almoustabsiroun

À toi Karbalahhh



Karbala...

Terre comme toi, aucune ne sera

Tragédie, comme toi, l'humanité ne vivra

Souffrance, comme toi, personne ne sentira

Regrets, comme toi, nul autre n'aura...



Karbala...

Jeunesse, comme la tienne, aucune ne sera

Amitié, comme la tienne, plus forte n'existera

Femmes comme les tiennes, l'islam n'aura

Élite, comme la tienne, sur terre ne se formera...



Karbala...

Martyres comme les tiens, le monde ne verra

Foi, comme la tienne, nul autre n'exaltera

Bravoure, comme la tienne, l'homme ne montrera

Sacrifices, comme les tiens, l'humanité ne fera...



Karbala...

Tyrannie, comme la tienne, nul n'exercera

Oppression, comme la tienne, nul ne subira

Atrocité, comme la tienne, nul n'exécutera

Peine, comme la tienne, nul ne ressentira...



Karbala...

Patience, comme Sajjad, nul ne tiendra

Chagrin, comme Sakina, nul n'éprouvera

Fermeté, comme Zainab, nul n'exposera

Larmes, comme Sougra, nul ne versera...



Karbala...

Courageux, comme Abbas jamais ne sera

Fidèle, comme Habib, nul se présentera,

Principes, comme Akbar, personne ne protègera,

Respect, comme Asgar, personne n'arborera

Victoire comme Hussein, nul ne connaîtra...



Khadimé kom

Arbam Maalik Houssen

Name : Fatima (salam ullah Alaiha - s.a.)
Title : Az-Zahra
Agnomen : Umm-ul-Aimma, Umm-e-Abiha
Father : Holy Prophet Muhammad Ibn-e-Abdulla (pbuh&hf)
Mother : Bibi Khadija bint-e-Khuwailid(a.s.)
Birth : In Makkah Friday 20th of Jamadi-ul-Akhar
Death : 13th Jamadi-ul-Awwal or 3rd Jamadi-ul-Akhir 11 Hijrah at Medina at the age of 18 years (due to injury inflicted upon her through force of a falling door by a hypocrite)
Burial : The cemetery of Jannatul Baqi or in the Masjid-un-Nabi at Medina


Fatima(s.a.) The Radiant

Imam Hasan Askari(a.s.) reported that his father quoted Jabir Ibn Abdullah as saying : ' The Messenger of Allah, Peace be Upon him and his cleansed progeny, said : ' When Allah created Adam and Eve, they strutted through paradise and said : ' Who are better than we ? ' At that moment they noticed an image of a girl like they had never seen before; from this girl came an illuminating light so bright that it almost blinded the eyes.
They said : ' O Lord, what is this ? ' He answered : ' This is the Image of Fatima(s.a.), the mistress of your women descendants. '

Lisan Al Mizan Volume 3 page 346

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Ibn Abbas said : ' Aisha entered the house while the Messenegr of Allah was kissing Fatima(s.a.), so she said: ' Do you love her, O Messenger of Allah? '

He replied : ' Indeed, by Allah if you knew the extent of my love for her, your love would increase for her. When I was in the forth heaven ... that I found these dates softer than butter, more pleasent than musk and sweeter than honey. So when I descended to earth, I came unto Khadija and she bore Fatima. Thus Fatima is a human huri, whenever I long for paradise I smell her.

Hazrat Fatima Zahra's(s.a.) other names:

Az-Zahra: She was named by Allah(swt), as Az-Zahra because her Holy Light used to shine among those brighter in all The Heavens.

Batool: Because of her absolute Purity attained from Paradise from The Heavens. And also because, The Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra, not like all the other women in the world, she had been blessed of not having the monthly menstrual period. This purity of hers was created by Allah The Almighty with the Purity of the Heavenly food and water her Holy Father had received, when he was alone on the mountain top indulging himself in prayer in the worship of God, for forty days and nights.

Siddiqah: The Honest, The Righteous

Al-Mubarakah: The Blessed One

Al-Tahirah: The Virtuous, The Pure

Al-Zakiyah: The Chaste, The Unblemished

Al-Radhiatul Mardhiah: She who is gratified and who shall be satisfied

Al-Muhaddathah: A person other than a Prophet, that the angel's speak too

Al-Zahirah: The Luminous

The Leader of all Women in Paradise

Like her Holy Infallible Father(pbuh&hf), she possessed all the intellectual abilities and achievements. Many verses of The Holy Koran were revealed in her praise and about her spiritual credits. The Holy Prophet of Islam(pbuh&hf) had given her several honorable titles among which one is:

The Holy Prophet her Father(pbuh&hf) loved her very much Whenever she would go to the house of her father The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) would stand up out of respect to her. Whenever he greeted her, and he would honour her by giving her a special place to seat herself in his house. Very often Her Father(pbuh&hf) would softly kiss her hands and say, "Allah, The Most High; is pleased when Fatimah(a.s.) is pleased. He is angered; whenever Fatimah is angered!"


The Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.) Pleads Her Case

After all else failing, the holy Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.), in her desperation and frustration, causes a great controversy among all the Muslims. By personally going to her Father's Mosque of Al-Madinah, after prayers had ended, to publicly expose and demand the immeadiate return of her rightful inheritance from Abu Bakr and his supporters, who had ordered it confiscated.

The Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.) had now exhaused all possible avenues in her pursuit to reclaim her rightful inheritance to the Fadak, given to her by her Father The Holy Prophet Mohammad Al-Mustafa(pbuh&hf). But sadly her pleas fell on deaf ears. For this reason, and on the grounds of proving that she has been oppressed by those who professed righteousness under false pretences of faith and piety. At a very last resort the holy Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.), daringly went to her Father's Mosque, to face her adversaries and delivered to them the most eloquent of words in her defense, which left the assembly speechless. She chose to proceed to the Mosque at a time when it was crammed with people, in order that her words reached the ears of all the people, who were somewhat accessories after the fact due to their silent approval of the events that occurred after the Holy Prophet's demise. She addressed the assembly in a speech that was both harmonious and systematic. It was an impeccable speech in that it contained no minced words, and was free of equivocation, distortion and slander. Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.) used the occasion to firstly acquaint the people with Allah, The Most Exalted, and to disclose the merits of the Islamic religion and to clarify the cause and effect of the Islamic Laws. With this introduction she succeeded in securing the full attention of the assembly and created an appropriate atmosphere in which she could deliver her final statement which contained the underlying intentions and reasons that forced her to leave her house and proceed to the Mosque. And the reasons which warranted her leaving her house were, of course, the misappropriation by the so-called then self appointed caliph Abu Bakr of: The Fadak which was legally hers.


Hadith-E-Kesa (English Translation)

Hadrat Fatima Zahra(s.a.) said:

One day, my dear Father, The Holy Prophet of Allah, came to my house and said to me "Peace be upon you, O Fatima," To which I replied: "And upon you be peace." He said "I feel some weakness in my body." I said "May Allah protect you from your weakness, O my Father." He said, " 0 Fatima, please bring me, the Vestment of Yemen and cover me with it." So, I brought my Father, the Vestment of Yemen and covered him with it. Then I looked at him and saw that his face was shining with the glow of a full white moon, and with the moon's full glory and splendour. After a while my son Hasan(a.s.) came in and said "Peace be upon you, my mother." I replied: "And upon you be peace, O, the light of my eyes and the happiness of my heart." He then said: "Mother! I smell a fragrance so sweet and pure, as that of my Grandfather, The Prophet of Allah." I replied: "Yes. Indeed your Grandfather is sitting underneath that Vestment." Hasan went near to the Vestment and said: "Peace be upon you my Grandfather, The Prophet of Allah. Will you permit me to enter the Vestment with you?." He replied: "And upon you be peace, my son and the master of my fountain, I grant you permission to enter under the Vestment with me." So Hasan entered and sat under the Vestment with my Father. After a while my son Husain(a.s.) came in and said "Peace be upon you, my mother." I replied: "And upon you be peace, O, the light of my eyes and happiness of my heart." He then said: "Mother I smell a fragrance so sweet and pure as that of my Grandfather, The Prophet of Allah." I replied, "Yes. Indeed your Grandfather and your brother are both sitting covered underneath that Vestment." Hussain approached the Vestment and said: "Peace be on you, O my Grandfather, The Chosen of Allah, do you allow me to enter the Vestment with both of you." He replied: "And upon you be peace, my son and intercessor of my followers, I so grant you permission." So Hussain entered and sat under the Vestment with them. After a while Abul Hasan(a.s.), came in and said "Peace be on you, O daughter of The Prophet of Allah." I replied: "And upon you be peace, O Abul Hasan, the Commander of the Faithfulls." He then said: "O Fatima I smell a sweet fragrance and so pure which is like of my Brother and my Cousin, The Holy Prophet of Allah." I replied: "Yes. He is sitting covered underneath that Vestment with both of your sons." Ali(a.s.) then went near to the Vestment and said: "Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah; May I enter the Vestment with You?" He replied: "And upon you be peace, my brother, my legatee, my successor and my standard bearer; I give you permission to enter." So Ali(a.s.) entered under the Vestment with them. Then I myself approached the group sitting underneath the Vestment and requested. "Peace be onto you, my Father, O Prophet of Allah; do you permit me also to enter." He replied: "And upon you be peace, my daughter, O part of myself, I give you permission to enter." So I myself entered and sat under the Vestment with them all. When all of us had gathered together covered over and sitting underneath the holy Vestment, my Father, took hold of the two ends of the Vestment and raised his right hand in Prayer towards The Heavens saying, "Allah, these are The People of my Ahlul-Bayt and very specially my Own and my Protectors. They are of my own flesh and of my own blood. Whoever gives them trouble, gives me trouble too; whoever makes them unhappy, makes me unhappy too, I am at war with those who are at war with them, I am at peace with those who are at peace with them. I am the enemy of those who are at enemy with them; I am the friend of those who befriend them. Indeed they are from me, and I am from them. Therefore, send Thy blessings, mercy, forgiveness, and pleasure upon me and upon them. Remove all blemish from them and keep away all kinds of impurity from them." Then Allah The Majestic and The Glorified, spoke to His Angels

Then The Archangel Jibrael, the Trusted One, asked Allah. "O Lord, who are these sitting covered under the Vestment?"

Allah, The Majestic, The Glorified, answered, The Archangel Jibrael then requested, "O Lord, may I go down, and be the Sixth of Them?"

Allah replied The Archangel Jibrael Al-Ameen, decended down to the Earth and said, "Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah. The All Highest conveys His peace on you and His salutation, and He has sworn by His Honour and Glory that He has not created, but the erected Sky, the spread Earth, the illuminated Moon, the bright Sun, the rotating Universe, the flowing Seas, and the sailing Ships but for your sake and your love. God has given me permission to enter and sit with all of you underneath the Vestment.. Do you also grant me that permission, O Prophet of Allah?" The Prophet replied, "And upon you be peace, O thou who art the Trusted with The Revelations of Allah; yes I grant you permission to enter." So The Archangel Jibrael entered and sat beneath the Vestment with us all, and said to my Father that indeed Allah has sent this revelation to you;

"Verily Allah desires to keep away all blemish from you, O Ahlul-Bayt, and to purify you with a perfect purification."

Then Ali(a.s.) asked my father, "O Prophet of Allah what significance does Allah attach to this Event of our sitting gathered together underneath this Vestment?" The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) replied, "I swear by Him who appointed me a Prophet and chose me a confident Messenger, that no assembly, wherever this Event is narrated by our followers and devotees, shall remain without the Mercy of Allah decending on them, and encircling Angels as king Allah for the remission of their sins till the assembly has dispersed." Ali(a.s.) then exclaimed, "I swear by Allah the Lord of The Kaba, that we have all succeeded and our all followers have succeded too." Again The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) said, "I swear by Him who appointed me a Prophet and chose me a confident Messenger that in any of the assemblies on the Earth, in which our followers and friends have gathered, wherever this Event is narrated there shall remain none grieved, but Allah will remove his grief ; there shall be none distressed, but Allah will dispell his distress, and there shall be none who seeks a wish, but Allah will grant his wish." Ali(a.s.) then said, "Verily, by Allah, We have succeeded and become happy so also all our followers have succeeded and become happy in this world as well as in the next world by the Lord of The Kaba. O Allah, send Thy Blessings on to Muhammad(pbuh&hf) and The Descendents of Muhammad(pbuh&hf)."

Foot Note

Below are the wives of The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf), who have also recalled this Sacred and very special Event.

· Umm Salamah
· Ayesha


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'Her Prayer'

One day the Holy Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.) was shown by her Father, The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf), a very special kind of Prayer. That he himself was shown earlier by The Trusted Archangel Jibrael(a.s.).

This special After-Prayer is to be said after each time, any Prayer of Worship is concluded.

The Holy Lady(s.a.) in turn began to teach the short Prayer to so many others. That in the very short time, it became to be known as the 'Prayer of Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.).

The Prayer

Take any kind of Prayer Bead string, such as shown on the image below. The Prayer String should have a total of 99 beads, with two dividers and ahead called the Sheikh.

The Prayer Bead is taken by the left hand and with the index finger and tumb of the right hand draws each bead seperately one by one and saying the words as described below.

For first set of 33 beads plus counting the first divider. Hence totalling in all 34 beads. For each bead passed say the clearly the words to yourself: ALLAHO AKBAR For each of the 34 beads seperately. For the next second set of 33 beads. For each bead passed say the clearly the words to yourself: AL-HAMDU LE ALLAH For each of the 33 beads seperately. For the third set of 33 beads For each bead passed say the clearly the words to yourself: SUBHANA LE ALLAH For each of the 33 beads seperately.

Totalling 100 beads

That concludes the Prayer of the Holy Infallible Lady of all women, in all of the worlds and in all of the Seven Heavens, The Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra(s.a.)

Most or if not all of the Mujtahideen express a great Mustahab (preferable) as near to as Wajib (compulsory) to say this Prayer after any Prayer of Worship is concluded.

Many Muslims carry with them at all times the Prayer Bead String so that they can recite this prayer numerously at any time of the day and night. Especially at times when one has nothing to do such as waiting or sitting around lazily.

So think about it! What better way of filling your spare and idle time than to quietly recite this small Prayer to yourself in the rememberance and in thankfulness of Allah your Creator and Master. And in return Allah will reward His untold Thawaab and A'jar(reward)!

Thus it is good to always recite, in One's idle times. For it keeps the mind away from straying into troubled terrain. But to keep it travelling on the true and right track of good and steer away from evil with its untold mischievoius wicked thoughts and ideas etc.


Her Sacred Life

The most predominant view in the traditions transmitted by our traditionists is that Fatimah az-Zahra(s.a.) was born in Mecca, on the twentieth of Jumada 'l-Akhir, in the fifth year of the Prophet's apostolic career. It is also asserted that when the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) died, Fatimah(a.s.) was eighteen years and seven months old.

The scholar Abu Said al-Hafiz relates in his book Sharafu'n-Nabiyy that all the children of the Messenger of Allah were born before Islam except Fatimah and Ibrahim, who were born in Islam.

