English Translation of Sermon of Shaikh Ehsan Sadiq at Masjid Rasool Muscat Oman on 31 May
2024
Arabic original Audio
Note: All the docs are Auto Translated E& O E
We did not send [any apostles] before you
except as men to whom We revealed. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do
not know.
This Ayat was in
response to a doctrinal suspicion of the Prophet being a 'man' that was among those polytheists who were
contemporaries.
Then the verse continues to say, "Ask the people of the Remembrance if you do not know" If you do not have knowledge and If you do not know how to answer the doubts. Do not leave these doubts to fester,to multiply and to deepen
Continue to ask until these
doubts are removed .This command ' Ask' is not an obligatory command, but rather
it is a guiding command to what every rational person understands, and in
the words of the scholar Al-Tabatabai, it is a guidance to a general
rational principle, which is the necessity of the
ignorant person returning to the people of
experience. Something that all rational
people know, whatever their religion and whatever their belief, so ask the
people of remembrance.
Dhikr
/Remembrance in language is memorizing the meaning
of a thing or recalling it. Dhikr is a word that comes in the sense of
memorizing
something. Dhikr also comes in the sense of
recalling
something.
What is meant by dhikr here
in the verse is knowledge, so ask people of
Dhikr, that is, ask the people of knowledge.
It was also stated in
the noble narrations that what is meant by dhikr here is the
Holy Qur'an, and
in other narrations it is the Prophet
Muhammad. (saws)
Return to the people of the Remembrance so that you know the truth and so that this suspicion and doubts may be cleared .
1.
First
Point
A
person is required to learn his religion in order to
defend himself from doubts,
in order for his belief to deepen and for him to
know the legal rulings
as well. If we extend the talk to Sharia law, this knowledge is in fact
required for this person, whoever he is. Why? Because we know that God
Almighty has sent messengers and prophets and sent down books and laws
We have many unfulfilled responsibilities and sins and have losses. Shouldn't we bring ourselves to a state of excusability, so that we are excused before God Almighty? Yes, this is undoubtedly required.
If this
is required, then we must learn religion until we reach that state so that we are excused before our Lord, and
this is what the scholars express by repelling harm.
I must repel this harm that will face me if I do not learn the religion. Resisting harm is a rational obligation, and if the harm is possible, then what if the harm is certain?
This is on the one hand, and on the other hand,
our minds tell us that we must Thank the
benefactor, God Almighty has bestowed upon
us all these blessings, the most prominent
of which is guidance, and guidance can only come through His laws, His
rulings, His messengers, His prophets, His books.
So, shouldn't I be informed or learn what I can learn in this field at the very least? Yes, this is what my mind tells me. Therefore, I must learn religion. The issue is not a matter of personal desire that may or may not exist. The issue here, is a mental issue that the mind imposes on us. This is clear through the obligation to repel harm and through the obligation to thank the benefactor. This is stated in the noble narrations. i.e that the sinful person will be asked on the Day of Resurrection, "Why did you commit such-and-such a sin?" If he says, "O my Lord, I did not know" he will be told, "Did you not learn? ". This is not an excuse. Why did you not learn?
Learning religion is something obligatory, then, by virtue of reason. It was reported on the authority of the Messenger of God, may God's prayers and peace be upon him and his family, that he said, "Seek knowledge, for it is the argument / reason between you and God Almighty." and that he said, "A little knowledge is better than a lot of worship."
2.Second Point -The importance of Asking to acquire knowledge.
If we know that seeking knowledge is something that
the mind imposes on us in relation to divine knowledge, does this mean that
a person calls upon his Lord to grant him good knowledge, placing one foot
upon another without him moving a finger? It is not true.
