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LECTURE
Hassanain Rajabali U.S.A
LECTURE
Sheikh
Jehad Ismail Australia
Lectures
Sheikh Abbas Virjee’s Series
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Receiving the Holy Month of Ramadhan
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How can our sleep be worship.
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Light Vs Darkness.
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The Night of return to oneself.
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The Kingdoms of Prophet Sulayman (A.S)
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O people! We have created you male
and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one
another. The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the best in
conduct…
(Qur'an, 49:13)
Imam Ja’far al‑Sadiq
(a) reported from the Prophet (s) who said: "Whosoever possesses
in his heart 'asabiyyah (prejudice in any of its forms such as tribalism,
racism, nationalism) even to the extent of a mustard
seed, God will raise him on the Day of Resurrection with the (pagan)
Bedouins of the Jahiliyyah (the pre‑Islamic era).”
[Al‑Kulayni, al‑Kafi, vol. 2, bab al ‘asabiyah, p. 308, hadith # 3]
Diseases
of the Soul …
Prejudice
(`asabiyyah)
`Asabiyyah is an
inner psychic trait that is manifested in patronizing or defending
one's kindred or those with whom one has some kind of affinity or
relation, whether it be creed and religious ideology, soil or home,
language or colour. This affinity may also be due to similarity of
profession or the relationship of teacher and pupil, or something else.
It is a moral vice that appears to take the form of defence of truth or
religion, but in reality it is aimed at extending one's own influence
or that of one's co‑religionist(s), relative(s), friend(s), or
member(s) of group
What
is and what is not ‘Asabiyyah
q It is reported that when Prophet (s) was asked: “O Prophet of
God! What is ‘asabiyyah ?”, He (s) replied: “That you support
your nation (or tribe) in oppression.” [Abu Dawood, Sunan, hadith # 5119]
q Imam ‘Ali bin al-Husayn (a) was asked about ‘asabiyyah.
He (a) replied: “‘Asabiyyah that makes a person sinful is
that he takes the worst actions of his nation (or tribe) to be better
than the best actions of his opponent tribe. It is not ‘asabiyyah
to love one’s nation. However, if one helps his nation in committing
oppression than it is ‘asabiyyah.” [Al‑Kulayni, al‑Kafi, vol. 2, bab al
‘asabiyyah, p. 308, hadith # 7]
The Evils of `Asabiyyah
If one’s heart is covered with the dust of
self‑love and the love of the kindred and improper and blind `asabiyyah,
the light of faith will not shine in it.
q Al‑Imam al‑Sadiq (a) is reported to have said:
"Whosoever practises `asabiyyah (against someone), God
shall wrap around him (`asabahu) a fold (`isabah) of Fire."
[Al‑Kulayni, al‑Kafi, vol. 2, bab
al ‘asabiyyah, p. 308, hadith # 4]
q It is reported from al-Imam al‑Sadiq (a) that the Prophet
(s) said: "The one who exerts `asabiyyah or the one on
whose behalf it is exerted, the tie of faith is taken off his neck." [Al‑Kulayni, al‑Kafi, vol. 2, bab
al ‘asabiyyah, p. 308, hadith # 2]. That is, such a person is
deprived of faith and abandoned from the fold of faithful in the eyes
of God. As to the person in whose interest `asabiyyah is exerted,
he is also included in the hadith due to his compliance to the
behaviour of the one exerting `asabiyyah on his behalf and
hence made to share his lot jointly.
‘Asabiyyah against a nation or
group may lead one to commit several moral vices such as backbiting,
slandering, and heinous crimes such oppression, murder, massacres, and
the like.
`Asabiyyah of the Intellectuals
q It is worse and more offensive than other types of `asabiyyah
as a scholar and an intellectual ought to be an instructor of
mankind. In addition, scholarship and imparting knowledge is a
branch of the tree of prophethood and wilayah itself. Surely,
the corruption of a scholar can lead to the corruption of a nation.
q This type of ‘asabiyyah manifests itself as stubbornness
in intellectual matters and the habit of supporting the statements and
ideas of one's own or that of one's teacher or spiritual master without
it being for the sake of defending truth and refuting falsehood.
q The person who poses himself as a guiding beacon of light and a
source of enlightenment in the assembly of mankind should serve as a
guide to the path of felicity, and as one who is charged with the duty
of guiding men on the path of Hereafter. If, God forbid, he does
not remain faithful to his words and his personality contradicts his
outward appearance, he will be branded as an evil scholar, a man of
knowledge devoid of good deeds and a hypocrite.
q Another hideous aspect of this vice in intellectuals is the
atrocity done to knowledge itself; as this `asabiyyah on the
part of intellectual amounts to the abuse of knowledge and disrespect
for it.
q An ugly aspect of this vice is the wrong done to the other side.