It is reported that the sixth Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq(a.s.) said:

"Fatimah(a.s.) has nine names with Allah. They are: Fatimah, as-Siddiqah (the Righteous), al-Mubarakah (the Blessed), at-Tahirah (the Pure), az-Zakiyyah (the Unblemished), arRadiyah (the one content with Allah's pleasure), al-Mardiyyah (the one pleasing to Allah), al-Muhaddathah (the one spoken to by angels) and az-Zahirah (the Luminous). In the Musnad (collection of transmitted hadiths) of the eighth Imam Reza(a.s.), it is reported that the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) declared: "I named my daughter Fatimah because Allah weaned her.

The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) also called her al-Batul (pure virgin), and said to `A'ishah: "O Humayra' (a redish white, a well-known epithet of `A'ishah), Fatimah is not like the women of human kind, nor does she suffer the illness you (women) suffer! " This is explained in another prophetic tradition which asserts that she never menstruated. It is likewise reported by Sunni traditionists on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, who heard Umm Salim, the wife of Abu Talhah al-Ansari, say: "Fatimah never experienced the blood of menstruation or parturition, for she was created from the waters of Paradise." This is because when the Messenger of Allah was transported to heaven, he entered Paradise, where he ate of its fruits and drank its water.

Proofs Of Her `Ismah (Sinlessness), Some Of The Signs Proving Her Status With Allah, And Traditions Indicating Her Excellence And Exalted Status

One of the most incontrovertible proofs of Fatimah's sinlessness is Allah's saying: Surely Allah wishes to keep away all abomination from you, O People of the House, and purify you with a great purification [our. 33 : 33 ] . The argument in favour of this, is that the Muslim community has unanimously agreed that the `People of the House' (i.e., Ahlu'l-Bayt), intended in this verse are the People of the Household of the Messenger of Allah. Traditions (ahadith) of both the Shi`i and Sunni communities have asserted that this verse particularly refers to 'Ali(a.s.), Fatimah(a.s.), Hasan(a.s.) and Husayn(a.s.) The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf), moreover, spread over them all one day a Khaybarite mantle and prayed: "O Allah, these are the People of my Household, keep away all abomination from them and purify them with a great purification!" Umm Salamah said: "I too, O Apostle of Allah, am of the People of your House!" He answered: "Your lot shall be good!"

The Divine Will expressed in this verse must by necessity be either an abstract will not implemented by an action, or a will accompanied by an action. The first option is untenable because it implies no particular applicability to the People of the Prophet's House; such a will is shared by all obligated (mukallafin) human beings. Nor is abstract will by itself cause for praise. The entire community has concurred on the view that this verse proclaims the excellence of the People of the Prophet's House over all others, and that the verse refers to them alone. Thus the second option (that the Divine Will referred to in the verse is a will accompanied by action) is true, and in it is clear proof of the sinlessness of those who were intended in the verse. It implies further that it is impossible for them to commit any evil action. Moreover, any others whom we have not named here are no doubt not held by general consensus as possessing `ismah (protection from error). Thus since the verse necessarily implies sinlessness it must apply to them (the People of the Prophet's House), because it pertains to no other individuals.


The Holy Prophet of Islam(pbuh&hf) said:"Fatimah(a.s.) is part of me"

Another proof of Fatimah's sinlessness is the Holy Prophet's saying concerning her: "Fatimah(s.a.) is part of me. Whatever causes her hurt, hurts me." He also said: "Whoever hurts Fatimah(s.a.), hurts me, and whoever hurts me, hurts Allah(swt), exalted be His Majesty! " The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) said further: "Allah(swt) becomes wrathful for Fatimah's anger, and is pleased at her pleasure.".

Among the signs indicating Fatimah's exalted status with Allah is an incident related by both Shi'i and Sunni traditionists on the authority of Maymunah (the Holy Prophet's wife), who reported that Fatimah(a.s.) was found asleep one day, the handmill beside her turning of its own accord. She informed the Apostle of Allah of this, and he said: "Allah knew the weak condition of His handmaid; He thus inspired the handmill to turn by itself, and so it did." Among the reports asserting her excellence and high distinction over all other women is the tradition reported on the authority of `A'ishah who said: "I never saw a man more beloved of the Apostle of Allah than `Ali(a.s.), or a woman more dear to him than Fatimah(a.s.)."

Sunni traditionists also reported on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali(a.s.)who said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah, `Who is more beloved to you, Fatimah(a.s.) or I?' He answered, `Fatimah(a.s.) is more beloved to me, and you are dearer to me than she is.' " These traditionists also reported from Anas ibn Malik that: "Fatimah(a.s.) is the most excellent of all the women of the world." In another tradition it is reported that the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) said: "The most excellent among the women of the world are: Maryam daughter of `Imran (that is, the virgin Mary), Asiyah daughter of Muzahim (wife of Pharaoh), Khadijah daughter of Khuwaylid and Fatimah(a.s.) daughter of Muhammad(pbuh&hf)" It is also related on the authority of Ibn `Abbas who said: "The most excellent of the women of Paradise are: Khadijah daughter of Khuwaylid, Fatimah(a.s.) daughter of Muhammad, Maryam daughter of `Imran and Asiyah daughter of Muzahim." Traditionists report that `Abdu 'r-Rahman ibn `Awf said: "I heard the Apostle of Allah say, `I am a tree, Fatimah(a.s.) is its trunk and 'Ali(a.s.) is its pollen. Hasan(a.s.) and Husayn(a.s.) are its fruits, and our followers (Shi'ah) are its leaves. The roots of the tree are in the Garden of Eden, and its trunk, fruits and leaves are in Paradise.' "

Traditionists further report on the authority of `A'ishah that: "Whenever Fatimah(a.s.) came to the Messenger of Allah, he would rise from his seat, kiss her on the forehead, and make her sit with him." Traditionists have also reported on the authority of 'Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qommi in his commentary of the Holy Qur'an, as related on the authority of the sixth Imam as-Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad(a.s.), who said: "We were told that our forefathers said that the Messenger of Allah often indulged in kissing the mouth of Fatimah(a.s.) the mistress of the women of the world, so that `A'ishah finally protested saying, `O Messenger of Allah, I see you indulge so often in kissing the mouth of Fatimah(a.s.) and placing your tongue in her mouth.' He answered, `Yes, O `A'ishah, when I was taken up to heaven, Gabriel took me into Paradise and brought me near the tree of Tuba (beatitude). He gave me an apple of its fruits which I ate. Thus when I returned to earth, Khadijah, conceived Fatimah(a.s.). Whenever, therefore, I yearn for Paradise, I kiss her and place my tongue in her mouth, for I find in her the fragrance of Paradise. I also sense in her the fragrance of the tree of Tuba. Fatimah(a.s.) is thus a celestial human being.' "

The traditions which our Companions (that is, Shi'i hadith transmitters), may Allah be pleased with them, have reported in proof of Fatimah's special place - her honoured status and distinction over all the women of humankind - are beyond number. We shall, therefore, limit ourselves to the reports which we have already mentioned.

Among the things which Allah completed the great honour of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali(a.s.)in this world and the world to come was His special favour towards him in having him unite in marriage with the noble daughter of the Messenger of Allah, who was the most beloved of all creatures to him, the consolation of his eyes and leader of the women of the world. Among the many ahadith (traditions) concerning this event is the sound hadith reported on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, who said: "As the Apostle of Allah(pbuh&hf) was sitting one day, 'Ali(a.s.) came to see him. He addressed him saying, `O 'Ali(a.s.), what brings you here?' `I came only to greet you with the salutation of peace', `Ali(a.s.) replied. The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) declared: `Here comes Gabriel to tell me that Allah has willed to unite you in marriage with Fatimah(a.s.). He has, moreover, called as witnesses to her marriage a thousand angels. Allah has revealed to the tree of Tuba, "Scatter your pearls and rubies! " Black-eyed houris rushed to pick the precious stones up, which they shall exchange as presents among them till the Day of Resurrection.' "

It is related on the authority of Ibn `Abbas, who said: "On the night when Fatimah(a.s.) was married to 'Ali(a.s.), the Messenger of Allah(pbuh&hf) stood before her. Gabriel stood at her right hand and Michael at her left. Seventy thousand angels stood behind her, praising and sanctifying Allah. The Commander of the Faithful prided himself on his marriage to her on numerous occasions." Abu Ishaq ath-Thaqafi reported on the authority of Hakim ibn Jubayr, who reported from al-Hajari who related from his uncle who said: "I heard `Ali(a.s.) say one day, `I shall utter words which no other man would utter but that he would be a liar. I am `Abdullah (Allah's servant), and the brother of the Apostle of Allah. I am the one whose guardian is the Prophet of mercy, for I have married the mistress of all the women of the community. I am the best of the vicegerents.' " Numerous reports expressing similar ideas have been transmitted.

Ath -Thaqafi reported on the authority of Buraydah, who said: "On the nuptial night of `Ali(a.s.) and Fatimah(a.s.), the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) said to 'Ali(a.s.), `Do not do anything until you see me.' He then brought water - or the traditionist reported that he called for water - which he used to perform his ablutions for prayers, pouring the rest over 'Ali(a.s.). The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) then prayed, `O Allah, bless them! Shower your blessings over them, and bless for them their two young lions (that is, their two sons Hasan(a.s.) and Husayn(a.s.))."' ath-Thaqafi also related on the authority of Shurahil ibn Abi Sa'd, who said: "On the morning after Fatimah's wedding, the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) brought a skinful of milk, and said to Fatimah(a.s.), 'Drink! May your father be a ransom for you.' He likewise said to `Ali(a.s.), 'Drink! May your cousin be a ransom for you.' "


The Time Of Fatimah's Martyrdom And The Spot Of Her Grave

It is reported that Bibi Fatimah(s.a.) died on the 13th Jamadi-al-Awwal or 3rd of Jumadi-al-Akhir in the 11th year of the Hijrah. She survived the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) by only ninety-five days.

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali(a.s.) himself took charge of her washing. It is reported that Asma' daughter of `Umays assisted him in washing her. Asma' related: "Fatimah(a.s.) had stated in her will that no one should wash her corpse except 'Ali(a.s.) and I. Thus we washed her together, and the Commander of the Faithful prayed over her along with Hasan(a.s.) and Husayn(a.s.), `Amman ibn Yasir, Miqdad, `Aqil, az-Zubayr, Abu Dharr, Salman, Buraydah and a few men of Banu Hashim. They prayed over her in the night, and in accordance with her own will 'Ali the Commander of the Faithful buried her in secret."

There is much disagreement among traditionists as to the exact spot of her grave. Our own traditionists have asserted that she was buried in the Baqi `. Others said that she was buried in her own chamber, and that when the Umayyad rulers enlarged the Mosque of Medina, her grave came to be in the sanctuary. Still others argued that she was buried between the grave and pulpit of the Prophet. It is to this that the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) alluded in his saying: "There is between my grave and pulpit a garden of the gardens of Paradise." The first view is unlikely, while the two other views are nearer to the truth. Thus, those who wish to apply the principle of caution (ihtiyat) when performing ziyarah, or pilgrimage, to her grave, should do so in all three places.


Sayings of Hadrat Fatima Zahra(s.a.)

1. Praise and Eulogy is for Allah for the blessing and bounties which He has bestowed. And thanks to HIM upon what He revelated (to His servants) And Praise is for HIM upon the common boons and blessings which He bestowed upon His servants without their request And upon the comprehensive and complete blessings which He granted to all and sundry and gave it to us, consequetively. Those graces and favours which are uncountable.

And are irredeemable and uncompensatable due to their plentifulness of number. And the imagination of their end is out of the reach of human mind.

He invited the servant to thankfuness for the sake of the consequetive and continous enhanecment of blessings. And opened the door of euloqy and Praise (of Allah) upon them so that He may make his favours and beneficiences great and plentiful for them.

2. I testify that there is no Diety (Lord) except the sole and matchless Allah. And the testification of the singleness of Allah is a word that Allah has declared sincerity (as) it's reality, and made the hearts the centre of it's contact and union. And has made the specifications and research of the oneness of Allah's station obvious and evident in the light of meditation. The Allah Who can not be seen by the eyes and tongues are unable and baffled to describe His virtues and attributes. And the intelligence and apprehension of man is helpless and destitude from the imagination of his howness.

3. Allah made all the beings without previous matter and sample and shape and pattern. And made them wear the dress of life by His main and mights and created them according to His Devine will and Intention short of it that He might have neeeded their creatlon or have wished any benefit for Himself from their shaping and sketching except this that he wanted to give a proof of Hls wisdom and make the people (creations) aware about His obedience and submisslon and invited them to his servitude and worship and make His Invitation grand and ostentatlous.

4. Allah fixed the reward for His obedience and torment for His insubordination and disobedience so that He may restraln His servants from His wrath and fury and lead them to His paradise.

5. And I testify that my father Mohammad (pbuh&hf) is the apostle and the servant of Allah. And Allah selected and chose him before appolnting him at the post of Prophethood. And He named him before choosing and selecting him. And chose him before envoying and delegating him. Then all the creations were hidden and covered in the covers of unseen and were hidden amid the screen and curtain of fear and fright and stayed near the last and final border of non entity (nothingness) for Allah was aware of and knew the end of matters and because of Hls encompassing the incidents of times and ages and His knowledge of the predestinates.

Allah appolnted him (as apostle) so that he may complete and finalise His matter and Implement His order and materialise His decreeds and predestinates.

6. Allah saw nations and groups had various different sects in their religion and scattered and staying on the verge of the fires of differences, busy with the their idol worshipping. They denied God with all the signs and symbols of HIM. (IRFAN) So Allah illuminated the darknesses through my father Mohammad (pbuh&hf) and removed the darknesses from their hearts, removed (cured) the blindness of the eyes.

7. My father (Mohammad (pbuh&hf) ) stood up with (his) guidance among the people. And saved them from perversion and aberration, and turned their blindness into enlightenment and guided them towards the firm religion. And called (invited) them to the straight way.

8. You the servants of Allah, are the ones to maintain His injunctions and prohibitions, and the carriers of His religion, and His relevation, and the trustees of Allah upon your souls, and the propagators of His religion among the other nations.

9. Oh the servants of Allah! (beware) the real leader from Allah, is present among you and the commitment has previously been made to you and the remaining and left over of the prophet hood has been appointed for your guidance.

That is the speaking book of Allah the truthful Quran, and a beaming and gleaming light, in which all the secrets and facts about the completion of man and his prosperity have been exhibited and illuminated. It guides from darkness towards light of guidance. It s followers are the subject of envoy of others.

10. The book of Allah is the guide of it's followers towards the pleasure of Allah. Listening (carefully) to it leads to the salvation. The enlightened and conspicous evidences and proofs of Allah can be obtained through it. And (also the knowledge) of His interpreted intentions and fear invoking constraining prohibitions. His sufficing testimonies and conspicous arguments, and desired virtues and allowed endowments and gifts and obligatory devine laws. (can be obtained from it)

11. Allah made the faith for you as a purity from polytheism (and infedility).

12. And (made) service the cause of your getting distant (purification) from pride (egoism).

13. And rendered alms for the purity of your soul and flourishment and expansion of your sustenence.

14. And rendered fasting for the maintainance and firmness of your sincerity.

15. And Allah set Hajj for the consolidation and reinforcement of the religion.

16. Allah executed and rendered justice for the sake of putting together and harmonization of the hearts.

17. And (Allah set) the subordination and obedience of us (the houshold of the Prophet (SAW)) for the security of society's system and our Immamate as a safety from seggregation and disunity).