It was stated in
narrations that knowledge is a light that God casts into the heart of
whomever He wills, but knowledge must be attained, knowledge must be
pursued, one must work hard after it,.One of the most important
means of attaining knowledge is to ask the
specialists, to ask those who know the subject, to ask those who have
experience in the field,
A path available to everyone. Unfortunately, if some
people experience a suspicion, this suspicion continues to simmer within
them and affect their conscience, perhaps changing their beliefs, and
perhaps shaking their positions.
The
issue would have been an easy issue if only this person... If he had
referred to the people of expertise, if he
had referred to those who had knowledge of this subject, this suspicion
would not have remained. The questioning is something that is required in order
for a person to reach comfort and tranquility from an intellectual
standpoint.
A man came to Imam
al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, and said, "I have a son who loves to ask you about what is permissible( Halal) and what is forbidden ( Haram)and does not ask you about what does not concern him. The Imam (as) replied: Can people ask about something better than what is permissible and what is forbidden? Is there anything better than asking about matters related to your religion?
In matters related to your survival and safety in the afterlife and in this
world. This issue is an important issue, and the Qur'an warns us about it,
so ask people of Dhikr if you do not know.
3.Third Point
The verse says, "Ask the people of the Dhikr if you
do not know."
It was said that
Dhikr is knowledge,it is the Qur'an and also that it is the Prophet,(
saws).This is the Dhikr, BUT who are the
'people' of the Dhikr whom we have been
commanded to ask?
We have about sixty
narrations. Notice the number. It is not one or two narrations. It is about
sixty narrations
from the People of the House, may God bless them and grant them peace.
transmitted by the scholar Al-Majlisi in Al-Bihar. These
narrations unanimously agree that what is meant by
the people of remembrance in this blessed verse is the
Ahlubayt(as) -family of Muhammad.
(saws).
The word "people of remembrance" in terms of its meaning is general, but according to the authenticity it is specific, i.e the meaning is general, but the authentication that these many narrations have shown us that reach the point of high number, shows this authentication is absolute
Few of these noble narrations are a). It was reported from Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that he said, "The remembrance is the Qur'an, and the family of the Messenger are the people of the remembrance, and they are the ones responsible." b)It was reported from Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he said, "The remembrance is Muhammad, O God.Blessings be upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and we are his responsible family. c)It was reported on the authority of Imam al-Rida, peace be upon him, that he said, "We are the people of the Remembrance, and we are the ones responsible."
So our narrations that reach this large number are in absolute agreement
that refer to the question that God Almighty asked in His Qur'an should we
refer back to whom? The revert back would be To the family of the
Prophet, may God's prayers and peace be upon him and his family, and not to
anyone else.
In the event of their
absence, to whom should they refer?
So the return is to
the references of the religion to our
honorable jurists. May God have mercy on
those who passed away and protect the rest. Our scholars, our authorities,
our jurists are the ones who represent the
line of the family of Muhammad(saws). They
are the ones who demand that we ask them to return to them in matters of our
religion in all our affairs,
All of these 60 narrations are what we do with them ? Our imams say, "We are the People of the Remembrance," and we come and say, "No.!" Here is the tragedy among large segments of the believing community.
What does it mean for us to return to authorities
other than our sect or other than our
religion?
There are two formsaspects here: i) that this other authority has relied in its fatwa on one of the foundations that we do not recognize it. For example, it is relied upon by analogy, approval, mursal interests, or the authority of the Companion's statement. If this is lthe case, then it is clear to everyone in agreement, that it is not right for me to refer to it as long as it relies on something that I do not believe in. This is clear and there is no talk about it.
ii)Some others say Ok,
if this authority, which is from another sect or from another religion, was based on a basis that we believe in,
can we then rely on his fatwa? What could be
that ? it is either the Qur'an, or it is the noble
Sunnah of the Prophet, or it is Consensus:
These are matters in which we agree with them. Well, let us think a little.
a)If that authority relied
on the Qur'an, ask how he understood
the Qur'an. If he understood the Qur'an
according to his opinion, for the Messenger
of God said, as in the books of all Muslims, whoever interprets the Qur'an
according to his opinion, let him take his seat in Hell.
