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Lessons From the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt
Excerpts from Usul al-Kafi
Compiled by Thiqatul Islam al-Kulaini al-Razi
Place of Reason in the Religion
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Part I)
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:
"Almighty God has endowed upon mankind nothing better than reason
(wisdom). Sleep of a wise man is better than the waking hours of an
ignorant. Rest of a wise man is better than the movement (journeys for
Hajj or Jihad) of ignorant. God has not send any prophet or messenger
without first perfecting his reason; and his reason stands superior to
all the reasons of (the people of) his community. What the Prophet has
wished is preferable to all the Ijtihad (striving) of the Mujtahideen
(those who strive).
No creature can ever discharge his obligations to God unless he
comprehends those (obligations). All the worshippers weighted together
can not reach the height of excellence of a wise man. The man of
reason who are the possessors of understanding minds about whom Allah
said: `... But non will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
[2:269, 3:7]'"
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Arabic-English version, part 1, pp 30-31,
Tradition #11
______________________________________,
(Part II)
Next tradition is Tradition #12 from the Chapter entitled "The Book of
Reason and Ignorance". This tradition is pretty large. So I decided to
randomly select some parts of it, and I will continue to copy the other
parts of this tradition in the next parts of these series. This tradition
is the conversation of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (AS), and one of his faithful
disciples, Hisham Ibn al-Hakam (RA). Hisham was well-known for his
exceptional ability in debate with the polytheists and the members of the
heretical groups.
Hisham Ibn al-Hakam (RA) narrated that Imam Musa Ibn Jafar (AS) addressed
him, saying:
O' Hisham! Almighty God has given glad tidings to the people of reason
and understanding to this effect:
"Glad tidings unto My servants! Those who hear the sayings and follow
the best of it; those are who Allah has guided and those who are the
possessors of understanding minds. [39:17-18]"
... O Hisham! It is through reason and understanding that God has
completed evidence of proof (in respect of Himself and His religion)
for mankind. He has helped His prophets and His messengers by endowing
them with the gift of eloquence and guided them to comprehend His
overlordship through reason and understanding. As He himself has said:
"And your Lord is one God. There is no God but He, the all-merciful,
the compassionate. Surely in the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and the alteration of night and day and the ship that runs in
see with profit to men, and the water God sends down from heaven by
which He revives the earth after its death and His scattering abroad
in it all kinds of crawling creatures, and the turning about of the
winds and the clouds suspended between the heaven and the earth -
surely there are signs for the people of understanding. [2:163-164)"
... O' Hisham! Remember that reason is in alliance with knowledge, as
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^
God has said: "And those examples we strike for people, but non
comprehends them except those who have knowledge. [29:43]"
^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Chapter of "Reason and Ignorance", first
part of the Tradition #12
______________________________________,
(Part III)
In this part the Imam talks about the meaning of heart in Quran.
Imam Musa al-Kazim (AS) continued:
... O' Hisham! Almighty God has said in His book: "Surely in that
there is a reminder to him who has a heart [50:37]". Heart means
^^^^^^^^^^^
reason. And God has further said: "Indeed we gave Wisdom to Luqman.
^^^^^^
[31:12]" Wisdom means (the capacity of) understanding and reasoning.
O' Hisham! Luqman the Sage, counseled his son: "If you bow before the
Truth and the Inevitable, you will be the wisest among people, since a
wise man treats himself as little before the Truth and the Inevitable.
O' my son! This world is like an unfathomable ocean in which many
people have drowned. Make, therefore, the fear of God as your boat in
this ocean, your faith as the main plank of the boat, the reliance of
God as its sails, the reason as its rower, the knowledge as its
Captain, and patience as its anchor."
O' Hisham! Everything has its indicator. Man's thoughtfulness is the
hall-mark of his reason. The symbol of thoughtfulness is silence.
Everything has its climax and the climax of reason is humility (before
Allah's commands). It is enough to prove you are ignorant and unwise
if you do what Allah has prohibited.