18. And (Allah made) Jahad (holy war), the honour and glory for Islam and abjectness and humbleness for the infidels and the hypocrites.

19. And (Allah rendered) patience as a help for getting reward.

20. And (Allah caused) commanding goodness and forbiding to do evil for the amendment and correction of society and the common folks (public).

21. And (Allah made) the kindness to parents as a protectional (shield) to His wrath and displeasure.

22. And Allah made joining and connecting with the kinship and cognition, the cause of lengthening of life.

23.A nd Allah made law of retaliation (revenge for homicide) as the security of blood (from being shed).

24. And Allah executed the vow performing as a medium for forgiveness.

25. And (Allah rendered) the correct use of weights measure (units) a medium for stoping from selling less (than actual).

26. And (Allah rendered) prohibition from drinking wine the cause of taking distance from contaminations (evils).

27. And Allah made the prohibition to accuse someone of adultery a protection (shield) for avoiding (His) curse.

28. And (Allah made) refraining from theft for the sake of positiveness and affirmation for modesty.

29. And Allah prohibited polytheism for the sake of (bringing about) sincerety in (His) adoration and worship.

30. Certainly, an apostle has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solictious respecting you; to the believers (he is) compassionate, merciful.

So if you assay and recognise him you will find he is my father not the father of your women and the brother of my cousin, Ali (a.s.) not that of your men. And how nice a relation I have to him. So he propagated his prophetic (mission). He always used to turn his face from the polytheists.

And fought against them till he beat them up. He would invite people towards Allah by wisdom, and beautiful admonition. He broke the idols and scattered the aggregation of polytheists in a way that they ran away (from the battle fields), so that finally the hidden secret of oneness of Allah became manifested by him.

And he made the logic of religion reach the ears ((of the people) and settled down the foam of the camels of satan and turned the salogan yelling of those devils silent. And downed the agents of hypocrisy and mutual commitments of the infidels got dissolved till such time that, you (people) spoke to a group of enlightened and modest men with the words of oneness of Allah and sincerity.

31. You were on the edge of a fire ditch, and were a cup of drink and the morsal of a greedy one and a firebrand of every hastey one and were being trampled on (by other nations) and drank from the contaminated waters gathered over in ditches and your energy (food) was (secured by) the leaves of trees and desert grass. And for your abjectness and abasement you were always afraid that those arround you might abduct you in the winking of an eye. So, Allah liberated you (of these misfortunes) through my father Mohammed (pbuh&hf). Inspite of it that he (pbuh&hf) was involved and at war against the intrepid and the hungry wolves of Arab and the stubborns refractories of the people of the books (Jews and Christians). Whenever his opponents would lit the fire of war, Allah extinguished it to your benefit.

32. Imam Hassan (A.S) said, 'on the friday night I saw my mother (Fatima (a.s.)) standing in her arch of prayer. She was continuously kneeling and performing prostration till the dawn broke. I would hear her pray for the faithful men and women, but she did not at all pray for herself. I said, 'Oh mother why did you not pray for yourself like you prayed for others?' so she replied, 'Oh my son, first thy neighbour and there after your own house.'

33. The Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) said to Fatima (a.s.) what is the thing which is a blessing for woman?'

She said that, 'she must not see a man (stranger and not intimate) and a man must not see her.'

34. One day a lady came to Fatima (a.s.) said 'I have a weak old mother who does not know a few problems about her service (prayers). She has sent me towards you to question you (about them). Thus Fatima(a.s.) answered her (questions). And the number of her queries reached to ten and Fatima (a.s.) replied to all her questions. Then she (the woman got a shamed because of the high number of her questions. And said, 'Oh daughter of the Prophet (pbuh&hf), 'I do not put you to more inconvinience than this.'

Fatima (a.s.) said, 'Ask me what you do not know. Have you ever seen a person who is one day hired to carry a heavy thing to the roof top from ground for an amount (equal to) a thousand dinnars (nearly a hundred thousand miskal (unit of weight) of gold) and he may feel himself tired.'

She said 'No'. Fatima (a.s.) said, 'I have been hired by Allah to get a wages which if the space between the earth and sky is filled up with pearls still (That wages) would he more than it for each of the questions I may answer you. Therefore, I deserve it that I must not feel tired exhausted.

35. Oh Allah! belittle me in my eyes and glorify and magnify Your station to me. And inspire me (about) Your obedience and the practice which may cause Your pleasure and the shunning and evading from things (matters) which are the cause of Your wrath, oh the most merciful of all! 36.

36. Oh Allah! content me with the sustenence you have granted me. And till such time that you keep me alive, hide me and make me sound and prosperous. And forgive me and take pity upon me when I die. (During death process). Oh Allah! do not help me in something that you have not predestined for me. And facilitate the achievement of that thing which you have predestined for me.

37. Oh Allah! bestow upon my parents and all those persons who have rights of their blessings and beneficiences upon me, the best of Your rewards. Oh my Allah, spare me the leisure and respite for the object for which You have created me. And do not let me be busy and involved (absolutely) in my commitments. And do not torment me when I ask forgivensess. And do not deprive me of what I yearn and question you for.

38. Underlying are the rhymes which Hazrat Zahra(s.a.) recited upon the mourning of Prophet's (pbuh&hf) demise.

The person who smells the sweet fragnance of the grave of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) so what if he does not smell any other fragnance for long times to come?

Agonies and anguishes and griefs poured upon me in such a way that had they poured upon days those would have turned into nights. (bleak, dark and bewildering).

39. The dust of sorrow covered the space of sky and the sun has faded and the bright day turned bleak. The earth has become dark and gooomy after the death of the Prophet (pbuh&hf) Woe! Alas! what the earth will have much of Jolting upon being seperated and parted from him (pbuh&hf).

It is meritorious and befitting that the east and west of the world may weep upon the parting of Prophet (pbuh&hf) and the persons of Muzzir tribe and all of they rest of the Yemen tribes shed tears.

And the great magnificient mountain of the existence and the hidden and covered Kabaah (House of ALLAH) and its pillars should shed tears.

Oh the terminator and finaliser of the (series of) prophets! the light of whome is the source of blessing for the worlds inhabitants, Be the salutation and blessings of Allah the desender of Holy Quran upon you.

40. Following you (Prophet (pbuh&hf)) inequities (intrigues and revolts) took shape and varient voices were raised so that if you were present and supervising (things) all these differences and deviations would not have taken place.

You set off (on the journey of eternity) from among us and now our condition is like the earth which becomes devoid of the beneficial rains. And your nation upset the order and discipline of matters. So be a witness and do not let their matter get out of your sight.

Pour commemorer la journée internationle de la femme voici un article fort interessant.


RÉFLEXIONS SUR "REGARDS ISLAMIQUES SUR LA FEMME"


Dans son dynamisme, la vie dépasse beaucoup de valeurs sociales muables. Et face à ce mouvement, toujours nouveau, de la vie, certains peuvent penser qu'il est nécessaire de trouver de nouvelles valeurs immuables. Mais ce qui est vraiment nécessaire est de suivre ce mouvement en s'ouvrant à lui avec les valeurs immuables existantes.


Sur le plan du mouvement de la vie considérée dans sa dimension sociale et, en particulier, à travers le rapport homme/femme, le livre de l'ayatollah as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah "Regards islamiques sur la femme" intervient comme une goutte de lumière qui se déplace sur les horizons de la vie islamique humaine pour révéler la vérité dont l'image se voile derrière les lignes rapides et enchevêtrées du mouvement. Il intervient pour manifester la logique islamique sans soumission aucune au chantage de la modernité: "Nous n'adoptons pas la logique syncrétique qui part du désir de se réconcilier avec l'idée voulant moderniser l'Islam par son assujettissement aux changements occasionnels issus de la domination d'une pensée bien déterminée..".


Le livre part du fait que l'homme musulman, qu'il soit mâle ou femelle, doit agir suivant la ligne missionnaire. Cela ne peut avoir lieu qu'à travers la mobilisation de toutes ses énergies humaines même aux dépens de sa masculinité ou de sa féminité, sans toutefois supprimer ces deux instances. C'est à partir de cette constante qu'il est possible de déterminer les rôles respectifs de l'homme et de la femme missionnaires.


Mais parler de la femme pose le problème de vieilles sensibilités historiques en raison de la capacité qu'a la femme d'être plus séductrice que l'homme et en raison aussi de l'injustice qui, dans les pratiques dominantes, a consacré la faiblesse de la femme en face de la force de l'homme. Il est donc nécessaire de mettre les points sur les "i" pour que le sens se manifeste clair et authentique, sans omissions ni ajouts et pour ainsi éviter l'extrémisme de la négligence et de l'abus à la fois, extrémisme qui, au lieu d'atteindre la vérité, tombe dans deux erreurs.... Nous ne devons donc pas reprendre à notre compte une partie de la pratique sociale fondée sur un mauvais héritage qui frustre la femme de ses droits. "Beaucoup de membres de la nouvelle génération reproduisent les comportements de leurs pères dont ils récusent l'arriération et se laissent paradoxalement influencer par eux. De la sorte, la vie cesse d'être le fruit d'une relation bien étudiée par les deux conjoints et devient une relation qui subit le désordre et l'influence des résidus, des coutumes et des situations ambiantes". Nous ne devons non plus reprendre à notre compte l'autre partie qui appelle à la liberté de la femme sans, pour autant, respecter les règles permettant à la femme de ne pas s'écarter de la ligne en tant que personne ayant une mission à servir. "Il est donc nécessaire de recourir à des règles pratiques qui font de la liberté un mouvement réaliste allant dans le sens de l'intérêt suprême de l'homme, au niveau de l'individu, ce qui protège sa vie et y assure l'équilibre dans le mouvement de l'esprit et du corps et, au niveau du groupe, dans le terrain ouvert aux changements des situations sociales, dans le domaine des larges transformations ainsi que dans celui des transformations restreints". As-Sayyid Fadlullah appelle à établir une situation de ce genre au niveau du mouvement de la femme, de son travail et de ses contacts avec les hommes dans la vie publique, ou au niveau de ses choix, de son mariage et de sa maternité dans la vie privée. Cela permet à l'homme et à la femme de se compléter sous le grand titre de l'"homme", sans que l'un d'eux ne supprime la personnalité ou le rôle de l'autre.


Il est indiscutablement établi que l'Islam n'est pas une religion cléricale. Il est la dernière et la plus intégrale des Lois révélées. Elle régit les diverses orientations des relations de l'homme et leur assure les moyens du progrès et de la sublimation. Son intérêt ne se réduit pas à la dimension morale de l'homme, puisqu'elle active la dimension instinctive dans le cadre d'un noble projet sacré. L'Islam n'interdit pas aux humains de satisfaire leurs besoins charnels, mais il soumet cette satisfaction aux exigences du progrès. Ainsi, l'Islam interdit l'adultère, mais il permet ou, plutôt, sacralise le mariage. Il interdit l'usure, mais donne ses bénédictions aux échanges et au commerce. Il interdit le vol, mais protège la propriété légale et ainsi de suite. En outre, il propose des législations préventives dignes de nous prémunir contre toute situation pouvant conduire à la déviation.


A partir de ces fondements légaux, le livre se penche sur maintes affaires en rapport avec la femme et avec la société en général, comme le travail, l'amitié et l'amour. Le travail est un devoir pour l'homme tout comme il l'est pour la femme, puisque l'homme et la femme ont un rôle commun au service du message. "L'Islam n'a pas supprimé l'humanité de la femme et n'a pas, non plus, dispensé la femme de ses responsabilités". Mais ces responsabilités vont de pair avec le respect des règles de la conduite islamique: par exemple, l'homme n'a pas le droit d'interdire à sa femme d'exercer un travail légal sauf pour ce qui est des implications de ce travail comme la sortie de la femme de la maison conjugale, sortie qui doit être autorisée par le mari, d'une manière absolue ou de la manière ne portant pas préjudice à son droit. Cela est en relation avec les considérations de la responsabilité ne touchant que les affaires en rapport avec la maison conjugale".


En ce qui concerne la question de la promiscuité, "on peut avoir besoin d'un climat commun dans l'action sociale, dans l'action islamique ou dans l'action culturelle. Ces climats doivent être protégés par beaucoup de conditions et règles pour ainsi prévenir toute déviation". "La société des Croyants doit étudier ces affaires de manière rigoureuse afin de ne pas tomber dans l'expérience difficile qui pourrait porter atteinte aux deux parties ou, même, à la totalité de la société des Croyants".


Pour ce qui est de la question de l'amour, "l'Islam n'interdit pas à l'homme d'être attiré par la femme ni n'empêche la femme d'être attirée par l'homme. La seule condition est que cette attirance ait lieu dans le respect de la ligne légale", c'est-à-dire celle qui conduit à une relation légale.


As-Sayyid Fadlullah s'est aussi penché sur la réalité d'arriération dont souffre la femme. Il signale que la question du progrès est en rapport avec des considérations culturelles et que l'arriération de notre société, celle des hommes et des femmes à la fois, est le produit d'une pratique erronée qui a fait abstraction de "l'originalisation de la personnalité islamique dans la vie individuelle et collective". Quant à l'arriération de la femme, elle a été consacrée par les pratiques héritées et la femme "doit agir, à travers un long processus de lutte pour convaincre l'homme qu'elle est, elle aussi, un être humain qu'il est dans son pouvoir de mener, comme l'homme, le processus du développement sur tous les plans culturels, économiques ou sociaux".


Le quotidien libananis al-'Ahd

2 octobre 1992








LA FEMME CORANIQUE EST PAREILLE À L'HOMME ET LA RÉALITÉ NUIT AU TEXTE


La question de la femme en Islam pose de nombreuses questions embarrassantes qui n'ont pas encore reçu de réponses claires et précises. Toutefois, cette question occupe une grande place dans le débat et la réflexion à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la société islamique.


Pour sa part, as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah traite la question de la femme et propose un point de vue intégral dans son livre récent "Regards islamiques sur la femme". Il nous a accordé cette interview sur les principaux axes du livre:


Question: la question de la femme paraît faire l'objet d'une confusion permanente dans la pensée et la réalité islamiques. Quelles en sont les raisons?


Réponse: la question de la femme est complexe dans le mouvement de la réalité qui est négative vis-à-vis d'elle dans la mesure où elle part de considérations floues qui essayent de poser des concepts pour la réalité ou de tirer de cette réalité des suggestions permettant de mettre l'interprétation du texte au service de la réalité, au lieu de faire de la réalité un mouvement vers les textes.