This is because the other side that participates in intellectual
discourses also comprises of scholars. They too enjoy sanctity that is
obligatory to observe and as it is to safeguard their honour. Insulting
them will be synonymous to violating divine sanctities, which is a
great sin. Sometimes, senseless `asabiyyahs makes one insult
scholars.
q Yet another aspect of `asabiyyah relates to the person in
whose favour `asabiyyah is exercised, who may be one's
instructor and tutor. He may be forced to disown his pupil, because all
the great teachers of knowledge and ethics and saints‑karram
Allah wujuhahum are naturally attracted towards truth and justice
and are abhorrent to untruth and injustice.
A
faithful’s choice – blind ‘asabiyyah or truth
q A believer
has a heart that has been the mirror for the light of faith, he is the
hostage of reality and Divine knowledge and he is the one who remains
adhered to the religious precepts and confined to rational principles
and laws. No force of customs, ways, or love and friendship or
familiar things can cause him to quiver or deviate from the right path
of supporting truth and justice.
q One can
profess Islam and claim iman only when he is submissive and
humble to truth. He thus deems his own aims and purposes, no matter
however great they may be, as trivial and transitory, before the aims
and orders of his Lord and Provider. He annihilates his own will in the
Will of his real Lord. Such a person will be free from all traces of
ignorant `asabiyyahs and his face will be turned towards
reality. Thick and dark curtains of blind `asabiyyahs would not
obstruct his vision. When called to deliver justice and utter the word
of truth, he puts a firm foot on the head of all associations and ties,
sacrificing all ties of kinship and customary affinities at the altar
of the aims and orders of his Lord.
q If there is a clash
between the Islamic `asabiyyah and the `asabiyyah of the Jahiliyyah,
he gives precedence to his Islamic `asabiyyah and his `asabiyyah
for truth and justice. An enlightened person knows that all the `asabiyyahs
and all associations are merely transitory accidents and
perishable. The only relationship that is permanent and lasting and the
only `asabiyyah that is true, is the relationship between the
Creator and the created being, and is essential and unbreakable; it is
firmer, higher, and prior to all the ties of lineage.
Praiseworthy ‘Asabiyyah
The defence of truth and upholding justice,
the efforts to disseminate and to posit something that is true, are
either not `asabiyyah, or, if they are, represent a commendable
kind of it. The criterion lies in the distinct aims and purposes, and
the extent to which it involves selfish and diabolical ends or serves
just and godly purposes. Thus, when a man supports his kinsmen and
friends, if he does so purely for the sake of upholding justice and
defeating injustice, this kind of `asabiyyah is commendable and
praiseworthy; because supporting justice and truth is among the
sublimest of human qualities, being one of the attributes of the
prophets (a) of God and His awliya' (friends). One should
support the party that is on the side of truth and justice, even though
it may consist of one's enemies. Such a person is a defender and lover
of truth; he will be counted among the champions of human sublimity, a
rightful citizen of the ideal human society, one whose presence exerts
a reforming influence on the evil tendencies of society.
q The Prophet (s) said: “Best among you is the person who
defends his tribe till they do not commit a sin.” [Abu Dawood, Sunan, hadith # 5130]
q Imam ‘Ali (a) said: “If it becomes unavoidable for you to be
among those who practice ‘asabiyyah, then do ‘asabiyyah to
uphold the truth and support of the oppressed.” [Al-Amidi, Ghurar ul-Hikam wa Durar ul-Kalim, hadith #
3738]
The Cure of ‘Asabiyyah
‘Asabiyyah is a dangerous
condition for an individual and society. One must ponder seriously
about its consequences in this world and hereafter. If you love or hate
someone, or support or are against a group of individuals or a nation,
think what has motivated you for it. If it is other than promoting
truth and justice or help of oppressed or preventing aggression and
tyranny, than give up your support of the people you are associated
with. It will be certainly difficult for you to take a bold step and
give up love, friendship, and affinity of your relatives, friends and
colleagues. Your decision to give up blind ‘asabiyyah will not
only save you from the fire of hell, but also motivate others to do the
same.
Conclusion
q The Prophet (s) said: "One who calls towards ‘asabiyyah
is not from us, one who fights for ‘asabiyyah is not from us and
the one who dies on ‘asabiyyah is not from us.” [Mizan al Hikmah, hadith # 13035]
Courtesy
Al-Islam.org
To find out more about authentic
Islam, visit:
http://al-islam.org/
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