And if he interpreted
the Qur'an by reference to prophetic hadiths, where did he derive them from?
Are these sources and methods from which he
derived them acceptable to me?
b) If he relied on the noble Sunnah of the Prophet, once again, I ask where he derived them from. By what methods did they reach him? Is it through the path of the Prophet and his family? Or did I reach it through so-and-so and so-and-so. Can I rely on anything attributed to the Sunnah of the Prophet, whatever it may be? If he relied on consensus, then the consensus of those who relied. The scholars on the issue of consensus have the exact issue with complete accuracy, and they talk about the consensus of our authorities, we Shiites. You want me to rely on a ruling based on consensus. I do not know who has agreed upon it. What logic is this? What words is this?
One who had the school of the Prophet and his family,the
heritage of the Prophet and his family, Whoever had this
pure and rich source
and
methods yet one thinks about this and that. ! He asks Why don't
I take from this and why do I not take from that, under the pretext
of openness, under the pretext of objectivity, and under the pretext of
unity among Muslims? Yes, we are all in favor of unity among Muslims, but
what unity? Unity does not mean that I give
up my beliefs, that I give up my doctrine, that I give up my references to
satisfy this or that person. Did they, in
return, compromise for you as they did? Are you ready to compromise? Did
they give up their scholars?
Imam Ali, peace be
upon him, says: We are the symbol, the
companions, the treasury, and the doors.
Houses cannot be entered except through their doors.
All sects agree that
the Prophet said, "I am the city of
knowledge, and Ali is its door. If you want prophetic knowledge, which is
divine knowledge, then from its door is the door of Ali and the family of
Ali."
Imam Ali, peace be upon him, says, "We are the
symbol, the companions, the treasury, and the doors. Houses cannot be
entered except through their doors. Whoever comes to them through other than
their doors is called a thief. God is great. This is the words of the
Commander of the Faithful."
If you want prophetic
knowledge other than the door designated by the Prophet, you will be nothing
but a thief. It was also reported
from the Imam, the Commander of the Faithful.
No one in this nation can ever be compared to the
family of Muhammad, may God bless him and his family., these are the words of the Commander of the
Faithful.
If you want prophetic knowledge other than the door
designated by the Prophet, you will be nothing but a thief was also reported
on the authority of the Imam, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon
him, that he said: "No one in this nation can be compared to the family of
Muhammad, may God bless him and his family, ever. No one in this, and no one
upon whom their blessings have been granted will ever be equal to them."
Imam al-Baqir, peace
be upon him, turns to two people who were contemporaries of him and says, "East
and west, you will not find authentic knowledge except something that comes
from us, the People of the House." So the
issue is exclusively an issue. Notice the expression: You will not find
correct knowledge except something that comes from us, the People of the
House.
So yes, seeking
knowledge is required, and the question is important, but
we have to know who this question is directed to,
and knowledge from whom we take is an issue of great importance.
4. Fourth Point -What is the
'purpose ' of
asking and raising the question?
Your purpose of
asking the question should be of learning
from people of knowledge in order to benefit from their knowledge in order to develop and
advance, the question should be for the sake of real learning.
Questioning should not be for other purposes, not to
go to some scientific forums, and I like to raise questions in order to
display my intellectual capabilities or in order to show that I am the one
who understands and others do not understand. This is not how a believer
should be.
Imam Ali(as)
warned against asking and seeking knowledge for
these 4 purposes:-
i) to brag about it to scholars, or
ii) to dispute with fools, or
iii)to show off with it in gatherings, or
iv)to turn people's faces toward you for leadership.
So the issue is that
a person must carefully consider the
intention that invites him to the gatherings of scholars.
The intention that calls him to ask questions is an intention that he should
devote to God and make it for true learning. We ask God, Blessed and Most
High, to guide us to knowledge and good deeds.