Il est naturel que toute pensée qui apparaît dans toute société soit incapable de transformer la réalité, même si cette pensée s'élance dans l'opération de la législation quotidienne pour l'homme. Le changement peut avoir besoin de beaucoup de temps et celui-ci peut assécher beaucoup de solutions parmi celles emmagasinées dans les profondeurs de l'âme qui renferme l'historie dans sa totalité. D'où, il se peut que nous trouvions que la nature de la réalité, dans ses résidus et dans son arriération, s'impose aux concepts pour les interpréter dans le sens de ses intérêts. Ainsi, nous remarquons que le texte islamique a accompagné la réalité anté-islamique de sorte que le mouvement nouveau qui a pris naissance dans cette réalité n'a pas pu changer le concept d'une manière radicale. Toutefois, ce mouvement a essayé d'élargir les horizons de cette réalité ou de lui injecter certains concepts nouveaux. Pour cette raison, la question de la femme s'est posée comme une réalité qui se meut dans la société islamique beaucoup plus que comme un concept adressé à la société islamique. Je pense que la société islamique a hérité la question de la réalité qu'elle a combinée avec certains points qu'elle a, encore une fois, distribués à certains des positions de la femme au foyer et dans la société d'une manière qui donne à la question une forme islamique.


Nous savons que l'Islam a fait de la femme un être indépendant en plein sens du terme. La femme croit, pense et en prend la responsabilité dans ce bas-monde et dans la vie future.


Et lorsqu'elle vit sous une autorité, n'importe quelle autorité, la femme prend la responsabilité de son engagement, ou de son non engagement au service de cette autorité. Pour cette raison, nous remarquons que le Coran parle du serment d'allégeance prêté par les hommes. Dans les versets coraniques, la femme est aussi un être humain qui se révolte contre la réalité qu'elle refuse et agit avec violence pour se débarrasser de cette réalité. C'est ce que le Coran nous a relaté en parlant des femmes croyantes et Émigrantes qui ont fui leurs maris ou leurs pères pour rejoindre le Prophète et sauvegarder leur foi. Leur fuite pouvait être l'expression d'une situation personnelle ou d'une révolte contre la réalité régie par le polythéisme et le paganisme. C'est pour cette raison que le Coran dit: "Si tu sais qu'elles sont croyantes, ne les rend donc pas aux mécréants". Cela veut dire que, dans la conception islamique, La femme est un être humain qui est responsable de son action et qui s'ouvre sur la réalité de l'autorité sociale pour prendre une attitude positive ou négative dans ce domaine...


Question: (Si vous permettez). Le manque de justice dans la société islamique et qui ne va pas dans le sens de l'intérêt de la femme, est-il issu de l'incapacité de comprendre le texte ou bien le texte ne peut pas être mis en application?


Réponse: La question peut ne pas être celle du peu de réalisme du texte. Mais la question a deux aspects. Le premier est que la réalité peut rendre le texte brumeux, surtout avec la langue arabe où les mots peuvent prendre des sens différents, ce qui augmente les possibilités de l'interprétation dans l'intérêt de la réalité. Le second est que le texte ne peut pas se protéger de la réalité car, lorsque le texte se transforme en réalité, à travers les conditions objectives qui entourent le milieu ambiant du texte, que ce milieu soit celui de l'homme, ou l'autre milieu à l'intérieur duquel l'homme se met en action... pour cette raison, je pense que la question se pose, d'un côté, à travers la profonde incompréhension du texte à partir de l'influence de ceux qui provoquent la position des concepts dans la réalité et, d'un autre côté, à travers la pression de la réalité sur le mouvement du texte allant dans le sens de sa transformation en application pratique dans la vie de l'homme.


Question: certains pourraient dire (qu'à son époque), le texte qui a traité la question de la femme ne peut pas s'appliquer à la question de la femme de notre époque.


Réponse: beaucoup de textes parmi ceux qui s'adressent à la question humaine dans le processus de l'évolution et du changement ne peuvent pas se réaliser à leur époque originelle, et ce pour une simple raison: les opérations d'évolution et de changement interviennent pour effacer des montagnes d'idées différentes ou contraires. Cela signifie que la sclérose qui frappe le sujet, avec tout ce qu'il a comme résidus et dispositions, ne peut pas être effacée au moyen d'un prêche, d'un conseil ou d'une analyse intellectuelle. Comme ils ont besoin de temps pour s'imposer au niveau de la réalité universelle, les éléments naturels ont également besoin d'un temps encore plus long pour s'imposer à la réalité intellectuelle de l'homme. Pour cette raison, nous pensons que, à toute époque, le rôle du texte dans le changement est de créer une atmosphère d'interrogation et de discussion, d'ouvrir la voie à une petite expérience par ci, à une autre par là, et de lancer une sorte de pensée opposée qui pose la question sur le terrain du conflit, ce qui enfin, l'aide à se transformer en un mouvement nouveau et enraciné dans la réalité à condition que les conditions objectives soient prêtes à cet enracinement.


Mais il se peut que, pendant que certains textes agissent dans le sens du processus du changement, dans le sens du heurt avec les barrières de l'arriération qui s'imposent à la réalité, ces barrières empêchent le texte de se transformer en pratique. Ce phénomène ne se réduit pas à la pensée religieuse qui cherche à faire évoluer le concept humain dans le sens de son humanité: nous pensons que tous les autres concepts issus, non pas d'un terrain religieux, mais d'un terrain philosophique, ont pris naissance de manière réaliste et à travers les éléments de la réalité, mais les conditions ambiantes les ont toujours empêchés d'atteindre leurs objectifs dans ce domaine.


Question: Votre Excellence! Êtes-vous convaincu que la femme est égale à l'homme?


Réponse: dans la question humaine, c'est-à-dire en ce que la femme est pensée, sentiment, affectivité, mouvement et responsabilité, je ne pense pas qu'elle soit différente de l'homme. Je ne parle pas ici d'une manière "subjective" fondée sur une réflexion subjective sur cette question, mais je pense, par exemple, que je parle à partir du concept islamique. Nous remarquons qu'en parlant des aspects positifs et négatifs concernant la question de la responsabilité, le Noble Coran n'a pas mis de frontières entre l'homme et la femme. Nous considérons donc que c'est la question de la responsabilité qui nous donne le concept au sujet de la question de l'égalité de l'homme et de la femme ou de leur distinction.


Question: parlez-vous des responsabilités des droits et des devoirs ou des devoirs seulement?


Réponse: il s'agit de la responsabilité de l'être humain dans son action, abstraction fait de sa responsabilité envers l'autre. C'est-à-dire lorsque nous agissons comme des personnes responsables, sans aucune faille dans la responsabilité et lorsque la responsabilité de l'un, dans sa propre situation, est en accord avec la responsabilité de l'autre, dans sa propre situation.


Le fait est que le Coran n'évoque pas de différence entre l'homme et la femme quant à l'intégration de la valeur par chacun d'eux. La valeur est la même dans la conscience de l'un comme dans la conscience de l'autre. Cela prouve que la question de la conscience en relation avec les possibilités intellectuelles et spirituelles est la même chez l'homme et la femme. De plus, nous remarquons, en ce qui touche les conséquences de la responsabilité que:


"Dieu ne laisse pas sans récompense l'œuvre de quiconque d'entre vous, qu'il soit mâle ou femelle" et "Donnez cent coups de fouet à l'homme et à la femme qui commettent l'adultère". Coran, an-Nour (la Lumière), XXIV 2.


Nous remarquons ainsi que la question de l'humanité de l'homme et de la femme dans leur conscience de la responsabilité qui est l'expression vivante de leur égalité est la même. Et il existe des zones où l'homme se distingue de la femme dans le mouvement de la réalité et où la femme se distingue de l'homme dans la nature de ses caractéristiques existentielles. Il existe un texte qui dit au sujet de la vie conjugale que: "Les hommes sont responsables des femmes", Coran, "an-Nisa'" (les Femmes), IV, 34.


Et la responsabilité n'est pas ici la question de distinction en matière administrative. Les hommes sont responsables des femmes en ce que Dieu a privilégié les uns par rapport aux autres à travers la nature des possibilités qui donnent à l'homme plus de capacités à se charger des responsabilités de la vie conjugale du fait qu'il possède plus de liberté et, peut-être, plus de ténacité propre.


Question: Qui lui a donné cette liberté?


Réponse: je vais continuer. ... Et à travers le fait de se charger des responsabilités de la vie conjugale pour ce qui est des dépenses. Dans ce domaine, on peut se poser la question de savoir qui a donné cette liberté à l'homme? Nous disons, pour répondre, que la nature de la liberté est fondée sur le rôle naturel propre à l'homme. Pourquoi? En entrant dans la vie conjugale, nous trouvons la paternité qui, dans son sens naturel, ne coûte rien à l'homme et ne l'occupe point. Quant à la maternité de la femme, elle entrave sa liberté car elle change le cours de sa vie physique à travers les conséquences négatives de la grossesse. D'autre part, la nature de la maternité, dans son sens en tant que telle et abstraction faite de tout ce qui peut servir comme remplacement de la maternité, implique l'allaitement et les soins nécessaires à l'enfant qui prennent beaucoup du temps de la femme et la privent d'une grande part de sa liberté. Tout ce rôle maternel de la femme la prive donc de sa liberté naturelle, alors que l'homme ne perd rien avec son rôle paternel.


(...) Je pense que la civilisation moderne qui a ouvert devant la femme les portes de la vie qu'elle a ouvertes devant l'homme n'a pas pu résoudre la problème de la famille. Elle a plutôt supprimé la famille. Pour cette raison, et lorsque nous nous mettons à réfléchir au sujet de ces questions, nous ne devons pas nous laisser absorber par le "drame" de la femme et la considérer comme une victime de la situation que lui imposent les affaires du foyer. Nous avons privé la femme de sa vie familiale et du mouvement de la maternité dans son sens proprement humain, et ce dans la mesure où elle est devenue une mère qui produit l'enfant qui n'est plus le sien mais celui de la crèche...


En donnant à la femme la liberté de ne pas travailler à la maison contre son gré et en lui octroyant le droit de toucher le prix du lait qu'elle donne à son propre enfant, l'Islam veut que la femme agisse au service de sa maison et de son mari à travers son entière liberté. Et puis, comment prétendre que le travail de la maison est contraire à l'humanité de la femme? C'est un travail comme les autres. Et nous pensons que le rôle de la femme en tant qu'épouse et mère n'annule pas son rôle créateur. Elle peut, dans l'accord avec son mari, et à l'écart de la mentalité bédouine, participer à la création dans maints domaines sociaux et politiques etc...


Question: comment cela lui serait possible alors que la promiscuité lui est interdite comme vous le dites dans votre livre?


Réponse: il y a une différence entre la promiscuité qui nuit à la moralité de la femme et celle liée aux règles sociales qui empêchent la femme et l'homme de sombrer dans la déviation.


Question: pourquoi vous fixez, à priori, les conséquences de la promiscuité?


Réponse: il n'en est pas ainsi. La question est fondée sur les expériences sociales. Car la question de la masculinité vit dans la mentalité de l'homme et détermine son attitude envers la femme. De son côté, la femme tend, du fait de sa féminité, à attirer l'homme, sinon comment expliquer la tendance qu'a la femme à montrer sa beauté, ou à se parer. Il ne s'agit pas d'une simple question historique en rapport avec l'éducation de la femme. C'est plutôt une question sexuelle que la femme essaye d'exprimer de cette manière qui l'ouvre à la sexualité de l'homme à travers la préparation des atmosphères dans le but de l'attirer. Toute la littérature de l'histoire humaine en est le témoin. Tous les sentiments exprimés par les écrivains ou par les gens, au sujet de la femme et de l'homme ne disent autre chose que le sexe que nous maquillons avec des mots comme l'amour et l'affectivité. En planifiant pour la construction de la réalité, l'Islam part de la réalité elle-même. Et en voulant que la vie sexuelle soit soumise à des règles bien déterminées, à partir de ses visions morales, l'Islam a essayé de réconcilier la ligne morale et l'application pratique.


Pensons-nous, à propos de la question morale, que la sexualité est sans rapport à l'éthique? La sexualité est-elle l'un des besoins quelconques de l'homme comme la nourriture et la boisson et qui ne doit être frappée d'aucun tabou? Ou bien la sexualité est un besoin qui doit être soumis à des règles morales bien déterminées et nécessaires pour que la société puisse vivre la paix et l'équilibre dans ses affaires particulières et générales?


En disant que la sexualité est un besoin personnel et que chaque individu a l'entière liberté de l'exercer sans tabous, les questions de l'interdiction de la promiscuité et de l'adultère deviennent insignifiantes. Mais en fixant des règles morales, la question prend une dimension différente et alors, il est naturel que la législation se mette au service de ces règles.


L'Islam a essayé de fixer des règles pour la relation entre l'homme et la femme qui l'empêcheraient d'être prisonnière de la mentalité masculine de l'homme qui peut bouleverser les dispositions psychiques et pratiques de la femme. En même temps, l'Islam a voulu que la promiscuité ait lieu dans le cadre de règles bien déterminées qui permettraient à la femme de vivre son humanité, sous son aspect pratique, sans porter atteinte à sa moralité, sous son aspect comportemental.


La différence entre l'Islam et les autres courants est que l'Islam considère la question de l'homme sous la totalité de ses aspects, alors que les autres courants cherchent à s'attacher à une seule dimension de l'homme. On s'attarde trop devant la dimension relative à liberté de la femme sans prêter attention à la question de la famille. Il en est de même pour ce qui est de la liberté de l'homme dans ce domaine. Nous pensons, à ce propos, que l'homme n'est pas une créature unidimensionnelle.


Question: peut-on comprendre ici que la liberté est en contradiction avec les fondements sociaux?


Réponse: il n'en est pas ainsi. Nous disons que nous avons besoin d'un certain genre de règles sociales. Pour cette raison, nous devons, lorsque nous voulons agir avec liberté, la faire dans l'équilibre de l'individuel et du collectif. Le problème qu'on discute maintenant est l'individualisme où beaucoup de personnes se laissent perdre en imaginant qu'il s'agit de l'individu qu'il faut sauver d'une situation dramatique. Nous devons penser au drame de l'individu et de la société. Que perd la société lorsque la femme travaille et qu'est ce qu'elle gagne? Que perd la femme sous les pressions que lui impose la société et qu'est ce qu'elle gagne? Nous posons ces questions car nous savons que la question de la liberté telle qu'elle est pensée par certains poètes ne peut jamais exister dans la réalité de ce poète au cas où il vit sa liberté. C'est qu'il la vit à travers son existence propre. Mais dès qu'il se trouve en confrontation avec l'autre, il lui impose beaucoup d'entraves sans lesquelles il ne pourrait jamais exercer sa propre liberté.


Question: vous avez dit dans votre livre que l'homme a le droit de frapper sa femme seulement si elle refuse le commerce sexuel avec lui. J'ai trouvé cela révoltant...


Réponse: lorsqu'un homme se marie, il est normal que son mariage joue, pour lui, le rôle de protecteur contre les relations illégales et contre la satisfaction de son désir dans un autre domaine... Que faire alors si sa femme se révolte, non pas pour une raison légale, mais seulement parce qu'elle n'en veut pas? Au cas où l'homme est calme et tranquille, il est préférable qu'il soit tolérant avec sa femme. Mais que pourrait-il faire, au cas où il a un besoin pressant de se satisfaire sexuellement au point que cela pourrait le conduire à la déviation et à la recherche d'un autre moyen de satisfaction? Doit-il, par exemple, déposer une plainte auprès de la justice? Oui, ça fait rire!


