Discuss & Debate | Share | Learn

www.ask.or.tz

Our Partners
Lessons and thoughts on Traditions

Moderator: Muntazir

User avatar
By Muntazir
#14481
Imam as-Saadiq ['a.s] says and explains:

"The most pious person is one who stops when in doubt.
The best worshipping person is one who performs the obligatory deeds.
The most ascetic person is one who abandons the forbidden, and
the most hard-working person is one who abandons sinning."

A Short Introduction:

Here, the Imam ['a.s] explains the four different kinds of people: The Pious, best-worshipping, ascetic and the hard-working. And all have a different level or status: One who stops in doubt, performs the obligatory deeds, abandons the forbidden and abandons sinning.

However, each one of these have reached to a level and has attained something. What I mean is, the Pious has reached to the first level and needs to strive for becoming the best worshipping, hence, the best worshipping is also known and included as the pious one. And ilal-aakhir [to the end]. If this point is not understood well then I shall explain per request.

However, what does the hadith mean:

Imam says to the pious person to stop when in doubt, what does this mean? It means that whenever you have a doubt about something, meaning you are not certain about it not is it something you completely don't know, you should let it go and forget it otherwise it can cause harm and a waswas of Shaitan, and this could effect the piety of oneself.

Q. But why does the Imam use this statement to the pious one?

Ans. A pious person is one who is devoutly religious, hence, if one starts to fall into the trap of Shaitan and his waswas, will start doubting and it'll gradually increase to a point where it'll become like a disease in him which will wipe off his religiousness and devotion to the religion.

Imam then says to the best worshipping person to perform the obligatory deeds. Why? Because if he wouldn't do so then he would be going against 'Allah. And anyway, performing the obligatory deeds is the best worshipping.

Then the Imam says to the most ascetic person to abandon the forbidden. Here we come to see that the Imam, after advising the best worshipping person, says to abandon the forbidden acts and hence, after doing so, you will reach the level of being ascetic, one who practices a great self-denial, from the best worshipping one. And this is very important because no matter how much a person prays or worships, it is not complete until one reaches to the next level which is what we have just mentioned.

The last person to whom the Imam speaks to is the one who has crossed all the levels and has reached to a level of struggle. The Imam says to the hard-working person to abandon sinning. This is where a person completes himself and becomes a man of God, with all the characteristics that God loves in a believer.

Something worth mentioning is, when a person abandons the forbidden gradually abandons sinning. It doesn't mean that if a person stops the forbidden has also stopped sinning, no. Here the Imam says to be sincere in abandoning sinning and to be completely free from it.

Insha'Allah, I hope the explanation has elaborated the advice of the Imam ['a.s]. And let us struggle to be the best in following them.
User avatar
By Moonbeam
#14671
(salam)

A very deep saying and very thought provoking too. I am very intrigued by the following verse from the Hadith:
The best worshipping person is one who performs the obligatory deeds.
I wonder why the Imam a.s said that the best worshipper is one who performs obligatory deeds. I mean obligatory deeds are those that have to be done anyways, so how does a person become the best worshipping person by doing something he has to do anyways?

On the other hand, if mustahabat or perhaps namaze shab was given that importance, it would be understandable since it is an option, and doing more then you are supposed to do would get you a higher statuts isnt it?

Or is it that the Imam a.s knew that the state of the Muslims will be such, that even obligatory acts will not be done and so the saying?

Can you shed some more light on this particular verse?

(jazakallah)
User avatar
By Muntazir
#14672
In the name of 'Allah - the most Loving One.

'aleykum as-Salaam warahmatullah.

Mustahab acts are those which 'Allah has not made it compulsory on us to perform, but are highly recommended for it brings us closer to Him. Like going for Ziyaarah, praying the Naafilas, etc.

When one performs these acts, 'Allah appreciates it more because it's done out of His remembrance and love.

It is also because these acts are neglected by many Muslims, especially the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt ['a.s].

In Ayatullah Sayyid 'Ali Qadhi Tabatabai's time [the great 'Arif who was the teacher of 'Allamah Tabatabai, Ayatullah Behjat, Jawadi Amuli and...] he would do the Mustahabaat so much that people would call him a "Show-off". Meaning, people wouldn't see or realize that it's the sunnah of the holy Prophet [s.'a.w.w] and if it's from him then it's definitely from 'Allah. But they called him with names and treated him ill until he passed away and then people came to know who he really was and what mark he has left in this pure path of Islam.

Hence, we should all perform these acts, starting from the smallest things to the most advanced like the Naafilas of the Waajib Salaat to abstaining from eating too much and speaking less...

Insha'Allah, 'Allah should guide us and help us towards this path.

We pray to 'Allah to strengthen our imaan and taqwa.
#14675
We pray that Allah gives us the opportunity to perform all obligatory acts...one important obligatory act which will assist us immediately is Salah especially on time and with concentration
Last edited by Brother in Islam on 07 Dec 2010, 22:11, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By abuali
#14700
I am a little confused

I thought the word obligatory refers wajib/must do.

Refer to http://www.hujjat-workshop.org/docs/Fiq ... tables.pdf

Mustahabat would be the recommended acts wouldn't they?

Can you tell us the arabic word used by the imam?
User avatar
By Muntazir
#14705
'aleykum as-Salaam.

Yes, Obligatory actions are those which are Waajib and recommended are Mustahab. I've corrected my explanation above. Sorry for the confusion.

I will locate the hadith and provide you with its 'arabic text, insha'Allah.

Thank you.
User avatar
By Muntazir
#14706
Or is it that the Imam a.s knew that the state of the Muslims will be such, that even obligatory acts will not be done and so the saying?
Yes, it's also the reason why our Imam ['a.s] said the hadith. We can even find similar traditions from the holy Prophet [s.'a.w.w]. Meaning, even he knew the state of Muslims in the future.

The reason why our Prophet [s.'a.w.w] and the holy Imams ['a.s] stressed on this point is for us to acknowledge the importance of 'Allah's laws, which many nowadays don't. However, people are divided according to their level of intellect and it is how they will be questioned. We have the time to study the divine laws and practice them, not because it is incumbent upon us to do so, but because we want to get closer to 'Allah [t.w.t].

We ask 'Allah to give us the strength to act upon all His divine laws, insha'Allah.

https://youtu.be/-3CI0FBr5ss?si=UNYS9HXtS24Gbr-P

Ramadan Daily Duas - # 7

*Dua for Day 7 | Holy Month of Ramadhan* O ALLAH,[…]

Suratul Mulk (The Kingdom)

Short Tafsir on Suratul Mulk (The Kingdom) - Part […]

Ramadan Daily Duas - Day 6

*Dua for Day 6 | Holy Month of Ramadhan* O ALLAH,[…]

Ask4help Counseling Helpline