[1] The Lantern of the Path - Servitude

Introduction - A series of discussions on the teachings of Imam Sadiq (sixth Imam of the Muslims), from the book Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path)

In His Name, the Most High

Video of the Majlis (Sermon/Lecture)

This write up is a companion to the video majlis (sermon/lecture) found below:

Contents

• Majlis - Misbah ash-Sharia - Servitude - Part 1

• Nohe - Zekr-e-Jahani (The Universal Call)

• Dua: Munajaat (Whispered Prayers) of the Lovers

Introduction

In Islam, and indeed in life generally, there are certain very key elements, teachings, that are required to take the human being, from being merely a creature; with powerful base instincts and desires, to becoming the best of God’s creation.

God, in the Quran, speaks of Him creating humanity as the best of the best, and then he says that he reduced humanity to the lowest of the low.

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ

Indeed, We created man in the best of stature,
Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low,
Except those who believe and do righteous deeds; for them is a reward without end.

- Quran, Surah at-Tin (the Chapter of the Fig) #95, Verses 4 to 6

Now, when we look at this series of verses, we see that the term used by God is ‘stature’ - therefore, some might suggest that God is saying that He created humanity in the best ‘form’ physically; and then reduced him to the lowest of the low; however, this series of verses is talking about the capacity of the human; meaning that the human has the capacity to be the best of the best, but that, should said human fail to - as per Verse 6 - believe in God - actual belief, not feigned belief (we will discuss this notion in due course as we proceed in this series), if such a human does not act in a righteous manner, then they will be reduced to the lowest of the low.

Now the question that arises is how do we understand what is this belief and what are these righteous deeds, how does a human go from being the pinnacle of God’s creation to falling to the lowest of the low, to being in a state of eternal - think about that - eternal damnation?

This is where the lantern of the path, the lessons on how to be a human successfully can come to our aid. The lantern of the path - Misbah ash-Sharia - is a collection of traditions and teachings from Imam as-Sadiq, the sixth Imam of the Muslims. The book discusses the key ethical subjects, and explains concepts to us, that will allow us to be from the highest of the high, if - and this is important - if we abide by them, if we follow its guidance. Merely reading it is not enough; for everything we learn, we must implement it within our lives, that perchance we can be from the successful.

Imam as-Sadiq, was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and as it is known, one of Prophet Muhammad’s key tasks for humanity was to perfect the noble character, this is a well known saying from Prophet Muhammad, found in the source material from all the various schools of Islamic thought:

إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ الأَخْلاَقِ

Indeed, I was sent to complete noble character.

- Musnad of Imam Ahmad, al-Muwatta of Imam Malik, Usul al-Kafi, Bihar al-Anwar

Indeed, even Imam Ali has referenced the notion of having a noble character in Nahjul Balagha saying for example:

وقال عليه السلام : لابنه الحسن عليه السلام
يَا بُنَيَّ، احْفَظْ عَنِّي أَرْبَعاً وَأَرْبَعاً، لاَ _يَضُرَّكَ مَا عَمِلْتَ مَعَهُنَّ: إِنَّ أَغْنَى الْغِنَىُ الْعَقْلُ، وَأَكْبَرَ الْفَقْرِ الْحُمْقُ، وَأَوحَشَ الْوَحْشَةِ الْعُجْبُ وَأَكْرَمَ الْحَسَبَ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ.

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said to his son al-Hasan:
O my son, learn four things and (a further) four things from me. Nothing will harm you if you practise them. That the richest of riches is intelligence; the biggest destitution is foolishness; the wildest wildness is vanity and the best achievement is goodness of the moral character.

- Nahjul Balagha, Hadith/Saying #38

وقال عليه السلام : لاَ مَالَ أَعْوَدُ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ، وَلاَ وَحْدَةَ أَوْحَشُ مِنَ الْعُجْب، وَلاَ عَقْلَ كَالتَّدْبِيرِ، وَلاَ كَرَمَ كَالتَّقْوَى، وَلاَ قَرين كَحُسنِ الخُلْقِ، وَلاَ مِيرَاثَ كَالاْدَبِ، وَلاَ قَائِدَ كَالتَّوْفِيقِ، وَلاَ تِجَارَةَ كَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ، وَلاَ رِبْحَ كَالثَّوَابِ، وَلاَ وَرَعَ كالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَ الشُّبْهَةِ، وَلاَ زُهْدَ كَالزُّهْدِ فِي الْحَرَامِ، ولاَ عِلْمَ كَالتَّفَكُّرِ، وَلاَ عِبَادَةَ كَأَدَاءِ الْفَرائِضِ، وَلاَ إِيمَانَ كَالْحَيَاءِ وَالصَّبْرِ، وَلاَ حَسَبَ كَالتَّوَاضُعِ، وَلاَ شَرَفَ كَالْعِلْمِ، وَلاَ مُظَاهَرَةَ أَوْثَقُ مِن مُشَاوَرَةٍ.

