am
waiting for the right age
when fasting would be
obligatory for me. I shall
never quit a single fast in my
life. InshaAllah.






Kindness of Imam
Hasan Mujtaba (A.S.)
Once a stranger arrived in
Kufa and asked a man
working in a garden for
directions. The man showed
him the way and then invited
him to share his meal. The
stranger was touched by
this offer and accepted. But
when he was handed some
flat bread to eat, he found
that it was so hard that he
could not even break it on
his knee, let alone with his
teeth. He tried dipping it
into some water but that did
not help. The gardener saw
the stranger's discomfort
64
Ramzan-ul-Mubarak 1438 AH
and pointed him towards a
guest house where free
meals were given to all.
The guest house belonged to
Imam Hasan (A), who himself
welcomed the stranger and
arranged a hot meal for him.
After a while, the Holy Imam
(A) saw that the stranger
was eating one morsel and
putting one morsel in a bag
on his side. The Holy Imam
(A) told him to eat peaceful-
ly, and if he needed extra
food for his family, it would
be provided before he left.
The stranger said that he
had no family but was putting
some food aside for the kind
gardener down the road who
had only hard bread to eat.
When he heard this, the
Holy Imam (A) smiled and
informed him, "That is my
father Ali, the Caliph of the
Muslims. He lives on simple
food so that no needy
subject may be embarrassed
in front of him."






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