La solution donnée, à cette question, par le Coran est que l'homme essaye de parler à sa femme de sorte à la convaincre. Mais si elle se révolte, la réponse est "Abandonnez leurs lits", c'est-à-dire, ayez recours à la correction... Si cela ne résout pas le problème il est possible de la frapper légèrement, sans la faire saigner et sans "lui briser un os". Cela veut dire que lorsque les choses arrivent à ce niveau de blocage qui immobilise la vie conjugale, l'homme peut exercer de légères pressions sur sa femme. On peut se demander pourquoi l'homme peut user de ce droit. La réponse est que cela est établi par le contrat de mariage et c'est pour cette raison que l'Islam ne donne à l'homme aucun droit, auprès de sa femme, en dehors de ce droit sexuel.


Question: ce que vous venez de dire signifie-t-il que le contrat de mariage est essentiellement fondé sur le côté sexuel?


Réponse: il y a une différence entre le droit qu'on a à la sexualité et réduire toute la question à la sexualité. Le Coran présente le mariage en tant que relation humaine. Mais l'Islam n'est pas idéaliste pour parler des relations humaines sans prendre les désirs en considération. Nous ne nions pas que la sexualité a une place fondamentale dans la relation conjugale.


Question: et la femme a-t-elle un droit sexuel auprès de l'homme?


Réponse: elle en a le droit dans la mesure où l'Islam distingue la question de l'excitabilité réelle de la femme (qui est une question complexe) et celle de l'excitabilité de l'homme. La femme a un droit sexuel auprès de l'homme, mais il n'est pas égal à celui de l'homme auprès d'elle et cela s'explique par l'excitabilité différente des deux parties.


Le quotidien libanais as-Safir

25/12/1992

LA LIBÉRATION DE LA FEMME-ÊTRE HUMAIN; L'ISLAM VEUT QU'ELLE SOIT NOBLE


Comme les interrogations ne manquent pas au sujet de l'attitude de l'Islam vis-à-vis de la femme, le savant as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah a publié son livre "Regards islamiques sur la femme" qui comprend un ensemble diversifié de discours en liaison avec la réalité féminine et qui sont donnés d'un point de vue jurisprudentiel dont l'auteur cherche à ce qu'il soit Franc. Dans ce livre, le Savant paraît révolutionnaire, libérateur, révolté contre l'application tordue des traditions et opposé au ritualisme religieux. Il revendique le retour à la dimension islamique humaine loin des nombreuses opinions qui ont porté atteinte à la cause.


Le savant Fadlullah pose sa question la plus générale:


"Le moyen de découvrir la personnalité de la femme, sa raison et sa foi est-il représenté par les textes religieux ou par l'étude des éléments propres de la personnalité de la femme à travers le mouvement de son existence dans la réalité vivante?"


Interrogation charnière dans le problème que l'auteur se propose de confronter car l'approche contemplative de la réalité humaine de la femme est normalement parallèle à celle de la réalité humaine de l'homme. Dans cette visée, l'auteur se penche sur la nature des conditions influentes, y compris les textes, et à certains indices qui empêchent de comprendre le texte dans son sens apparent pour lui donner un sens nouveau. Parfois, l'auteur signale des failles dans des Traditions Prophétiques qui contredisent les fondements immuables de la doctrine.


Là, une question se pose: les fondements de la doctrine sont-ils immuables et insensibles aux changements?


L'auteur dit, quelque part dans son livre, que "l'Islam porte en lui toutes les charges qui font de lui un mouvement historique, c'est-à-dire un mouvement de création et un mouvement de pénétration au point que les choses arrivent à se poser en problèmes de pensée. (...) L'Islam n'est pas simplement une doctrine suprasensible et il n'est pas non plus un simple phénomène de dévotion". En d'autres termes, le mot "mouvement" signifie l'aptitude au changement, c'est-à-dire, à l'abandon de l'état figé. Dire que l'Islam n'est pas "un simple phénomène de dévotion" c'est dire que l'Islam avance, avec le mouvement de la vie, dans toutes ses confrontations et tous ses conflits, sans que le besoin ne s'impose d'y transplanter de nouveaux organes ou de nouvelles idées. Je pense que le savant as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah ne nie pas les idées évolutionnistes même s'il est opposé à l'interprétation des textes coraniques et à la méthode syncrétique qui essaye de réconcilier la théorie législative islamique et les progrès de la science dans le mouvement de la réalité. Cela veut dire que l'auteur ne fait pas sienne l'idée de la modernisation de l'Islam par sa soumission aux péripéties des changements passagers.


Il est vrai que l'Islam ne méconnaît pas les vérités, mais les affirme et se conforme à elles. L'auteur lui-même dit: "je pense que les masses islamiques ne s'éloignent pas des lumières islamiques dynamiques et ouvertes du fait qu'elles revivent annuellement l'état de refus à travers la commémoration de 'Achoura" (l'anniversaire de l'assassinat de l'Imam al-Hussein (p)). Leur engagement sur la voie des Imams appartenant à la Famille du Prophète (P), ouverte à la voie de l'Islam, les met en état de dynamisme permanent dans la direction de la liberté et de la justice".


L'auteur qui cherche à sortir de la sphère des instincts établit une situation d'équilibre entre l'homme et la femme. Le verset 33 de la sourate "an-Nisa'" (les Femmes) dit:


"Les hommes sont responsables des femmes en vertu de la préférence que Dieu leur a accordée sur elles, et à cause des dépenses qu'ils font pour assurer leur entretien. Les femmes vertueuses sont pieuses; elles préservent dans le secret ce que Dieu préserve. Avertissez celles dont vous craignez l'infidélité; abandonnez leurs lis et frappez-les. Mais ne soyez pas injustes avec elles si elles vous obéissent. Dieu est élevé et grand", Coran, "an-Nisa'" (les Femmes) IV, 34.


Pourtant le grand Savant arrive à l'"ijtihad" (opinion nouvelle obtenue par l'effort de réflexion sur les textes) suivant: "Si l'élément féminin se caractérise par une certaine faiblesse dans la personnalité de la femme, du fait de sa dimension affective qui est plus évidente au niveau de ses sentiments, ou du fait de sa faiblesse physique qui ne lui permet pas de porter de lourdes charges, comme c'est le cas de l'homme, il n'y a rien qui puisse empêcher de transformer cette faiblesse en force par l'éducation de la pensée par la connaissance, par le renforcement de la raison par la pratique et par l'affaiblissement de l'affectivité par la conscience qui fait face aux événements d'une manière objective à travers une méthode éducative équilibrée".


Le savant trouve que l'Islam n'a interdit la promiscuité des hommes et des femmes et n'a fait de cette interdiction une obligation que dans la sphère qui conduit à la déviation morale. Il insiste sur la grande valeur de la maternité dans un magnifique processus d'intégration humaine. D'où, le savant Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah refuse de considérer la femme comme si elle était un être sexuel qui s'ouvre à la vie comme si elle n'était rien d'autre que ce rapport sexuel dans sa nature instinctive et ses conséquences procréatrices... Il refuse de cloîtrer la femme à l'intérieur de cet ellipsoïde suspendu. Il conclut, dans ce sens que "la pensée islamique considère l'humanité de l'homme et de la femme sous un seul et même angle, que ce soit au niveau de la constitution ou au niveau de la responsabilité. Elle les invite ensemble à construire le mouvement de la civilisation islamique dans la vie des gens. Elle les considère ensemble, et au même degré, comme responsables de la déviation et de la droiture. Elle leur distribue les rôles et les tâches sur la base du processus d'intégration humaine où chaque partie, le mâle et la femelle, donnent à l'autre une partie de ses caractéristiques propres dans la voie de l'unité des caractéristiques humaines, au niveau des conséquences dans l'intégration des rôles et des responsabilités".

LE SLOGAN DE LA LIBÉRATION DE LA FEMME

Le savant as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah signale que le slogan de la libération de la femme est issu de la mauvaise réalité vécue et des déformations des traditions qui oppriment la femme: "Comme si elle était l'un des objets de l'homme faits pour sa jouissance".

Le savant dit, dans l'une de ses importantes conclusions: "Ainsi la question s'étend, dans cette législation sociale, pour voir dans le voile un point de départ d'un processus visant à l'éloigner de tous les milieux de l'action matérielle, de l'activité sociale, de l'attitude politique et de la culture générale car le voile, disent-ils, englobe le sens intérieur et le contenu dynamique de la personnalité comme il englobe l'aspect relatif au fait de couvrir le corps". Ici, le Savant reprend le concept du changement impliquant le mouvement de la liberté de l'homme pour faire de la libération de la femme une partie intégrante de la libération de l'homme, pour que la femme redevienne un être humain porteur d'un message et une créature multidimensionnelle qui donne un apport nouveau à la vie. Le Savant passe en revue les avis de ceux qui s'opposent à la liberté de la femme telle qu'elle se présente en Occident où elle est devenue un produit de consommation instinctive qui donne à la femme une simple illusion de liberté et l'écarte de sa dimension maternelle ce qui l'expose aux complexes psychiques. Le Savant en conclut: "Mais l'affaire n'est pas aussi sombre: face au rôle de la maternité chez la femme, il y a le rôle de la paternité chez l'homme. Si le rôle de la paternité ne supprime pas les autres rôles de l'homme dans le mouvement de la vie, à travers la grande dimension humaine de sa personnalité, comment donc serait-il nécessaire que le rôle de la maternité arrive à supprimer les autres rôles de la femme et qui sont relatifs à son humanité?". Le Livre de Dieu (sourate Al-'Imran), verset 44 dit:

"Et lorsque les Anges dirent: 'Ô Marie, Dieu t'annonce la bonne nouvelle d'un verbe émanant de Lui. Son nom est le Messie, Jésus, Fils de Marie. Illustre en ce monde et dans la vie future. Il est parmi ceux qui sont proches de Dieu". Coran, "Al-'Imran" (la Famille d'Imran), III, 43.

Ici, le Savant pense qu'il est nécessaire de fixer des règles scientifiques susceptibles de transformer la liberté en un mouvement réel allant dans le sens de l'intérêt supérieur de l'homme au niveau de l'individu et de la collectivité. Et sans entrer dans les détails, il est possible de dire que l'humanité s'oriente vers l'établissement d'un ordre équilibré qui garantit, pour chacun, la satisfaction de ses besoins, dans le cadre des besoins généraux de la société. Pour cette raison, le Savant pense que la liberté a des limites morales et dehors des caprices égoïstes et des chimères flottantes.

L'Islam a institué des règles légales en ce qui concerne la question sexuelle de l'Homme et de la femme à la fois. Il a considéré le mariage comme un lieu naturel pour la satisfaction de l'instinct et a interdit tous les autres moyens de le satisfaire. Le Savant conclut ici que "la différence entre l'Islam –tel qu'il se présente dans la société islamique qui doit être construite pour l'homme et pour la femme- et la déviation telle qu'elle se présente dans la société capitaliste, est que l'Islam veut promouvoir la femme et l'homme pour que chacun d'eux vive son humanité comme des êtres humains indépendants sur les deux plans de l'esprit et du corps. En revanche, la société capitaliste cherche à transformer la femme en une marchandise de consommation publicitaire et de vulgarité sexuelle présentée sous la forme d'excitation. Cela fait d'elle un produit pour la publicité au lieu d'être un élément humain respectable".

LA FEMME, LA RÉALITÉ ARRIÉRÉE ET LA FÉMINITÉ

Le savant as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah pense que l'homme, en tant que tel, et la femme, en tant que telle, ne sont pas responsables de l'arriération de la réalité. L'homme et la femme sont plutôt les victimes d'une situation intérieure au niveau de l'autorité et au niveau des situations nouvelles qui ont compliqué l'atmosphère en mélangeant ce qui est islamique avec ce qui est issu de la civilisation occidentale. A ce propos, le Savant conclut: "Les milieux cultivés, conscients et possédant une mentalité civilisée doivent se mettre en action pour préparer le terrain de l'éduction spirituelle et de l'instruction islamique de la femme afin de former une génération de femmes aptes à tenir des responsabilités culturelles et d'agir dans le sens d'élever le niveau de conscience des autres femmes". La maternité n'est pas tout dans la vie de la femme et la paternité n'est pas tout dans la vie de l'homme. La féminité n'est pas une honte dans la vie de la femme. Pour ces raisons, l'Islam considère la femme comme un être humain indépendant du point de vue juridique et considère son action comme une action missionnaire, car l'humanité de l'être humain, qu'il soit homme ou femme, peut englober toutes les dimensions de la vie. L'Islam n'a pas supprimé l'humanité de la femme et n'a pas, non plus, annulé ses responsabilités. D'où, il est possible d'admettre le rôle spécifique et distingué de la femme car l'Islam a insisté sur la féminité de la femme et sur la nécessité de lui accorder la liberté de sentir sa beauté sans pour autant recourir à des conduites spectaculaires ou faire des tentatives de provocation passionnelle.

En lançant sa vision morale et sociale, l'Islam prépare la base préventive pour ne pas permettre à l'affaire de dépasser les limites de la discipline, du sérieux et des bonnes manières. Les réserves ne sont pas ici des entraves mais des règles pour contrôler la réalité des sensations passionnelles humaines. Si l'homme est laissé sans dissuasion morale, il peut sortir de sa trajectoire raisonnable exactement comme un satellite qui sort de sa trajectoire et se perd dans l'espace. En d'autres termes, la nature humaine n'est pas muable. Elle ne se meut pas d'une manière absolue, mais d'une manière relative en ce qui concerne la question de la beauté physique. D'où, le Savant Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah conclut: « La féminité est essentielle dans la subjectivité de la femme et l'Islam ne veut pas que la femme soit réprimée. L'Islam considère d'une manière négative la femme masculinisée ou la femme qui cherche à ressembler aux hommes en matière de masculinité et non pas en matière de force. L'Islam ne veut pas que la femme supprime sa féminité, mais il veut qu'elle organise le mouvement de la féminité dans sa vie ».

mardi 6 mars 2007, 10h00
La détresse des soldats américains
Par Destination Santé

Selon un rapport de l'American Psychological association, plus d'un soldat sur trois déployé en Irak souffrirait de troubles mentaux. Et à peine la moitié d'entre eux cherchent de l'aide... Par crainte d'une forme de stigmatisation ?

A en croire les auteurs du rapport, le fait de souffrir d'un trouble mental peut être mal perçu par la hiérarchie. Quant à ceux qui ont besoin de soins et qui en demandent, ils se heurtent au manque de personnel qualifié. Dans l'armée de terre et la marine américaines, près de 4 postes de psychologues sur 10 ne sont pas pourvus !

Et sur place, médecins et infirmières semblent pour le moins désabusés. Un tiers se dit victimes de surmenage et 27% avouent manquer de motivation. Autre problème pointé par le rapport, le manque d'attention accordée aux vétérans, insuffisamment accompagnés dans la transition vers la vie civile.