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said:
No wealth is more profitable than wisdom, no loneliness is more estranging than vanity, no wisdom is as good as tact, no honour is like fear from Allah, no companion is like the goodness of moral character, no inheritance is like civility, no guide is like promptitude, no trade is like virtuous acts, no profit is like Divine reward, no self- control is like inaction in time of doubt, no abstention is like that (which is) from prohibitions, no knowledge is like thinking, no worship is like the discharge of obligation, no belief is like modesty and endurance, no attainment is like humility, no honour is like knowledge, no power is like forbearance, and no support is more reliable than consultation.

- Nahjul Balagha, Hadith/Saying #113

وقال عليه السلام : كَفَى بِالْقَنَاعَةِ مُلْكاً، وَبِحُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ نَعِيماً.

Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said:
Contentment is as good as estate, and goodness of moral character is as good as a blessing.

- Nahjul Balagha, Hadith/Saying #229

Furthermore, we also have the well known supplication from Imam as-Sajjad, the fourth Imam of the Muslims, which is known as the supplication of Makarim al-Akhlaq (the Supplication for (developing and nurturing the) Noble Character).

This supplication is a means - by way of understanding it and applying its many lessons - of building that noble character that is required for one who seeks to attain eternal salvation in this world and the next.

In this series; we will be looking at the teachings of Imam as-Sadiq, on this subject.

Indeed, at the core of all of this; is a means to reach that most beautiful station of Tawheed, to reach that level of the best of the best in the eyes of God; and indeed, there are many outward manifestations such as the courtesies, practices, and even the various rituals such as prayer and fasting and more, that reflect the inner awareness of the human, the inner submission and contentment in the will of God.

Outer nobility and courage emanate from a deep inner awareness of the immense love, mercy and compassion of God, of the Creator of all the Universes.

Unfortunately, in many societies and cultures, Islamic and otherwise, the notion of ‘having good ethics’ is grossly misunderstood; it is - much like patience as we had discussed in our previous sessions - used as a tool to make people feign a type of ‘pseudo spirituality’, a ‘pseudo good-manners’, such that, these ‘good manners’ become a means of the pacification of the human spirit.

In some scenarios, there have been cases, where on account of wanting to adhere to what is perceived as ‘good manners’, a person would stand by and allow injustices and oppressions to continue, as ‘saying something would perhaps upset someone, or that they might suffer some problems’.

This is the false understanding of ethics, of Akhlaq.

If we examine the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, his pure family and righteous companions, we can see that as mentioned earlier, he was sent to ‘complete the noble character’. Yet, we also see that Prophet Muhammad, never stood silent in the face of oppression, of tyranny - be it internal, that oppression that a person does to himself, or be it external where tyrannical leaders, regimes and people, oppress others to serve their own desires.

One with a truly noble character, one who works to improve his connection to God, cannot sit idly by while another is oppressed, harmed, broken, while justice is usurped, where someones honour and dignity is destroyed, where a person is made to feel useless. It is that noble character that indeed pushes the person to stand firm to injustices of all nature; to extend a hand of friendship and love, to those who have been oppressed; to protect people from oppressing themselves and many such things.

Islam has never been a ‘private religion’, it is and has always been a religion where the entire community of believers are next of kin to each other; where if one part of the body of believers is in pain; the rest of the body writhes in pain; and comes to the aid of the part in pain. At the same time, yes there is the relationship a person has with God, but to forsake one for the other, this will lead to failure in both.

Islam is about balance; it is about justice, to have a relationship, a close, intimate relationship with God, requires us to care, to love, to serve our fellow man, to protect the weak from the powerful, to stand against the tyrants and oppressors no matter the cost, and while doing all of this; to keep God at the front and center, to rely on Him, and to know that success and failure are in His hands.

As mentioned at the start, God created us with the best of stature, and that due to our misgivings, our failures, are negligence, we fall to the lowest of the low. To the wayfarer, to the thinker, the one who desires to move closer to God, this can be quite terrifying, and so we need to work to build ourselves, to become from those who truly are with God, who refuse to feign piety; but actually have that love of God coursing through their veins, through every facet of their existence; as described in the Supplication of Kumayl - also known as the supplication of Khidhr - taught by Imam Ali:

أَسْألُكَ بِحَقِّكَ وَقُدْسِكَ
وَأَعْظَمِ صِفَاتِكَ وَأَسْمَائِكَ
أن تَجْعَلَ أَوْقَاتِي فِي اللَّيلِ وَالنَّهَارِ بِذِكْرِكَ مَعْمُورَةً
وَبِخِدْمَتِكَ مَوْصُولَةً
وَّأَعْمَاِلي عِنْدَكَ مَقْبُولَةً
حَتَّى تَكُونَ أَعْمَاِلي وَأَوْرَادِي كُلُّهَا وِرْداً وَّاحِداً
وَّحَاِلي فِي خِدْمَتِكَ سَرْمَداً

I ask You by Your Truth and Your Holiness
And the greatest of Your Attributes and Names,
That You makest my times in the night and the day inhabited by Your remembrance,
And joined to Your service
And my works acceptable to You,
So that my works and my litanies may all be a single litany
And my occupation with Your service everlasting.

