"We verily sent Moses with Our revelations, saying: Bring thy people forth from darkness unto light." — Holy Qur'an 14:5
:: Post No. 17: To Daaras-Salaam (The Abode of Peace) Via Siratal Mustaqeem ::
Monday,
Feb. 17, 2025
Ya Ali Madad! This post has two parts.
Part 1. Knowledge Section
Let us reflect on: (1) how to identify the enlightened ones; and (2) how to walk on the Right Path in order to enter Daaras-Salaam (The Abode of Peace), from the following ayats of the Holy Qu'ran:
Transliteration | English Translation |
'Afaman-sharahallaahu sadrahuu lil-Islaami fahuwa 'alaa Nuurim-mir-Rabbih? Fa-waylul-lil-qaasiyati quluubu-hum-min zikrillah! 'ulaaa-'ika fii zalaalim-mubiin! (39:22) | What!2115 Is he whose breast (heart) God hath opened for Islam then he followeth the Light from God (like unto the hardhearted one)? Nay! Woe unto those whose hearts are hard against the remembrance of God; those are in a clear error. (39:22) |
Here is the footnote (pp.1388-1389) for the above ayat from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali's translation of the Holy Qu'ran:
Vr. 22 (2115) It is said that this verse was revealed referring to the First Holy Imam Ali-ibne-Abi-Taleb who was endued with the light of Islam and whose personal purity and spiritual excellence and that of Holy Prophet was one and the same. Besides the Holy Prophet, Ali was the only one who never in his life bowed to anyone save God. About Ali, the Holy Prophet has said: 'I and Ali are of one and the same Light'. This being the direct application of the revelation but indirectly and generally it could be applied to the faithful ones whose hearts have been enlightened with the truth. The Holy Prophet was once asked as to what was the sign or symptom of any heart having been lighted with faith? He said "The discordance of the desires for this world which is only a temporary stopping place and the love of the hereafter which is the permanent abode." The latter part of the verse refers to Abu-Lahab and his group. Just as every step towards the right direction towards the truth naturally and automatically enlightens one more and more, and takes the individual nearer and nearer to the Divine Light, every step on the opposite side, i.e., towards falsehood, affects the natural retrogression of the spirit and takes the individual farther and farther away from the truth and ultimately at a certain stage of reversion from the right path, the individual spirit automatically gets lost in utter darkness in which none of his faculties could ever take any right step and the individual strays bewildered. On the other hand, those who proceed towards the truth, their march towards the Divine Light, gets naturally faster and faster and ultimately the individual gets totally lighted. The Holy Prophet said: "Seek ye the fulfilment of your needs from the kind-hearted ones of my adherents, for God has endowed them with mercy and seek not any help from the hardhearted ones for in those hearts has centered the wrath of God. God loves the kind-hearted ones who love others and guide them by preaching goodness to them and God loves not those who are negligent of their duties to Him and spend the nights in vain engagements and playful activities and while away their time in idleness and luxuries."
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Transliteration | English Translation |
Wal-laahu yad-'uuu 'ilaa Daaris-Salaam: wa yahdii manyya-shaaa-u ilaa Siraatim-Musta-qiim (10:25) | And1017 God calleth (you) to the abode of peace; and guideth whomsoever He willeth unto the right way. (10:25) |
Here is the footnote (pp.705-706) for the above ayat from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali's translation of the Holy Qu'ran:
Vr. 25 (1017) 'Salam', i.e., Peace and Bliss refers to the state in the paradise where prevails bliss-perfect. 'Salam' is one of the holy names with which God is addressed. Applying this interpretation, God invites mankind to Him with Whom nothing but bliss prevails. It is said that the life on this earth starts with crying (a human child immediately as it lands on earth starts its life with crying), passes through miseries and sorrows of life and ends with effacement [i.e., reduction to insignificance]. God invites it, from this abode of misery and effacement, to the abode of bliss-perfect and of life-eternal. 'Salam' and 'Islam'—both words are of one and same root. 'Salamat', i.e., 'peace—Islam' also means peace. And embracing Islam means: to live in peace with the Creator by submitting one's self to His will and to be in peace with Creation, particularly mankind, offering peace to one and all. With Islam as the religion there could be nothing but peace on earth. A true Muslim is defined as the one whose tongue as well as his hands work only for peace to hurt none of the peaceful ones. The peace in this world leads to the peace or bliss in the life hereafter. 'Siratu-Mustaqeem', i.e., the straight or the Right Path—meaning to walk in obedience or submission to the Law of the Lord (i.e., 'Shariat' which was revealed to the Holy Prophet) which is the only straight or the correct or the Right way to Salvation and no other (i.e., the obedience only to God's commands and not the delusions caused by Satan—which is straying from the path).
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Here are excerpts from Sermon 197 which appear under the heading 'Advantages of fear of Allah'. In my opinion, the word 'fear of Allah' can also be interpreted as 'piety' or 'Being Allah consciousness at all times':
Certainly, fear of Allah [i.e., piety] is the medicine for your hearts, sight for the blindness of your spirits, the cure for the ailments of your bodies, the rectifier of the evils of your breasts, the purifier of the pollution of your minds, the light of the darkness of your eyes, the consolation for the fear of your heart and the brightness for the gloom of your ignorance. Therefore, make obedience to Allah the way of your life and not only your outside covering, make it your inner habit instead of only outer routine, subtle enough to enter through your ribs (up to the heart), the guide for all your affairs, the watering place for your getting down (on the Day of Judgement), the interceder for the achievement of your aims, asylum for the day of your fear, the lamp of the interior of your graves, company for your long loneliness, and deliverance from the troubles of your abodes. Certainly, obedience to Allah is a protection against encircling calamities, expected dangers and the flames of burning fires. Therefore, whoever entertains fear of Allah, troubles remain away from him after having been near, affairs become sweet after their bitterness, waves (of troubles) recede from him after having crowded over him, difficulties become easy for him after occurring, generosity rains fast over him after there had been famine, mercy bends over him after it had been loath, the favours (of Allah) spring forth on him after they had been dried, and blessing descends over him in showers after being scanty. So, fear Allah Who benefits you with His good advice, preaches to you through His Messenger, and obliges you with His favours. Devote yourselves to His worship, and discharge yourselves of the obligation of obeying Him. [i.e., pray and submit to Him] (pp.407-408) |
Part 2. Angelic Salwat
Let us recite angelic salwats to invoke Divine grace and mercy.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad:
O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants
or
Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)
Forty Deeper Spiritual Insights