AlMujtaba Islamic Articles > Imam Ali (AS)
 

The Holy Quran – Part 17

IMAM ‘ALI BIN ABI TALIB (A.S.) & THE HOLY QURAN (SECTION 3)

 

HIS ADVISES TO HIS SON FROM THE HOLY QURAN

 

The following are advices of Imam ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) to his son Muhammad al-Hanafiyya. Imam (a.s.) has beautifully admonished us all about the bodily organs and their functions in connection to the obedience of Allah (SWT) and His worship. It is important to note that how the Imam (a.s.) has based his advises on the verses from the Holy Quran.

 

CAUTION ABOUT BODILY ORGANS:

 

O Son! Do not speak that of which you have no knowledge; rather speak not everything that you know of because Allah (SWT) has put certain obligations on all your bodily parts and organs that will protest against you on the day of Judgement and you shall be held accountable for them…Allah (SWT) says: ‘Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed the hearing, the eyesight and the heart – all of these are accountable’. (17:36)

 

In another place, Allah (SWT) says: ‘When you were receiving it on your tongues, and were mouthing something of which you had no knowledge, supposing it to be a light matter, while it was a grave (matter) with Allah’. (24:15)

 

This advice lays emphasis on control of the tongue. One must not speak anything of which he has no knowledge. Infact, one must also avoid speaking everything that he knows. There is an in-depth meaning to this but simply put – a path of moderation should be adhered to during speech.

 

You will then be questioned regarding the worship of your bodily parts in obedience to Allah (SWT): ‘O you who have faith! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord, and do good, so that you may be felicitous’. (22:77)

 

These are those duties that have been made obligatory upon the bodily parts and organs. And Allah (SWT) says: ‘The places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah’. (72:18)

 

According to Imam (a.s.), the ‘places of worship’ is in reference to bodily parts that are placed on the ground during prostration: The forehead; the two palms, the two knees and the two toes. In other words, the faithful should make use of these organs solely in the obedience of Allah (SWT) and perform acts of worship with them. Doing good in life is also considered as worship of Allah (SWT).

 

And Allah (SWT) says: ‘You did not use to conceal yourselves lest your hearing should witness against you, or (for that matter) your sight, or your skin, but you thought that Allah did not know most of what you did’. (41:22)

 

Explaining the meaning of ‘skin’ that will testify against man, Imam (a.s.) said that it refers to private parts. It is therefore essential that man should guard his private part from Haraam (forbidden pleasures).

 

ABOUT EARS:

 

Every part of your body has been charged with responsibilities. For instance the ears, you should shun listening with it to any evil. Allah (SWT) says: ‘Certainly he has sent down to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s signs being disbelieved and derided, do not sit with them until they engage in some other discourse, or else you (too) will be like them. Indeed Allah will gather the hypocrites and the faithless in hell all together”. (4:140)

 

And Allah (SWT) says: ‘When you see those who gossip impiously about Our signs, avoid them until they engage in some other discourse; but if Satan makes you forget, then after remembering, do not sit with the wrongdoing lot’. (6:68)

 

And Allah (SWT) says: ‘Who listen to the word (of Allah) and follow the best (sense) of it. They are the ones whom Allah has guided, and it is they who possess intellect’. (39:18)

 

And He (SWT) says: ‘And when they come upon vain talk, (they) pass by nobly’. (25:72)

 

And He (SWT) says: ‘And when they hear vain talk, they avoid it…’       

                                                                                                                    (28:55)

 

In a nutshell, the functions of ears are:

 

  • To lend ears to the words of Allah (SWT) in order to follow them.
  • To listen to only good things.
  • To refrain from listening to discourses that deviate us from the path of Allah (SWT).
  • To shun listening to anything that is evil and leads us to disobedience of Allah (SWT).

 

                                                          To be continued……………………….

 

 

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