- Dua Kumayl

How does a person ensure that they nurture and build that stature that God has built them in? How does someone protect themselves from falling and becoming the lowest of the low? How does someone build themselves up, so that they can really be from the Righteous ones?

God willing, in this series of sessions, we will work together to try to understand how we can do this; and God willing, together we will move closer to God, closer towards those most perfect of moral characteristics, that perchance we might be from the successful.

Servitude (Ubudiyyah)

The first teaching in the book Misbah ash-Sharia (the Lantern of the Path), is on the subject of ubudiyyah. Some have translated this word as ‘bondage’, but I feel that the word ‘servitude’ is a better and clearer understanding of the Arabic term.

This term - Ubudiyyah (عُبُودِيَّة) is derived from the root verb which is ‘a-ba-da’ (ع-ب-د), the primary meaning of which is ‘to worship’, ‘to serve’ or even ‘to enslave oneself’.

Ubudiyyah is a noun formed from the root and lexically implies a state or condition of being a servant or worshipper.

Therefore, the translation I have used for this word is ‘servitude’ - as a person who is in the condition of being a servant is in servitude of that which he is a servant of.

There are also related words, related noun forms which have nuanced changes in the structure of the verb, suffice it to say, that the noun, the word Ubudiyyah refers to servitude in its highest, most voluntary and loving form.

But this is not a discussion on Arabic grammar, so let us move onto the words of Imam as-Sadiq when discussing this point:

“The roots of conduct have four aspects and each of these aspects is based on seven principles:

1. Conduct with God

   1. Giving Him His due

   2. Keeping His limits

   3. Being thankful for His gift

   4. Being content with His decree

   5. Being patient with His trials

   6. Glorifying His sanctity

   7. Yearning for Him

2. Conduct with the self

   1. Fear

   2. Striving

   3. Enduring harm

   4. Spiritual discipline

   5. Seeking truthfulness and sincerity

   6. Withdrawing the self from what it loves

   7. Binding it in poverty

3. Conduct with creation

   1. Forbearance

   2. Forgiveness

   3. Humility

   4. Generosity

   5. Compassion

   6. Good counsel

   7. Justice and Fairness

4. Conduct with this world

   1. Being content with what is at hand

   2. Preferring that which is available to that which is not

   3. Abandoning the quest for the elusive

   4. Hating overabundance

   5. Choosing abstinence

   6. Knowing the evils of this world

   7. Abandoning any desire for it and negating its dominance

When all these qualities are found in one person, he is then one of God’s elite, one of His close servants and friends.”

On looking at this list of qualities, ways of conduct with God, the self, His creation and the world, can on the surface appear overwhelming; indeed, others might even suggest that in order to attain these, a person must live a very monastic and ascetic life, but this is not what Imam as-Sadiq is teaching.

Each of these qualities, and where they need to be applied - that is with regards to God, with regards to the self, with regards to God’s creation, and with regards to this world (this temporal domain) - once understood, can truly allow a person to soar to the loftiest of heights.

Through the course of this series - now a series within a series - we will go through each of these; we will try to understand what is required; and with His grace and assistance we will together try to move ever closer towards that most beloved, God, the Lord Sustainer of the Universes.

But this journey will require patience, we will be required to think deeply, to reflect, to introspect, and build within ourselves a profound love for God that takes us ever forwards towards Him, and with his mercy and kindness, perchance it will help us to be from the truly successful, those who He himself refers to as, His partisans:

لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

You will not find a people who believe in God and the Last Day, loving those who oppose God and His Messenger, even if they were their parents, or their children, or their siblings, or their close relatives. These—He has inscribed faith in their hearts, and has supported them with a spirit from Him. And He will admit them into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will dwell forever. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. These are the partisans of God. Indeed, it is God’s partisans who are the successful.

- Quran, Surah al-Mujadelah (the Chapter of the Woman who disputes) #58, Verse 22

The Conduct with God - Giving Him His due

The first set of qualities that Imam as-Sadiq teaches us, as a means to attain the station of true servitude, is the set of qualities that define our conduct with God.

These are extremely important qualities; and we will work to try to understand them clearly, in a simple manner, so that we can apply them to our own lives as we move on our journey towards that most beautiful station of true servitude, of Ubudiyyah.

So what does giving God his due actually mean?