... O' Hisham! Almighty God has mentioned about the people of reason
in high terms, and has adorned them with the finest ornaments as per
His own words:
"He gives Wisdom to whomsoever He wills, and whoever is given the
Wisdom, has been given much good; yet non will grasp the message but
the possessors of understanding minds. [2:269]"
"... And those who rooted firmly in knowledge say: We believe in it;
all is from our Lord; yet none remembers, but the men who possess
minds. [3:7]"
"What? Is he who knows what has been sent down to you from your Lord
is the truth, like him who is blind (void of knowledge)? Only the
possessors of understanding minds will remember. [13:19]"
"(O' Muhammad!) A book We have sent down to you, blessed, that the
people of understanding may ponder its signs and so remember. [38:29]"
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Chapter of "Reason and Ignorance",
a part of Tradition #12
______________________________________,
(Part IV)
Tradition #12 continued:
Imam Musa al-Kazim (AS) added:
O' Hisham! God has appointed His prophets and messengers to make
people wise and mindful of God. The more they accept and believe in
these messengers, the greater is their God-consciousness. The wisest
among men is he who knows about Allah most. He who is the most perfect
in his reasoning enjoys the highest status among people in this life
and the life of hereafter.
O' Hisham! God has given two proofs for the guidance of mankind - the
explicit/external, and the implicit/internal. The explicit/external
proof is in the form of prophets, messengers, and the Imams (divinely-
appointed guides). And the implicit/internal proof is in the form of
reasoning and understanding.
O' Hisham! A man of reason does not let his lawful occupations prevent
him from thanksgiving/service to Allah, nor does the attraction of
unlawful acts wear out his patient.
O' Hisham! One who allows three things to be dominated by another set
of three things, has actually destroyed his reason. The first thing is
to allow the reason to be dominated by excessive hopes and
expectations. The second thing is to allow the highest of wisdom to be
dominated by excessive utterances. The third thing is to allow his
admonition light to be extinguished/dominated by carnal desires. And
the one who destroys his reason (by doing the above three) also
destroys both his worldly life and his faith.
... O' Hisham! Truth is a sign of obeying God (i.e., truth leads to
obey God). And there is NO salvation except through obedience to God.
Obedience to Him can only be performed by means of knowledge. And
knowledge is a matter of acquisition, and this acquisition is only
through reason and intellect. And there can be NO knowledge except
through the learned in divinity (`Aalimun Rabbani). And the
consciousness of knowledge is through reason and intellect.
O' Hisham! Virtuous conduct of a learned man, though limited, is
acceptable (to God) at many times of its value. On the contrary,
virtuous conduct of a greedy, lustful, and ignorant person is totally
rejected.
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Chapter of "Reason and Ignorance",
a part of Tradition #12
______________________________________,
(Part V)
Tradition #12 continued:
O' Hisham! Limited material possessions for a man with sound wisdom
are perfectly acceptable to him. Whereas unlimited wealth for a man
with little wisdom is not at all accepted to him; and this is why
such people have actually earned profit of the trade of their life (in
this world). (i.e., they will have no share of profit in hereafter).
O' Hisham! Lo! A man of reason pondered over the world and its people.
He realized that he could NOT get the success in worldly life without
hard struggle. Then he pondered over the life of hereafter and again
realized that the success in the life of hereafter would NOT also be
secured without hard struggle. Thereupon, the man of reason decided in
favor of the struggle which brought eternal success, as compared with
the temporary one of the worldly life.
O' Hisham! The wise people remain detached from the worldly
possessions and its attractions, and they remain attached to the life
of hereafter. It is because they have realized that the world
attracts/lures and is lured; and also, the life of hereafter lures and
is lured. But the world itself runs after the man who struggles for
the life of hereafter to the extent that he receives in full the share
which has been allotted to him for this worldly life. On the contrary,
the one who spends his life and struggles for the worldly gains will
continue till such time as the life of hereafter demands its own share
in the form of death. It is then that he realizes that he is the loser
of both, this life and the hereafter.
O' Hisham! Whoever seeks comfort without wealth, and relief free from
jealousy, and security for his faith, must implore God from the bottom
of his heart for making his reason perfect.