Les enfants également sont affectés par le déploiement des soldats. Plus de 700 000 petits Américains ont au moins un parent mobilisé en Irak. Et comme le souligne le Pr Michelle D. Sherman de l'APA, « le fait de savoir qu'un de ses parents fait actuellement la guerre à l'autre bout de la planète peut être vécu comme un des événements les plus stressants qu'un enfant puisse vivre ».

Source : American Psychological Association, février 2007

George Jordac
Translator: M. Fazal Haq


Chapter 17: Neither fanaticism nor infallibility

Ali marched steadfastly on the path of action fixed by him for himself. He always looked upwards. He prescribed the economic rights of man as well as other rights without which the economic rights cannot materialize. He did not do favour to any particular creed, colour or race. All human beings are alike and all of them are entitled to live and to share the amenities of life even though they may be different in their creed, colour or race. Ali was considerate to the entire mankind. According to him there was no difference between the white-coloured and the black-coloured, the Arabs and the non-Arabs, Muslims and non-Muslims in the matter of economic rights and the amenities of life.

Although Ali was the successor to the prophet, the fortress of Islam, and the Commander of the Faithful, he did not at all wish that the non-Muslims should be compelled to embrace Islam. According to him the people were free to worship God as they liked and to hold the beliefs of their choice subject to the condition that they did not harm others. [1] He allowed freedom of faith because all human beings are the slaves of God and religion is a means of connection between Him and His creatures.

According to Ali one's being a human being was sufficient for his being honoured, befriended and dealt with kindly as well as for his rights being immune from infringement by others. In the testament written by him for Malik Ashtar, the Governor of Egypt, he said: "Do not become a ferocious animal for them so that you may devour them. [2] There are two kinds of persons amongst the subjects, out of whom some are your brethren-in- faith and others are creatures of God like you, and you should be forgiving towards them just as you wish God to be forgiving towards you. You should not feel elated when you accord punishment.

In the circumstances everyone possesses the same rights as you do , even though some or all of his beliefs may be opposed to yours. The object of religion is certainly that it should enable you to establish brotherly relations with others. Others are as much human beings as you are. This similarity of creation is a stronger connection between you and others. You should therefore, behave kindly with all human beings. If your brother commits a mistake or sin you should overlook his lapse and forgive him, and should not at all feel ashamed in doing so. Purify the hearts of others of enmity and grudge by purifying your own hearts of these bad qualities in the first instance.

It is obligatory for every descendant of Adam, to whatever religion or creed he may belong, that he should sympathise with his fellow beings. He should like that for others which he likes for himself and should not like that for them which he does not like for himself. He should expect from others to the same extent to which he meets the expectations of others. A real believer is he who endeavours to do good deeds. The best act is perfect justice which means that you should be absolutely impartial and should not discriminate between different persons. He who follows the ways of Muhammad in leading his life is not different from one who follows the ways of Jesus or other accomplished personalities. The object of the creation of man is this that he should acquire virtues and excellence and should acquire good attributes. He is free to achieve this end by any means he likes. Ali says: "It is necessary for you to follow the prophet's actions when the world was contracted from under his feet and he was kept away from its enjoyments and embellishments. And if you so desire you may see Jesus Christ who used to recline on a stone, wore coarse dress and ate tasteless and insipid food. Hunger was his bread, the moon was his lamp, east and west were his shade, and the grass constituted his fruits and perfume. He had no wife who could allure him and no children for whom he might be worried. He had no wealth which might attract his attention nor any avarice which might humiliate him. His feet were his means of transport and his hands were his servants".

At another place Imam Ali says: "These were the people who made the earth their carpet and its dust their bed. They contented themselves with water instead of perfume and passed away from the world as Jesus did".

The same reality which Muhammad had in view when he said: "The prophets are brothers of one another. Their mothers are different but their religion is one and the same". The same reality was before Ali when he said about Muhammad: "The prophet spent his life in the same way in which the earlier prophets spent their lives".

In these two statements it has been clearly admitted that virtue is the thing which unites the people at one point just as humanity is basically the point of unification.

What has been stated above makes it abundantly clear that just as man possesses many other rights he has, according to the laws enunciated by Ali, this right also that he should be free in the matter of his beliefs and there should be no restriction on his holding any belief he likes. Freedom cannot be divided. It is not possible that man should be free in some respect and a captive in some other respects. A Muslim is the brother of a Christian whether he likes it or not, because a man is the brother of a man whether he admits it or not. If in the eyes of Ali the main object of creating man as a free being had not been this that he should make efforts to acquire virtues and if, according to him, freedom had not been a sacred right, he would not have praised the followers of Jesus in the same manner in which he praised the followers of Muhammad.

In the foregoing pages we have mentioned that a Christian stole the coat-of-mail of Ali and claimed that he had purchased it. We have also mentioned how Ali behaved with the Christian as a person equal to himself, rather in the manner in which a father behaves with his son. We have also stated how Ali lodged a complaint in the court of the judge Shurayh and what its outcome was and how the Christian became one of his sincere disciples and vehemently helped him.

The history of Arabia is proud of the following sentence of Ali which adorns its pages: "If a carpet is spread for me and I sit on it, I shall decide the cases of the Jews according to their book `the Torah', of the Christians according to their book `the Evangel' and of the Muslims according to their Qur'an, in such a way that everyone of these books will cry out: "Ali has spoken the truth".

Ali instructed Ma`qal son of Qais as under:-

"O Ma`qal! Fear God. Don't be unjust to the Muslims and don't oppress the Zimmis. Don't be proud, because God doesn't like the proud".

It shows that according to Ali `fear of God' means this that a person should not oppress his fellow-beings and should not in any way be unjust to them. Furthermore, he places the Muslims and the non-Muslims at the same level and does not accord preference to anyone of them.

This equality of the Muslims and the non-Muslims can be observed in each and every order of Ali. It would appear that he considered the protection of the people from injustice to be more important and necessary than acquiring other Islamic virtues. He says: "If you follow the path of truth, and the tenets of Islam become clear to you, neither a Muslim nor a zimmi will be oppressed". He severely reprimanded the Muslims when Sufyan son of Auf Asadi, a commander of Mu`awiya's army invaded the city of Anbar and committed atrocities on its residents but they (the Muslims) did not side with the truth, and did nothing to prevent oppression. In the course of his speech he said:- "I have received information that, a member of this group used to enter the houses of Muslims and Zimmi women and removed the anklets from their feet and the bangles from their hands as well as the necklace and earrings which they were wearing and they had no means of protection except that they should say: `We are from God and we have to return to Him' and remain patient....Now if a Muslim dies of sorrow on account of these tragedies he cannot be blamed for it. In my opinion it ought to be so".

Ali censured and rebuked those people because they failed to defend their brothers and sisters living in the city – whether they were Muslims or Zimmis – against oppression.

When he appointed Muhammad son of Abu Bakr as Governor of Egypt he instructed him thus: "I recommend to you to be equitable to the Zimmis, to do justice to an oppressed person, to be severe upon the oppressor and to be indulgent towards the people as far as possible and to be kind to them. It is also necessary that in the matter of truth the far and the near should be equal in your eyes".

The following sentence also appeared in the pact which he concluded with the Christians of Najran: "They will not be subjected to injustice and oppression nor will any of their rights be reduced".

He also fixed the same blood-money for a Christian, which is the blood-money for a Muslim.

According to Ali every human being was entitled to respect. It was for this reason that although the ignorant and brainless followers of all past religions were extremely fanatical and hated other religions, Ali was loved very much for his justice by the knowledgeable Christians during his own time as well as afterward. All of them lauded and praised him. Allama Ibn Abi'l Hadid writes thus in sharh Nahj al-Balaghah: "What should I say about that man (Ali) whom the Zimmis loved ardently although they did not acknowledge the Prophethood (of Muhammad)".

Ali had laid the very foundation of his treatment of the non-Muslims on this principle "Their property is like our property and their lives are like our lives".

The facts narrated above show clearly that religious fanaticism was considered by Ali to be something very indecent and despicable. The freedom, which he believed in, in a wide sense, and measured with an extended measure was totally opposed to fanaticism.

When we visualize the treatment meted out by Ali to the non-Muslims, and compare it with the treatment of the clergies of the Church in Europe of the Middle Ages, especially those clergies who were responsible for the `Inquisition' , and when we contrast the kindness and forgiveness shown by Ali with the severity and harshness of the European religious leaders, we come to know how exalted Ali was and how low those people were.

In short there should be no doubt about it because Ali's faith had sprung from the roots of humanity, freedom and authority and it was according to the view and belief which Ali held about life. Ali's faith was based on freedom and he considered freedom to be respectable whereas the faith of the religious leaders of Europe was based on habit and imitation of their ancestors and freedom had nothing to do with it.

Fanaticism

Nowadays we are at war against religious fanaticism and consider it to be indecent and despicable, although religious fanaticism is not as dangerous as some other kinds of fanaticism. You will come across many persons who do not at all possess religious fanaticism but they are involved in fanaticism of colour, race, nationality, political beliefs etc. Indulgence and forgiveness is possible in the matter of religious fanaticism but it is not possible in the case of other kinds of fanaticism. Such fanaticism is based on egotism, ignorance and profiteering and those who possess this sort of fanaticism say that their view is correct and only what they have concluded is right and their view about man and life is indisputable. They do not consider the view of anyone else as valid as theirs.

Ever since man has arrived on this earth fanaticism of every kind has been inherent in him, and there has not been any time during which he has not displayed fanaticism. The great leader of the world Ali fought not only against religious fanaticism but against all kinds of fanaticism. He considered racial fanaticism to be equivalent to rebellion and mischief, and burning up the attractive face of life.

According to Ali priding oneself on one's ancestry was also a sort of fanaticism. He addresses the fanatics of his time in these words: "Look here! You have opposed God openly, have been extremely oppressive and have created disturbance on the face of the earth. Fear God in the matter of priding yourselves on account of the self-conceit of the age of ignorance, because it is the source of enmity and grudge and the centre of Satan's enchantment with which he allured the past nations. Look here! Fear following your chiefs and elders who give themselves airs because of their position and pomp, and pride themselves on account of their ancestry (i.e. those who consider others humble and despicable, oppose Divine decrees and deny God's kindness in order to seize His blessings). These are the very persons who are the deep foundation of fanaticism and the pillars of the house of mischief.

In the first instance Ali likened family and racial fanaticism to rebellion and disfiguring life. Then he made his view more general and declared every fanaticism whether racial, political or religious, to be identical with rebellion and mischief and established a general rule, whose correctness will be established more and more as time passes. He says: "I have looked on all sides and have not found even one man in the world who supports something but that he has a reason in view for it, which becomes the cause of the mistake of the ignorant, or that he has an argument which gets glued to the intellect of the foolish".

You may go through all that has been said regarding fanaticism and the explanations given about it, but you will not find anything said by anyone which may be more than what Ali has said. Fanatics indulge in fanaticism either on account of ignorance or folly and both of them carry rebellion and mischief in their lap. Ali has drawn the picture of this fact in his two remarks reproduced above.

In short Ali considered fanaticism of every kind to be indecent and despicable. Of course if partiality is to be observed it should be observed in the matter of virtue, justice and public rights. One should side with the oppressed persons who are deprived of their earnings and rights by the oppressors. One should side with truth and conscience. One should be partial for the sake of human freedom and honour and for protecting the helpless from the fanatics. The Commander of the Faithful says: "If you wish to be fanatic and partial you should side with high morals, good manners and praiseworthy qualities, for example to protect the rights of your neighbour, to honour your covenants, to obey the righteous, to oppose the rebellious, to behave well, to avoid injustice, to remain aloof from bloodshed, to administer justice and not to create mischief on the earth".

How much he hated fanaticism can be realized from the recommendation, which he made about the Kharijites, although they were his enemies. They fought a fierce battle against him, but he says: "Do not fight with the Kharijites after me, because one who seeks truth but goes astray is not like one who seeks falsehood and acquires it".

The Commander of the Faithful made the people realize that as there was a possibility of their views and beliefs being mistaken it was necessary that they should not insist upon the correctness of their views and beliefs nor should they thrust them on others. He told them not to refrain from making consultations and not to hesitate in accepting the truth.



Chapter 18: War and peace

There are many mutual rights enjoyed by the people. One of them is that they should strengthen the ties of love and friendship. The ties should exist between the individuals as well as between the tribes and the nations, because the citizens of all the countries are brother of one another.

They are the descendants of one father and their origin is one. They have a common path and their aims and objects are also not different from one another.

Freedom and affluence, prescribed laws and new efforts are all meant for mankind. These are however, useless in the presence of warfare and bloodshed which may destroy human race. All these things are for man. What is the use of all these (amenities and comforts) when human life is not safe?

Every statement which invites people to serve the human beings but does not invite them to peace is false and detestable.

All ideals regarding man and his life are useless unless they promote human brotherhood. How ridiculous those words, acts and ideals appear when the canals are converted into streams of blood, the gardens are destroyed and the palaces fall into ruins! How hopeless these words, acts and ideals seem to be when a man is hurled into the mouth of war and the beauty of his life, his hopes and desires, and his very being are reduced to nothing.

War is the cause of death and destruction, whereas peace is the only means of escaping destruction. This is the object which leads to many other aims and objects. It is only during the time of peace that human beings can utilize all their talents and achieve their common desires by joint efforts.

The principles and methods of Ali apply to all fields in the same manner in which the branches which shoot from a common root spread on all sides He had realized that peace is a high wall surrounding man and life which protects both of them from every calamity. Addressing the people he says: "God has not created you in vain". As regards Ali's view regarding the purpose for which God has created man he says: "God has created you respectable on His earth, and safe among His creation. His bounties have spread the wings of their kindnesses on your heads and made the streams of comforts flow for your sake".

According to Ali love and friendship is the greatest blessing for mankind. He says: "Almighty God has strengthened the tie of love between the human beings. It is the love under whose shadow the people walk about and in whose lap they seek refuge. This love is an invaluable blessing because it is dearer than whatever price is fixed for it, and is greater than every great thing".

Ali says that every person should establish friendship and love with others so that peace may prevail, because during peace time the atmosphere of a city remains tranquil and the people do not feel any fear. One should avoid warfare, because war is oppression and it is highly indecent and improper to oppress God's creatures. Whether the result of war is victory or retreat it is harmful in both cases. War is ruination and destruction for the victor as well as for the vanquished. War destroys human honour. The victor is considered to be an opponent of intellect and conscience, an enemy of love, who treats human life to be valueless, and one who is defeated is humiliated and his life and property are also destroyed. Ali says: "One who gains victory by evil means is in fact defeated". "Nothing is worse than fighting and bloodshed".

Ali has considered looting and plundering which were the preliminaries of war between the tribes during the age of ignorance to be one of the most horrible acts. According to Ali looting and plundering, idol-worshipping, and burying the girls alive, were sins of the same kind and their origin is also one and the same. That origin is that man is not aware of his own value nor that of life and there can be no greater ignorance than this. He says: "They had reached the abyss of ignorance. They buried their girls alive, worshipped the idols and robbed and plundered one another".