Firstly; we need to be clear; that God is without any need; He is without any want; He is Perfect, nothing we do can increase His perfection, and nothing we do can reduce His perfection.

God is, for want of a better phrase, God is God, regardless of what we do, regardless of whether we give Him His due or refuse to give Him His due.

In this regard; should we be foolish, and refuse to give Him his due, then the only ones who will be harmed is ourselves; and indeed, to refuse to give Him that which is due to Him is to oppress ourselves; and this by itself is a great sin and moves us further away from the path of perfection.

In the well known - and very concise - treatise by Imam as-Sajjad on the rights, known as ‘The Treatise on Rights’; Imam as-Sajjad, the fourth Imam of the Muslims, speaks about the ‘Rights of God against oneself’ - which we can understand as the rights that God has against us, rights that we must discharge and ensure we give to God.

The Rights of God against Us

Imam as-Sajjad, breaks down these rights into 9 points:

Firstly, and this is named by Imam as-Sajjad as ‘The Greatest Right of God’, which the Imam describes as:

The Greatest Right of God
The greatest right of God against you is that you worship Him without associating anything with Him. When you do that with sincerity, He has made it binding upon Himself to give you sufficiency in the affair of this world and the next.

The second right, which is titled as ‘The Right of your self’. This means, that amongst the rights that God has against us, is the right of our self (that is our ‘nafs’), which is as follows:

The Right of God against your self (nafs)
The right of God against your self against you is that you employ it in obeying God; then you deliver to your tongue its right, to your hearing its right, to your sight its right, to your hand its right, to your leg its right, to your stomach its right, to your private part its right, and you seek help from God in all that.

Moving further, the third right that Imam as-Sajjad speaks of is that of God against our tongue (or to be simpler; against our speaking, our words that we say, even in these times, against that which is written by us):

The Right of God against our tongue
The right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, refrain from any meddling in which there is nothing to be gained, express kindness to the people, and speak well concerning them.

The fourth right, mentioned is that of God against our hearing:

The Right of God against our hearing
The right of hearing is to keep it pure from listening to backbiting and listening to that to which it is unlawful to listen.

The fifth right, is that of God against our sight:

The Right of God against our sight
The right of sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you take heed whenever you look at anything.

The sixth, is that of God against our hand (or hands):

The Right of God against our hand
The right of your hand is that you stretch it not toward that which is unlawful to you.

The seventh, is that of God against our legs:

The Right of God against our legs
The right of your two legs is that you walk not with them toward that which is unlawful to you. You have no escape from standing upon the narrow bridge [over hell]), so you should see to it that your legs do not slip and cause you to fall into the Fire.

The eighth, is that of the stomach:

The Right of God against our stomach
The right of your stomach is that you make it not into a container for that which is unlawful to you and you eat no more than your fill.

And finally, the ninth right of God against us, is that against our private parts:

The Right of God against our private parts
The right of your private parts is that you protect it from fornication and guard it against being looked upon.

Looking at these nine points; we can see that they form the basis - as per Imam as-Sajjad of the rights that God has against us - those rights that are due to him, as said by Imam as-Sadiq in this lesson on true servitude.

But are they are simple, even as superficial as we read them? No, there is far more depth in them; and the teachers of Islamic ethics, of Akhlaq, of spiritual wayfaring; those who teach and help others to move ever closer to God; give a lot more depth and detail to each of these.

The primary reason for that, is to ensure they are understood; and not in a superficial manner. When something is understood superficially; there is a potential of a person making a mistaken understanding of it. A mistaken understanding can lead potentially to an oppression either of oneself or of another.

Since we know oppression is something detested by God; and something that the believer, the wayfarer must make a sacred resistance against; we too, shall in our journey, make this sacred resistance.

We will work, to understand these rights as they need to be understood, which will help us to understand and traverse the path of true servitude to Him, and to ultimately - with His grace - be from the ones who are successful.

In this first session - with His grace - we will cover the first of the rights that Allah has against us; and the following sessions, we will try to cover the remaining 8, and thereby be able to understand a little better what it means to give God that which is His due.

The Greatest Right of God

The greatest right of God is that to be worshipped, without any association, without any partner. That our worship must be sincere, without any ulterior motive, but be truly for Him, because He deserves to be worshiped, because He is the Only One that deserves to be worshiped.

This again, leads us to go to the Quran, to understand what is meant by Only Him, and in the chapter of sincerity (ikhlas), also known as the chapter of unity (tawheed), we read:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
Say, “He is God, the Unique One.
God, the Ultimate Recourse.
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is nothing comparable to Him.”