... O' Hisham! Almighty God has related about a group of virtuous
people who used to pray:
"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us; and
grant us mercy from Your own Presence, for surely You are the Grantor
of bounties without measure. [3:8]"
In offering this prayer, they realized that human hearts could be
deflected and could tend towards blindness and low-ness. Secondly they
also understood that those who do not seek guidance and reason from
God, are the people who are not afraid of God's (punishments) at all.
And whoever is deprived of reason by God, can never be firm and steady
in God consciousness in a way as to enable him to realize the truth of
God in his own heart. No one can reach this stage unless his deeds
corroborate his words... God Almighty never guides the inside of
reason, except what comes out of it through deeds and the words.
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Chapter of "Reason and Ignorance",
a part of Tradition #12
______________________________________,
(Part VI)
Tradition #12 continued:
O' Hisham! The Commander of Believers, Ali (AS) used to say: "Of signs
of a man of reason, one is that he has got three qualities:
(1) He replies only when he is questioned;
(2) speaks when all others fail;
(3) Advises what is suitable for the good of the person (who is
talking to).
One who has non of these three qualities is stupid." The Commander of
Believers (AS) further added: "No one should preside over a meeting
except when he possesses either all the three or at least one of the
above qualities. If a person presides over a meeting without having
all or (at least) one of the above three qualities, he is just
stupid!"
O' Hisham! The Commander of Believers (AS) (i.e., Imam Ali), used to
say:
"Of all the observance and devotions offered to God, the best one is
of and by (the people of) reason. Reason of a person does not reach
perfection unless it possesses some specific characteristics. The
characteristics (of a perfect reason) is that:
(1) It gives immunity against disbelief (Kufr) and evil;
(2) Virtue and true guidance is expected to follow from such a man
(of reason);
(3) He exhausts his excessive wealth in good deeds;
(4) He protects himself from irresponsible gossips;
(5) His share in the worldly life amounts to what is needed for his
existence;
(6) He is never fed up with knowledge throughout his life;
(7) Humiliation in pursuit of (belief, obedience and favor of) God is
dearer to him than any honor in pursuit of things other than God;
(8) Humbleness is dearer to him than dignity;
(9) He regards the little good of others to him as much, and regards
any good from him to others as little;
(10)He regards people better than himself, and regards himself in his
heart as of little consequence.
And this is the climax!"
... O' Hisham! He who has no generosity, has no religion, and he who
has no reason has no generosity. The greatest man is he who never
deems himself equal in value to the worldly life. Verily There is NO
lower price for your bodies except to be soled in exchange for
Paradise. Hence do NOT sell it for anything less than that.
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Chapter of "Reason and Ignorance",
a part of Tradition #12
______________________________________,
Majority vs. Minority
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Part VII)
Tradition #12 continued:
... O' Hisham! God has condemned majority as criterion of truth with
the words: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"And if you obey the majority of those on earth, they will lead you
astray from the path of God. [6:116]"
"And if you ask them: Who created the heavens and the earth? Certainly
they will say Allah. Say: All praise belongs to Allah. Nay, but the
majority of them have no knowledge. [31:25]"
{my comment: the majority mentioned in the above verse is the majority
of believers since the verse mentions that they believe in Allah}
"And if you ask them: Who sends down water from heaven thereby revives
the earth after it's death? Certainly they will say Allah. Say: All
praise be to Allah. Nay, but most of them have no understanding.
[29:63]"
and He said: "... but most of them do not know {6:37, 7:131, 8:34,
10:55, 27:61, 28:57, 39:49, 44:39, 52:47]"
and said: "... and most of them have no understanding [5:103]"
and said: "... but most of them are not thankful [10:60, 27:73]"
O' Hisham! On the contrary, Allah has praised the minority, by saying:
"Few of My servants are thankful. [34:13]"
and also said: "... And how few they are! [38:24]"
and said: "... and those who believed, and they did not believed with
him (Noah) but a few [11:40]"
Shi'ite reference: Usul al-Kafi, Arabic-English version, part 1, pp 31-49,
Tradition #12
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