He detested fighting so much that he forbade it even during the most difficult circumstances and did not permit that one should challenge another to combat. He says: "Never challange another person to combat". When we study the life and conduct of Ali it becomes abundantly clear that he condemned many characteristics of the people and considered many things in the world to be abominable. As regards the characteristics of the people he first of all condemned inclination towards mischief and bloodshed. As regards the abominable things there was nothing more hateful in his eyes than warfare. This sentence of his deserves to be kept in mind: "This world is
the abode of war, plundering and bloodshed".

Fighting is as much injurious for truth as it is the source of refuge for falsehood. It is by means of truth that man is exalted, the society is strengthened and the world become prosperous. Falsehood is the collection of humiliation and disgrace. It is, therefore, evident that there can be nothing worse than war. It is the cradle of all absurdities, because doubt prevails war and falsehood flourishes, and the voice of truth is subdued; whereas peace is truth itself, and whoever violates truth goes astray.

This was the basis of the view and belief held by Ali about war, and this is not also surprising, because this belief was compatible with his idea of freedom and the reliance which he had on the common man and the respect which he had for life as well as for those who were alive. It was for this reason that at times, in order to put to end to trouble and to invite his friends to peace he said: "For your enemies this loss is sufficient that they have gone astray".

Imam Ali used to ask a sinner and a transgressor to express regret for his lapse so that fighting might not take place. As regards the oppressed persons he used to ask him to accept the apology of the transgressor however big his offence might be. He says: "Accept the apology of a person who apologizes to you".

He also says: "Fight against your wordly desires by means of reason. If you do so the people will continue to love you". He, therefore, considered it the best quality for his followers that they should desire peace, hate war and seek safety for themselves as well as for others. As to what qualities his followers should possess he says: "When my followers are angry they do not commit injustice. They are a blessing for their neighbours and a source of security for their companions".

However, hatred for war and unusual inclination towards peace did not mean that Ali should have surrendered before his opponent. Hatred for war and inclination towards peace does not mean that one should shirk one's responsibilities and leave the mischief-mongers free to do what they like, because war is not a detestable thing in itself, but becomes bad on account of the horrors and destruction which it entails, and peace is not a good thing in itself, but becomes good, because it provides security to the people, provides chances for improving the society, and opens the paths of life before those who are living.

In short, whether it be war or peace, neither of them is intrinsically good or bad. Their goodness or badness is determined with reference to other people. If war or peace had any intrinsic value, the revolutionary efforts made by the oppressed people of the world against the oppressive kings and rulers and the colonialists would have been evil and sin, and obedience to those tyrants would have been a blessing, but infact it is not so. The real thing which counts is the welfare of the masses. If they are living in comfort and their property and honour are safe, peace is better for them. In case, however, they are leading a miserable life and their rights are being violated, war is a blessing for them until an atmosphere of real peace is created, a peace, which is based on human values and is free from humiliation and helplessness, and subservience to tyranny and injustice.

This was what Ali had in view. What he disliked was the war of Abu Lahab and Abu Sufyan against Muhammad and not the war of Muhammad against Abu Lahab and Abu Sufyan. He disliked the war which was fought by the tyrants against the righteous, and not the war which was fought by the pious and Godly persons against the tyrants and the hypocrites. Ali wished the people not to become Changez Khan Halaku, Hitler or Mussolini, but he did not also like them to become like those who were enslaved by Changez, Halaku, Hitler and Mussolini.

There is nothing wrong with a war which is fought to get back the right of an oppressed person from the oppressor, or to protect the honour of the people. In fact it is a social need and something which humanity demands. The condition precedent to such a war is that before it is
resorted to, all necessary efforts for peace and reconciliation should be made.

When the followers of Ali became impatient because of his having delayed permission at Siffin to perform jihad he said to them: "As regards your asking whether this delay is due to the fact that I abhor death and wish to escape it, I swear by God that I do not care whether I proceed towards death or death proceeds towards me. And similarly as regards your asking whether I am doubtful regarding the lawfulness of jihad against the people of Syria, I swear by God that I have not delayed the battle even for a day except with the idea that some persons from amongst them may possibly come and meet me and be guided through me and may also see my light with their dazzled eyes. I like this more than to kill them while they are in a state of ignorance, although they themselves will in any case be responsible for their sins".

The second condition for war is that its object should not be only to gain victory. Furthermore, the victor should not become vindictive. He should not torture the enemy and should not maltreat the captive and those who have suffered on account of war. He should not pursue those who fly away, and should not hurt the old men, the women and the children. If he who joins battle thinks that he is on the right, and claims that he is fighting for the sake of justice, and his opponent is an oppressor, and it is necessary to take revenge from him, he should content himself with restoring truth to its place. If this object is achieved after a brief fighting he should withhold his hand from continued warfare.

In all the battles fought by Ali the basic principle followed by him was that bloodshed should not be resorted to unless it was absolutely necessary and there was no alternative other than warfare. He always endeavoured to advise the enemy and make him submit to reason. He used to say: "By God I shall certainly do justice to the oppressed and render advice to the oppressor".

When advice and efforts for peace and reconciliation failed he resorted to threats, because his real object was that if possible not even one drop of blood might be shed. Threatening the people of Nahrawan he says: "I warn you that you will be killed and will fall on the ground on the windings of the canal and its even slopes in such a condition that you will have no sound argument or clear proof to put forth before God as an excuse. The position is this that you have become homeless and then the Divine decree has a firm grip on you. I had already prohibited you from agreeing to this arbitration but you declined to obey my orders like opposing violators, so much so that I was obliged to agree to what you wished. You are a group whose heads are empty of understanding and intellect. Woe betide you! I have neither involved you in any trouble nor wished ill of you".

Now please read this wonderful supplication of Ali and visualize his sublime morality and the sympathy which he had in his heart for fell enemies. When the enemy forces in Siffin finally decided to fight and all efforts for peace and reconciliation failed he prayed to God in these words: "O God! Lord of the earth, which you have made the abode of man, and the place of roaming about of the reptiles, the quardrupeds and other innumerable creatures which can or cannot be seen. O Lord of the strong mountains which you have made to serve as nails for the earth and means of livelihood for your creatures! If you grant us victory over the enemies keep us immune from committing injustice and keep us on the straight path of truth, and if You make our enemies victorious grant us martyrdom and save us from the allurement of life".

The keenness of the Commander of the Faithful for peace and his efforts for it even a short time before the commencement of the battle is an undeniable fact which is acknowledged by his friends as well as enemies. During his entire life he displayed love for peace and hatred for war. He always tried his best that fighting might be avoided and reconciliation might take place. When, at the time of the Battle of the Camel, Ayesha, Talha and Zubayr got ready to fight against him he arrayed his companions and said to them: `Do not shoot an arrow and do not strike a spear or a sword so that it may be proved that you have discharged your responsibility" .

However, Ali did not start fighting until the enemies had pierced arrows into the bodies of three of his companions and he had prayed to God thrice to bear witness to their act.

He reached before his enemies scores of times empty handed and without any arms or coat of mail although they were fully equipped with arms. In reply to their harsh words stubbornness, and rough tone he spoke with extreme kindness and tendered them advice in a friendly manner. Standing before him were his enemies who looked like a dark night as they were covered with in coats of mail and shields, but his armour was respect for mankind; his shield was his faith in his being right and in his mode of action being correct, and his sword was his compliance with the commandments of reason and conscience. In fact his kindness to the weak, his support for truth and his peaceableness were as good as thousands of shields for him. It was he who said: "If you feel secure from vexation by someone try to make him your brother".

Imam Ali was one who disliked enmity and grudge because these two things give birth to discord and destroy individual morals and national attributes. He said: "Refrain from enmity and dispute, because these two things make the heart sick and discord is generated from them".

Many times he reached before his enemies empty-handed and without any coat of mail or shield. He did this to make them realize that he hated warfare and was keen to solve problems in a friendly and brotherly manner. He said: "Do good to your enemy because this victory is more agreeable and sweet".

Another object of his approaching his opponents in this manner was that he wanted to make it clear that war is something bad and the benefit which the victor acquires from it is a benefit which is acquired from evil and has no value. He says: "The goodness of a goodness which is acquired through evil is futile and the affluence which is the result of indigence and adversity has no value".

Ali eliminated this evil (warfare) by all possible means and tried to improve the conditions of the people without bloodshed and strife. So much so that when the enemies were bent upon waging war and had no aim other than shedding his blood as well as his righteous companions, he advised them and endeavoured his best to obviate fighting. And when these efforts failed and no alternative was left except to join battle, he did not initiate fighting. Fighting was started by the enemies and he only replied to their attacks. And when he took the sword in his hand he stepped forward and now he was Ali son of Abu Talib. If death did not proceed towards him he himself proceeded towards death. He crushed the champions and made brave warriors flee. Ali desired equity and justice, whereas his enemies craved for injustice and oppression. He wished that mankind might prosper, whereas they wanted to create mischief. He wanted the people to enjoy freedom and comfort, whereas they were keen to keep them in bondage like slaves. He wished that the slaves of God should be strong and respectable whereas his enemies wanted to enslave and humiliate them.

The things which must exist in the society and which are also considered by law of reason to be necessary were in danger. Now in these conditions remaining a silent spectator amounted to laziness, recklessness, and infidelity, and to protect them meant courage and bravery.

About fighting against Mu`awiya he says:-"I have weighed and assessed this matter very carefully and have concluded that only two paths are open before me either I should wage war against Mu`awiya or I become an apostate".

Just see how he has drawn a picture of the Battle of the Camel in a concise and precise manner and has also explained his own position:" Talha and Zubayr were the first to take oath of allegiance to me. Later they broke that oath without just cause and took the Mother of the Faithful Ayesha to Basra. I was also obliged to take the Muhajirs and the Ansar with me and pursue them. I tried my best that they might take once again the oath which they had broken but they declined to do so. I counselled them much and treated them well".

While Ali was still on his way and had not yet confronted them he sent his son Hasan and his cousin Abdullah bin Abbas as well as Ammar bin Yasir and Qais bin Sa'd bin Ubada to have talk with them (i.e. Talha and Zubayr) hoping that they might respond to the call of reason and bloodshed might be avoided. They, however, remained intransigent. The Commander of the Faithful says thus in this regard: "I proceeded along with the Muhajirs and the Ansar and stopped near Basra. I invited them to peace and reconciliation, overlooked their lapses and reminded them of the oath of allegiance which they had taken. They however, remained adamant and insisted upon fighting. I sought help from God and was obliged to get ready for defence against their attacks. The result was that those who were to be killed were killed and others ran away. Now they requested me for the same peace which I had desired before the fighting took place, I accepted the peace proposal and spared them. I appointed Abdullah bin Abbas their governor and sent Zafar bin Qais to them as the messenger Now you may approach these two persons to tell you whatever you want to know about us and them".

Ali was victorious on account of his unusual bravery and perfect and deep faith. He was, however, as much grieved over his victory as his enemies were over their defeat. Tears trickled down from his eyes and he was extremely sad.

Every father loves his children very much. If a child does not conduct himself properly his father has to take corrective measures and punish him although such action also grieves him.

Same was the case with Ali. He treated the Muslims like his children. The prophet of Islam has said: "I and Ali are the fathers of this nation".

Ali loved these children very much. He was obliged to take corrective measures against them on account of their injustice and error but was very much grieved to observe their sufferings.

Ali did not dislike anything more than bloodshed. He was always afraid lest his governors and offices might indulge in unjustified bloodshed. He, therefore, warned them again and again not to indulge in bloodshed. He took care from the moral as well as the political and administrative point of view that blood should not be shed unnecessarily. He forbade it in both the capacities, because he considered that as a consequence of such bloodshed the government might topple down and it was also opposed to the philosophy of government. He did not forgive any officer for a lapse in this regard. In a letter addressed to a governor he says: "Do not try to strengthen your government by shedding blood without just cause because this will make your government still weaker, rather it will be taken away from you and will reach the hand of someone else. If you are guilty of intentional bloodshed God will not consider this crime of yours pardonable and I, too, will not consider it so".

Has there been any other ruler in the world, who may have issued emphatic instructions to his governors to appoint as military commander a person who is meek and forbearing, hates bloodshed and murder, can settle matters by mutual discussions, is not guilty of unjustified bloodshed, is kind and magnanimous, is not harsh in getting work done by others and is not accustomed to severity and violence? In the testament written by him for Malik Ashtar while appointing him as Governor of Egypt Ali says: "Appoint that person as commander of your army whom you consider to be most sincere and superior to others in the matter of meekness and forbearance. He should not be short-tempered and should accept an excuse. He should be kind to the weak and hard upon the powerful. He should not become hot-tempered due to cruelty and should not become helpless due to weakness".

Thus it is evident that Ali was a peace-loving person. He always recommended peace. He extremely hated war and always prohibited it. He never stepped towards War unless war itself stepped towards him and even if he stepped towards it, it was when he had exhausted all efforts to stop it by means of friendship, love, goodness and kindness. If he was compelled to fight a battle he tried that the least number of persons should be killed. And when he secured victory over his enemy he forgave him. He was equally grieved in the event of victory and defeat. Whenever his enemy requested for peace he acceded to his request cheerfully and wholeheartedly. He used to say: "During peace time the soldiers are in comfort, the worries of the people are lesser and an atmosphere of security prevails in the cities.

He sent many orders to the governors and the officers in which he emphatically recommended to them inter-alia that they should follow his example and should not draw their swords on account of ordinary matters as was done by the people during the age of ignorance.

Imam Ali says: "Do not put your hands and swords in motion like the tongue on account of trivial matters".

"I do not punish anyone merely on account of suspicion".

"I shall not fight anyone until I invite him to peace and thus discharge my responsibility in this behalf. If he repents I shall accept his repentance, but if he declines to do so and is bent upon fighting I shall seek help from God and shall fight against him".

We shall mention in detail later how Ali behaved with his cruel enemies.

It is the duty of every person to abide by the promises made by him. By this means peace is maintained between the individuals and in the society and the chances of warfare are eliminated. A covenant should be honoured whether it is concluded between the followers of the same religion or of different religions, between persons belonging to the same race or to different races and between friends or enemies. This was the principle, which was followed constantly by Ali.

As stated above fulfilment of promises is a means of peace and peace ensures maintenance of an atmosphere of security and prosperity and is a great service to the nation. It is so because covenants and laws are the means of national unity and solidarity. Fulfilment of promises is a quality of magnanimous persons and a means of the peace of mind and achievement of high morals for which the Commander of the Faithful endeavoured throughout his life. Being faithful to one's covenants ensures comradeship and love in all circumstances and is a manifestation of respect for mankind. Both the parties remain satisfied as a result of this faithfulness, and when both of them are satisfied each of them can decide with peace of mind as to how he should conduct his affairs. On the contrary if they are not satisfied, it will not be possible for them to undertake their work freely.

During the period of the caliphate of Ali fulfilment of promises was a rule, which was absolutely necessary for the people to follow. Everyone was expected either to fulfil his promise or to lay down his very life.