- Quran, Surah Ikhlas (the Chapter of Sincerity - also known as the Chapter of Unity (Tawheed)), Verses 1 to 4

When the pronoun, ‘He’, is used here; this is not to denote that God is somehow male; it is not a pronoun used for gender definition. This pronoun, has nothing that comes before it, nor does it have anything that comes after it (antecedent), that is, that the verse would be entirely complete without it, and indeed it can be translated as ‘this’, the type of ‘this’ that is used to draw the attention of the audience to the subject.

For example; a person may point towards the Quran and say ‘This! The Quran is your solution’, this is why it can - and has - sometimes been translated as ‘Lo’, or ‘Behold’ and such words.

Further more, it is important to understand that the word ‘ahad’ ( أَحَدٌ) that is used is not a numerical one - hence the translation is deliberately put as ‘Unique’ or ‘Unique One’.

Since the numeric one ‘wahid’ (وَاحِد), which can also give an understanding of uniqueness; has one primary flaw in this context, before it can be zero or ‘sifr’ (صِفْر), and after it can be two or ‘ithnaan’ (اِثْنَان). Furthermore, the term ‘ahad’ is indivisible; it cannot be morphed into a fraction for example mathematically. ‘Ahad’ is not the same as ‘Wahid’; and is a far more profound word.

Some dictionaries translate the word ‘ahad’ as ‘singular’, or - as we have here ‘unique’ and such things; suffice it to say; that it cannot be changed, it cannot be compounded or reduced; it is always ‘ahad’.

Especially in the theological understanding, the Quranic understanding, the word ‘ahad’ cannot be morphed, it doesn’t allow - in this form - for conjugation. This word here is unique and incomparable; and therefore it is linguistically and theologically invariable.

While, it must be noted that that the word ‘ahad’ is an adjective and is derived from the word ‘wahdah’ (وَحْدَة), much like the word ‘wahid’ (وَاحِد), which is the numeric one, but also can be translated (depending on context) as ‘a unit’, it is a special case.

The word ‘ahad’ can only be applied to something that is not subject to any form of plurality whatsoever, whether externally, or even mentally. Hence it is entirely distinct from the numeric one.

Therefore; from this verse; we are taught that God is truly entirely unique, indivisible, invariable, immutable, and indeed, in just this one word, we can see that nothing is like unto Him (which relates to the final verse of the chapter, and indeed is an exhibition of the profound poetic beauty of the Quran).

If we move to the second verse here, where God refers to Himself as ‘the Ultimate Recourse’. The reason for this translation firstly; is that the root meaning of the word ‘samad’ (صَمَدَ), is ‘to seek’ or ‘seeking and relying upon’.

Indeed, when examining the tafaseer (exegeses) of the Quran, many very similar understandings - or interpretations - of this verb have been given, but they all boil down to a term that can be understood as, ‘a master who is sought and resorted to’.

Now, since in the verse it is linguistically speaking in an unqualified form; it means, ‘the One who is sought out for all needs’ or as we have translated it, ‘the Ultimate Recourse’.

If we briefly reflect on this; we can see, that if God is the one who gives existence to all things, it follows that any being, any thing - other than Him - would be entirely dependent upon Him; not only for His original essence, creation and existence, but also for all of said things properties and traits.

He is not only the Ultimate creator of all things; but also the Ultimate end that is sought in every desire and need.

Anything that is sought ultimately ends in Him. It is He who brings every search to fruition and fulfils every need.

One more important point here; is that since here in this verse; the word ‘samad’ is proceeded by the definite article - the word ‘the’ (ال), this signifies that God alone is the absolute object that is sought out, that is the ultimate recourse. Further more, while in the previous verse (the first verse); there is no definite article before the word ‘ahad’, and this is because the meaning of the word - in theological and exegetic discourse - ‘ahad’ is only applicable to God, and the word cannot be applied to any other, and therefore the word ‘ahad’ does not require the definitive article.

If we move on, we see the third verse, and indeed the fourth verse also, both of these negate some qualities about God.

Firstly, that of giving birth; or begetting. This means, something of His own kind, being ‘split off’ from Him, this indeed includes any sense or manner of splitting or derivation, such as what our respected Christian brethren say about the noble Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, may God shower his blessings and peace upon them both.

Indeed, some idolators also use the notion of a ‘master god’ that ‘begets’ another ‘god’, and this point is a complete negation of such a notion in regard to God.

Furthermore, and connected to the previous point, is the notion that He was begat from another, that He is derived from something else, which can be understood the same way; that the same way He does not derive another from Himself; He too is not derived from any other.

Finally, the Quran teaches us that nothing can be compared or be like unto Him, that His uniqueness, is so absolute, that a comparison with anything else would leave it limited and therefore invalid, that nothing is like Him, that His uniqueness is entirely and completely unique.

So this, helps us to understand the Greatest Right of God; whereby firstly, we testify, we declare that we give God the right that He has, regarding His uniqueness, that we worship only Him; but this too leads to another question; what is worship?

What is Worship?

The Quran, speaks much of worship - indeed the word used is ‘ibadah’ (عبادة), and this as we can see, is directly linked to the primary subject - which is ‘ubudiyyah’ (عُبُودِيَّة), and both these words share the same root verb which is ‘a-ba-da’ (ع-ب-د) and means to serve or to worship as has been explained earlier.

When looking through the Quran, we can see that worship of God has been described as the entire purpose of creation:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

I did not create the jinn and the humans except to worship Me.

- Quran, Surah adh-Dhariyaat (the Chapter of the Scattering Winds) #51, Verse 56

We also the verse from Surah al-Ghafir (the Chapter of the One who forgives) says:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

Your Lord has said, “Call Me, and I will respond to you. But those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell forcibly.”

- Quran, Surah al-Ghafir (the Chapter of the One who forgives) #40, Verse 60

We also have the well known verse from Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow):

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ

So remember Me, and I will remember you. And thank Me, and do not be ungrateful.

- Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow) #2, Verse 152

There is also the well known prayer of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), as found in the Quran:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Say, ‘Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.’

- Quran, Surah al-An’am (the Chapter of the Cattle) #6, Verse 162

If we examine this; then it would not be unfair to say that to worship God, is in reality to not only fully submit to Him, but indeed to love Him.

When a person loves another; one of the key points - and here I’m talking about the real notion of love; and not that which is the corrupted ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Bollywood’ interpretation of love; which sadly is far away from that true, real love, that is pure, clean and heavenly, much like the love of a mother for her child, a pure and true love, indeed an unconditional love.

So, something that happens, when a person loves another (as explained above); they will find that they are always thinking of the object of their love; they will do things that make their loved one happy; they will avoid that which their loved one dislikes; they will praise their loved ones as they see their acts; they will be drowned in their loved one.

They will want to converse with their loved one all the time.

If something happens, if they are happy, they will want to share that happiness with their loved one, if they feel sorrow and sadness, they will also reach out to their loved one in order to seek solace and comfort, and much more besides; but the point I think is clear.

When we take these few verses; we can see, that a definition of worship of God, is indeed that of loving Him, becoming enveloped in Him.

Indeed how can one not fall in love with the One that has created him, that nurtures Him, that guides Him, and unto Him is the ultimate return?

But as mentioned, this true love, requires the lover to do that which the Beloved likes, and to avoid that which the Beloved dislikes.

The anger of the lover, is for the sake of the Beloved; that when someone mocks, attacks or attempts to harm - though it is known that God cannot be harmed by the actions of His creation - God or His creation; then the lover of God will feel a righteous rage against the tyrants.

When someone seeks to supplant God, and to become a ‘partner’ with God, then the true lover of God, will again feel a righteous rage, and will be compelled to stand against such corruptions.

When the laws of God are usurped; when the rich oppress and ridicule the poor, when the powerful, break the weak, when any such oppression and tyranny exists; the true lover of God will always be in the battlefield; he will stand firm; never falling, never faltering.

He knows his rage is righteous; he knows that his Beloved is at his side, and that the ultimate victory is with those who are the righteous lovers.

In the Quran, a description is given of the believers, those who are with Prophet Muhammad; and this falls into this definition:

مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ ۚ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ ۗ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those with him are stern against the disbelievers, yet compassionate amongst themselves. You see them kneeling, prostrating, seeking blessings from God and approval. Their marks are on their faces from the effects of prostration. Such is their description in the Torah, and their description in the Gospel: like a plant that sprouts, becomes strong, grows thick, and rests on its stem, impressing the farmers. Through them He enrages the disbelievers. God has promised those among them who believe and do good deeds forgiveness and a great reward.

- Quran, Surah al-Fath (the Chapter of the Victory) #48, Verse 29

So, after looking at, reflecting on and built on the discussion we have had here; we can conclude; that the greatest right of God, which is one of the dues that we must ensure we give to God, is that of recognising His absolute uniqueness, recognising that He is the ultimate recourse, that He is not a compound entity, in that He does not beget nor was He begotten; and that truly there is nothing that compares to Him.

That, our duty towards Him is to worship Him, and that the highest form of that worship is to truly fall into Him, to love Him, to have complete Trust in Him, to confide in Him, to yield to Him, to call Him, to remember Him and to envelope ourselves inside His eternal Love.

It also requires us to understand that our greatest fear then becomes to displease Him, to do something that upsets or angers Him, to go against His commands, to fear His turning away from us (because we do something bad), to feel any distance from Him, after all in the Quran He says:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

We created the human being, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.

- Quran, Surah Qaf (the Chapter of Qaf) #50, Verse 16

This requires that we engage with Him, He has great and perpetual love for all His creation, yet we must ensure that said love is not unrequited; we must reciprocate as much as we can; by following His commandments; by ensuring that we - as He himself does - protect His creation; that the same way He is against the tyrants, against the wasteful, against the liars; and so on; that we too are against them - but not just in mere words, but rather that we remove such negative traits from ourselves; and that we stand against those who promote such negative traits.