Ali hated violation of promises as much as he detested falsehood. In one of his sermons he says: "Fulfilment of promise and truth have always gone hand in hand and so far as I am aware there is no shield better than these to protect a man. Whoever understands the reality of his "Return" does not commit treachery. However, our time is such that many persons have supposed treachery and deceit to mean intelligence and wisdom, and the ignorant people have treated their ways and methods to be prudence. May God destroy them! What has happened to them? When a person, who has seen the ups and downs of life and is aware of the vicissitudes of time, makes a plan for himself but finds the divine commandments in his way, he abandons that plan, although he may be able to execute it. On the other hand one whose path is not obstructed by religious feelings avails of the opportunity. In the testament which he wrote for Malik Ashtar while appointing him as the Governor of Egypt he says: "If you settle some conditions with your enemy or conclude a pact with him you should relieve yourself of its burden by honouring it. You should discharge faithfully the responsibility undertaken by you and should make yourself a shield for the protection of your promise. You should not, therefore, abandon what you undertake to do nor dishonour the covenants You make and should not deceive your enemy".

Furthermore, he did not content himself only with emphasizing that deception should not be practised on the enemy but also strictly prohibited making ambiguous agreements with the enemy which might be interpreted in different ways, and it may provide a justification for the violation of the agreement. He also directed that after a covenant was concluded and authenticated, advantage of some verbal error should not be taken to violate it.

Whenever Ali formed an opinion or promulgated an order, he, in the first instance, examined and assessed all its aspects very carefully. As he firmly believed in the fulfilment of promise even the greatest impediments and hardships could not make him deviate from this principle. one of the occasions on which he honoured his promise in spite of very difficult circumstances was that of Siffin. At the time of the Battle of Siffin it was decided to refer the dispute to arbitration.

A pact was concluded between the Commander of the Faithful and Mu`awiya to the effect that until the two arbitrators gave their award the hostilities would remain suspended. After fighting was stopped and the pact was concluded the adherents of the Commander of the Faithful realized that they had been duped. A man named Muhammad bin Harith then approached Ali and said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Can we not ignore the pact and start the war again? I am afraid that this pact will be a source of great humiliation and disgrace for us The Commander of the Faithful replied: "Should we violate the pact after executing it? No. This is not permissible" . And it was also Ali who said: "Stick firmly to the responsibilities which you have undertaken. I am responsible for my words and guarantee their correctness" .

The facts narrated above explain that Ali's efforts for the maintenance of peace fully accorded with the wishes of the people on account of their far-reaching consequences. All human beings crave for justice, equality and freedom and Ali's effort for peace was an expression of their desire. In fact it was the heartfelt desire of Ali himself which he also expressed in his orders and commands.

In the matter of his efforts to ensure that man should love man Ali is on equal footing with the past prophets and benefactors of mankind. What a great resemblance Ali's efforts for peace have with the kind voice of Muhammad who has said: "O slaves of God! Become brothers of one another".

How much his efforts also resembled the words of the prophet who, when asked as to which act is the noblest, replied: "The noblest act is that one should endeavour for the welfare of the world".


Chapter 19: Combat oppression

In all general matters Ali led a very consistent and harmonious life. His high morals, unusual sagacity, his actions relating to the administration of the state, command of the army and other personal characteristics and qualities were all similar and inter-connected. He hated usury, hoarding and oppression very much. He was a fell enemy of the wealthy and powerful persons who oppressed others, the ignorant considered themselves to be superior to others, and persisted in their stubborn views founded on ignorance. He was extremely keen to help the weak and the indigent, because they too were human beings and it is highly unjustifiable to treat them to be mean and humble. He desired the freedom of the creatures of God from the core of his heart, because God has created them free and it is not at all proper that they should be subjected to humiliation and abjectness. Their humiliation and abjectness is the humiliation and abjectness of humanity, and whoever humiliates humanity deserves to be treated an enemy.

It can be realized by every one from what has been stated above how great a supporter and sympathizer of the helpless and oppressed persons Ali was, how he fought against the enemies of virtue and goodness, and how much annoyance he expressed against those who acted against the dictates of reason and conscience.

However, what has been written by us on the subject does not appear to be sufficient. It appears necessary to allocate a separate and detailed chapter to the subject showing how Ali behaved with the tyrants, and what his views were about injustice and oppression.

There are many kinds of injustice. For example to usurp the property of a person is injustice of one kind and to hurt his honour and reputation is injustice of another kind. Sometimes injustice is patent whereas at other times it is latent. We shall discuss all these kinds of injustice one by one.

It is not possible to find any sermon or testament of the Commander of the Faithful, in which he may not have mentioned and condemned injustice severely. His entire life was spent in waging war against injustice and oppression and against the oppressors and tyrants. He fought this war with his hands, tongue and orders and commands as well as with his sword.

War against injustice and oppression is being fought ever since man arrived on earth. However, this war has been fought in different ways and in different conditions Those who undertook to campaign against the tyrants and oppressors of their time were hundreds of thousands in number. These great heroes were a source of pride for humanity whereas the tyrants stained the pages of history with their misdeeds. Those heroes came in succession and every one of them inherited this holy war from another.

They have also been some great souls amongst the human beings whose entire lives were spent in waging war against injustice and oppression. The biographies of Abraham, Moses and Jesus consist of war against oppression, usury and injustice. Muhammad's campaign against the polytheists was also in continuation of and complementary to the war waged by Jesus. He started a great revolutionary movement to uproot injustice and oppression and did not rest till the oppressed were emancipated and their lives took a turn for the better.

Cruelty becomes the second nature of some persons. They commit atrocities with perfect ease in the same way in which they perform other natural acts like eating, drinking, walking and breathing. To this category belong persons like Nero, Changez Khan, European officers of the
`Inquisition' during the Middle Ages, and many other kinds and rulers like Hajjaj bin Yusuf, Ziad bin Abih, Obaidullah bin Ziad, Muslim bin Aqba etc. And similarly history tells us about innumerable other persons in whom opposition to injustice was inherent and had become their
second nature.

The reason for the tyrants of the past not being ashamed of the atrocities commited by them was that they were not pained by their cruel acts. They did not tyrannize or oppress others with any aim or object. They did so because it had become their habit.

Once Hajjaj bin Yusuf was having his meals along with some friends of his. Before him was standing an innocent old man who was trembling with fear. Hajjaj raised his head and looked at the old man. Then he ordered one of his servants to behead him. The order was complied with immediately and the old man was Beheaded. Hajjaj continued to eat as if nothing had happened. He said to his slave loudly: "Bring cold water".

Nero set the city of Rome on fire. While Rome was burning Nero was busy in his merry-makings. The firmness and steadfastness of those who consistently campaigned against injustice and oppression can also be explained in the same way. Just as the persons mentioned above committed injustice because it was inherent in their nature, in the same way these benefactors of humanity fought against injustice and supported the oppressed, because they were compelled by their nature to do so.

Socrates drank the cup of poison as if it was a medicine because his drinking it was a display of firmness and steadfastness against falsehood. Voltaire [1] waged war against the aristocrats and nobles of Europe. He was compelled to wage this war by his nature just as a hungry person is obliged to eat food or a thirsty person is compelled by his inner urge to get hold of water to quench his thirst. The companions of Imam Husayn also sacrificed their lives in support of his mission, although they could see a huge army of Bani Umayyah arrayed against them.

These people were the benefactors of mankind and the great and magnanimous souls among human beings, whose head and leader was Ali ibn Abi Talib. He had come into the world to establish truth and to destroy falsehood. He rose with this purpose and also accepted the caliphate with this very object in view. However, the world, with all its expanse could hardly accept the laws and principles of Ali. The unjust and cruel persons were large in numbers and possessed much strength. The task which Ali wished to accomplish was difficult as well as dangerous.

Ali told the people that they should neither be the oppressors nor the oppressed ones. He wished that none should oppress others and none should tolerate oppression. However, the people of the time were not prepared to accept Ali's view and could not lend support to his intentions. So much so that even the oppressed persons did not side with him, because they were over awed by the oppressors and were afraid of their enmity and grudge.

They were so foolish that they took bribes from Ali's enemies and withdrew their support from him. Eventually only a few God-fearing and brave persons were left with him, and they did not desert him at any cost.

However, was it proper that Ali should have shown frailty and weakness at this juncture when the forces of evil had formed a front against him? Is it possible for a brave man to lose heart and give up effort because he is faced with calamities and hardships with men like carnivores around him, particularly when everybody is afraid of death also.

Should Ali have been disheartened and become sluggish when the enemies were becoming more and more rebellious, when the men in authority had lost all sense of wisdom, were selling religion for the sake of the world, were stupidly running after wealth and rank, had created chaos in the cities, were persisting in oppression, were full of pride and conceit, creating innovations and void things before the right things, praising the wrong and evil doing, and still hoping for a good reward, had annihilated justice and fair play, and had created rebellion, and chaos, and their tyranny and violence had no bounds. Could he become weak and languid when the condition of his companions was this: "Whoever called them for help never succeeded. Whoever met them did not acquire peace of mind. Whoever came in the battlefield accompanied by them sustained loss. They were deaf in-spite of having ears and were dumb although they possessed power of speech. They neither showed steadfastness in the battlefield like noble and zealous men nor could one depend upon their sympathy and support at the time of adversity".

Of course in such conditions and circumstances one should become weak and feeble and must sit down languidly – but it is subject to the condition that he should not be Ali ibn Abi Talib.

The deep love which Ali had in his heart for every human being obliged him not to show the least leniency to one who did harm to the people even though he (i.e. Ali) had to lay-down his life in the campaign.

One who considers it love and kindness and a sign of gentleness to remain silent in the face of the oppressors is either a liar or is not acquainted with human nature, because the position is otherwise. True love and kindness for mankind means that the oppressors should be dealt with severely so that they may free the people from bondage. In certain circumstances kindness and gentleness compel man to resort to extreme severity.

Man likes beauty as much as he detests ugliness. He hates injustice and oppression as much as he desires justice. He is as much afraid of the coldness of non-existence as he is fond of the warmth of existence. A person cannot strike a sword on the necks of the rebels and the oppressors unless he considers life to be a blessing. In short one who does not hate cannot also love.

The best proof of the fact that Ali was as much as harsh upon the oppressors as he was kind towards others and was prepared to be extremely severe to eliminate injustice is provided by the event of Saudah daughter of Ammarah Hamdaniyah.

Saudah says: "I saw the Commander of the Faithful to complain against an agent who had been appointed by him to collect zakat. When I stood before him he said with much kindness: "Do you want anything to be done?" I complained to him against the agent. On hearing what I narrated he began to weep and said praying to God: "O Lord! I have neither ordered these agents to oppress the people nor asked them to abandon your right". Then he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote on it as follows:-

"Weigh and measure properly and do not give lesser to the people nor spread mischief on the earth. When you receive this letter keep the things in your charge in reserve so that another person may come and take over the same from you".

It can well be observed from this incident how kind Ali was to the oppressed woman, because he began to weep on hearing her tale. And it is also evident how this kindness was converted into harshness for the agents. This accords with the principles of extreme kindness for the oppressed and extreme wrath towards the oppressor.

Ali never refrained from campaigning against refractoriness and injustice. Whenever he saw a person being oppressed by another he showed no weakness in relieving him of the oppression. And how could he show any weakness or hesitation when gentleness and kindness had equipped him with unusual manliness and steadfastness and had made him very fond of fighting against falsehood and establishing truth. It was his firm belief that: "The presence of an Imam through whom the right of a weak person may be realized from a strong person and that of an oppressed person from an oppressor is necessary so that the righteous may live in comfort and feel secure from the mischief of the evil-doers".

"God has provided protection to the people from being oppressed". And when God has provided protection there should be no occasion for oppression but "God tests the rulers by means of oppression". Hence if the rulers are oppressive their rule will come to an end because: "Even if the oppressor gets respite he cannot escape being captured by God. God Himself lies in ambush for him and his ambushing will be very severe. The Day of Judgment will be much severer for the oppressor than that on which he oppressed another. The oppressed person must not have suffered so much as the oppressor will suffer on the Day of Judgment''.

The following form part of those orders of Ali which must always be complied with: "I order you to behave harshly with the oppressor. Hold the foolish oppressor by the hand, and stop him from committing injustice".

No doubt the kindness and affection which Ali had in his mind guaranteed his steadfastness in the battle between truth and falsehood. Whenever he reflected about truth and falsehood he said: "O Lord! Our sole endeavour is that peace and tranquillity may prevail in Your cities so that Your slaves may remain safe". And when he initiated the campaign he used to say: "I swear by God that I shall realize the right of the oppressed person from the oppressor. I shall put a cavessor in the nose of the oppressor and pull him to the spring of the truth how-much-so- ever he may dislike it''. Or said: "It is necessary that the oppressor refrains from committing injustice, behaves with the people equitably and does not spread mischief on the earth".

If the fighting became furious and Ali noticed the disparity between the numbers of his supporters and the enemy and compared his own condition with that of his opponents he said: "I have not shown weakness or sluggishness. I shall continue to fight against falsehood until I extract truth from its side''.

Ali saw death staring in his eyes but neither his hands were tired of fighting nor did he entertain the least fear in his heart. He would not have felt afraid even if the entire population of Arabia had joined hands and encircled him.

He relied fully on his own justice and equity and firmly believed that whatever he was doing was in accordance with the canons of equity and justice. He used to say: "A weak person is strong in my eyes until I get his right paid to him, and a strong person is weak in my eyes until I receive the right from him''. He also said: ``I swear by God that I am not worried whether death falls upon me
or I fall upon death''.

When he fought against a group of unjust persons and defeated them but they still offered some resistance he said: "some life is still left in the oppressors. If God wills we shall uproot them. In case, however, some of them run away to various cities the matter would be different".

According to Ali the learned persons are the leaders of the nation and for this very reason a number of responsibilities devolve upon them. Their greatest responsibility is that they should oppose the oppressor and assist the oppressed person. He says: "God has made it mandatory for the ulema that they should not remain silent spectators of injustice of the oppressor and the grief and helplessness of the oppressed person.

In order that the oppressors should be eliminated from the society, and that there should also be none who may assist in the perpetration of oppression or may tolerate it willingly, Ali has divided the sins of the people into different categories. There are certain sins which may be forgiven but injustice and oppression cannot be forgiven in any circumstances. He says: ``And the sin which will not be forgiven is that one person may oppress another". He held the view that: "Oppressing a weak person is the worst type of oppression'' .

Thus he endeavoured by all means to eliminate injustice and this remained his basic policy in the matter of treatment with the people. He fought against the oppressors with his tongue as well as with his sword and remained steadfast in his struggle. He continued to fight against injustice and the unjust till he met martyrdom. If the vicissitudes of time had not hampered his program and the conditions had not been unfavourable, he would have brought about a change in a number of things.


CHAPTER 17 – NOTES

[1] Islam allows freedom of faith to the Jews, the Christians and the Magi. They are called `Zimmis', which means non-Muslims living under the protection of the Islamic government.

[2] The Egyptians about whom the Commander of the Faithful gave these instruction to Malik Ashtar were Christians.


Chapter 19 - NOTES

[1] Voltaire, a famous French writer and a renowned figure of his time was born in Paris in 1694 A.D. and died in 1778 A.D. He spent a large part of life in England, Russia and Switzerland. He severely, criticized the rulers and religious leaders of his time. It was he who paved the path for the great French Revolution of 1789 A.D. He is the author of many valuable books.