This is due to God, by virtue of all that He has done for us; all that He gives us; for without Him, our very existence would be impossible, and yet in His infinite Love for us, He has chosen to give us everything that we need; and to love Him is indeed the most natural thing to do, for how can you not love someone, without whom, you cannot even breathe! We love Him, as a child loves his or her mother; and we cuddle up close and grab warmth from the love and compassion that He shows us; even in the coldest of nights.

The Whispered Prayer of the Lovers

Indeed, Imam as-Sajjad, in his ‘Whispered Prayer of the Lovers’ clearly says:

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّد
Oh God, send blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad

إلهِي مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي ذَاقَ حَلاوَةَ مَحَبَّتِكَ، فَرامَ مِنْكَ بَدَلاً؟

Oh My God, who is the one to have tasted the sweetness of Your love and then looked for a replacement in place of You

وَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي أَنِسَ بِقُرْبِكَ، فَابْتَغَى عَنْكَ حِوَلاً؟

Who can claim to have become familiar with Your nearness, then wanted removal from You?

إلهِي فَاجْعَلْنا مِمَّنِ
اصْطَفَيْتَهُ لِقُرْبِكَ وَوِلايَتِكَ،

O My God, include us among the ones whom You have chosen for Your nearness and friendship,

وَأَخْلَصْتَه لِوُدِّكَ وَمَحَبَّتِكَ

And (include us among the ones) whom You have purified through Your love and affection,

وَشَوَّقْتَهُ إلى لِقَآئِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whom, You have given the desire for meeting with You,

وَرَضَّيْتَهُ بِقَضآئِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who are pleased with all Your decisions,

وَمَنَحْتَهُ بِالنَّظَرِ إلى وَجْهِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who are granted permission to gaze upon Your face,

وَحَبَوْتَهُ بِرِضاكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whom You have shown the favour of Your good pleasure,

وَأَعَدْتَهُ مِنْ هَجْرِكَ وَقِلاكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whom You have exempted from Your separation and anger

وَبَوَّأْتَهُ مَقْعَدَ الصِّدْقِ فِي جَوارِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who are settled in a sure sitting place in Your proximity,

وَخَصَصْتَهُ بِمَعْرِفَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who have been chosen to gain true knowledge of You

وَأَهَّلْتَهُ لِعِبادَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who You have made worthy to worship You

وَهَيَّمْتَ قَلْبَهُ لإرادَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose hearts are captivated with yearning for You

وَاجْتَبَيْتَهُ لِمُشاهَدَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whom You have picked for contemplating in You

وَأَخْلَيْتَ وَجْهَهُ لَكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who You have made totally absorbed in You

وَفَرَّغْتَ فُؤادَهُ لِحُبِّكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose hearts You have freed, to experience nothing but Your love,

وَرَغَّبْتَهُ فِيمَا عِنْدَكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who You have made desirous of what is with You

وَأَلْهَمْتَهُ ذِكْرَكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who are inspired with Your remembrance,

وَأَوْزَعْتَهُ شُكْرَكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who are occupied with obeying You,

وَصَيَّرْتَهُ مِنْ صالِحِي بَرِيَّتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whom You have turned into one of your righteous creatures,

وَاخْتَرْتَهُ لِمُناجاتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) who You have chosen for reciting the whispered prayer to You,

وَقَطَعْتَ عَنْهُ كُلَّ شَيْء يَقْطَعُهُ عَنْكَ.

And (include us among the ones) whom You, have inspired to cut off from all things that may divert their hearts from remembrance of You

أَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِمَّنْ
دَأْبُهُمُ الارْتِياحُ إلَيْكَ وَالْحَنِينُ،

O God, place us among those whose habit is rejoicing in You, and yearning for You,

وَدَهْرُهُمُ الزَّفْرَةُ وَالأَنِينُ،

And (include us among the ones) whose time is spent in sighing and lamenting for You!

جِباهُهُمْ سَاجِدَةٌ لِعَظَمَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose foreheads are bowed down, before Your might,

وَعُيُونُهُمْ ساهِرَةٌ فِي خِدْمَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose eyes are awake in Your service,

وَدُمُوُعُهُمْ سآئِلَةٌ مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose tears flow in fear of You

وَقُلُوبُهُمْ مُتَعَلِّقَةٌ بِمَحَبَّتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose hearts are permanently set upon Your love,

وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مُنْخَلِعَةٌ مِنْ مَهابَتِكَ،

And (include us among the ones) whose hearts are detached from other things in love of You.

يا مَنْ أَنْوارُ قُدْسِهِ لأَبْصارِ مُحِبِّيهِ رآئِقَةٌ،

O He, the Lights of whose Holiness attracts wonder in the eyes of His lovers,

وَسُبُحاتُ وَجْهِهِ لِقُلُوبِ عارِفيهِ شآئِقَةٌ،

And the glory of whose Face arouses the longing of the hearts of those who know Him!

مُنى قُلُوبِ الْمُشْتاقِينَ،

O the Ultimate Wish of the hearts of the ones who desire You

وَيا غَايَةَ آمالِ الْمُحِبِّينَ

O the Utmost of the Hopes of the lovers!

أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ،

I ask You for Your love, and also love for those who love You,

وَحُبَّ كُلِّ عَمَل يُوصِلُنِي إلى قُرْبِكَ،

And I ask You to make me love every deed which will bring me to Your proximity,

وَأَنْ تَجْعَلَكَ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِمَّا سِواكَ

And that You make Yourself more beloved to me than anything other than You

وَأَنْ تَجْعَل حُبِّي إيَّاكَ قآئِداً إلى رِضْوانِكَ َ

And make my love for You, lead me to pleasing You

وَشَوْقِي إلَيْكَ ذآئِداً عَنْ عِصْيانِكَ،

And make my longing for You to protect me against disobeying You!

وَامْنُنْ بِالنَّظَرِ إلَيْكَ عَلَيَّ،

Honour me by allowing me to gaze upon You,

وَانْظُرْ بِعَيْنِ الْوُدِّ وَالْعَطْفِ إلَيَّ،

While You are gazing upon me with affection and tenderness,

وَلا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي وَجْهَكَ،

And do not turn Your face away from me,

وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِ الإِسْعادِ وَالْحُظْوَةِ عِنْدَكَ،

And make me one, with whom You are happy with, and that I am in your favoured position!

يا مُجِيبُ، يا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

O Responder, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

If we are sincere to this love; if we truly love Him as He aught to be loved; then we will see that love that He has for us, for all His creation, a love so profound; that even following the epic of Ashura, and the monumental bloodshed and oppression suffered by Imam Husayn, his companions and family; the torturing of Imam as-Sajjad, the insulting of Lady Zaynab by the lowest of the low; the mocking of the crowds and all the most horrific things that could happen, happening.

Amidst all of this; we see the sister of Imam Husayn, Lady Zaynab, may Allah shower peace and blessings upon them all, when asked about how she saw the murder of her brother Imam Husayn in Kerbala; she replies without any hesitation:

“I saw nothing but beauty”

When a person envelopes themselves in God, places themselves as a baby does into the open arms of God; then nothing can harm them; and like the contented child in the mother’s arms; they truly see nothing but beauty.

As for the tyrants, for the oppressors, for those who murder, rape, maim and pillage, be such oppressors external or internal within ourselves, we know that the promise of God is clear:

وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ

As for those who do wrong, they will know by what overturning they will be overturned.

- Quran, Surah ash-Shu’ara (the Chapter of the Poets) #26, Verse 227

And the lover of God, knows that the promise of God is certain, is in set in stone; and so the true lover of God, works to realise that promise; and all His promises; to stand tall and firm against all oppressors - be the oppression within themselves or ourselves, or external; knowing that as they stand against the worst of creation; they are enveloped in the overwhelming mercy, the profound love that God has; and therefore, they know, that those who trust in God, those who love God are always from the victorious, and God has promised; that if a people move away from God, if they rank themselves against God, if they reject God; if they follow their satanic desires; then God has said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ

O you who believe! Whoever of you goes back on his religion—God will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him, kind towards the believers, stern with the disbelievers. They strive in the way of God, and do not fear the blame of the critic. That is the grace of God; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. God is Embracing and Knowing.
Your allies are God, and His Messenger, and those who believe—those who pray regularly, and give charity as they bow down.
Whoever allies himself with God, and His Messenger, and those who believe—surely the Party of God is the victorious.

- Quran, Surah al-Maidah (the Chapter of the Table spread) #5, Verses 54 to 56

And from Him alone is all ability, and He has authority over all things.

To all those who have entered the mercy of God, who are within His loving arms, and who have gone before, we remain, but our hearts are where you are, your place here is empty, yet you fill our hearts as does our Master, we await the one who will be a balm to the broken hearted, the one who is the remnant of God, the one who the hearts yearn for.

To the infant, burned alive, to the one burned on his bed, to the ones eviscerated by the horde of the haters, the ones who are the enemies of all that is Good and Godly, to the self professed chosen, who are chosen but as an example of those who will face the wrath of God, for their crimes against His creation.

To all the lonely, those who follow the lonely Leader, the Master of the Age, to those who seek the loving embrace of Him and to those who know that the dawn is near.