In this concern Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.) introduces his remedial view point to the bad disease of zealotry in his well-known sermon “Alkase’a” he (A.S.) says “I have inspected but haven’t found any one who is fanatic for something except for an excuse (reason) which may deceive the minds of ignorant people or a pretext sticks to the minds of the fools, other than you. You are fanatic for a matter without known reason or cause. As to Eblees he became haughty over Adam because of his origin, he vilified Adam about his creation, so he 9the Satan) said:
I am fiery and you are made of clay. As to wealthy people of luxurious classes of ancient nations, they felt proud of the blessings and wealth they owned, so they said: “we are more than others in money and sons and we will not be tortured”.
If there should be a place of zealotry, then let your zealotry be to good characteristics and good deeds and excellent virtues… so be zealous for good praise worthy characteristics such as keeping neighborhood, fulfillment of promise, following paths of good and resisting one’s inclinations to pride, beginning by bestowing favors to the others, refraining from aggression, regarding murder a great sin, giving others their rights completely of one’s self, suppressing the rage, and avoiding corruption on earth” 109
Within this sequence his grandson Ali bin Alhussain (A.S.) interpreted the concept of zealotry and which kind of it is dispraised when he was asked about it. He (A.S.) said:
The Zealotry whose practcer is regarded to be sinful is that whose adopter sees the evil people of his kinsfolk better than the good people of another kinfolk it is not zealotry that one loves his kinfolk but it is zealotry that one helps his kinfolk to commit unjust. 110
In this way the Islamic belief worked to drive away the black clouds of zealotry out of the hearts, introduced a new social identity for people grounded on believing in Allah and his Apostle, spread out the feelings of love and mercy instead of the feelings of zealotry and hatred.
The zealotry, which means: “one’s standing up for his kinfolk, or his family, or his country in what disagrees the legislation and what contradicts rightness and justice, is one of the most dangerous and harmful trends in dispersing Moslems, weakening their spiritual and material energies, Islam has made war against it and warned Moslems of its evils” 111
Perhaps the most prominent phenomenon of the social change which the ideology brought about is that there were some individuals who had been at the bottom of the social ladder in the pre-Islamic era and suddenly –after the shining of the sun of Islam- they were at the top of the social pyramid. Belaal Alhabashi became the prayer announcer of the prophet (S.W.A.), Salmaan Al Faarsi, who has been a Persian man, transferred from a servitude to another one and he became in the age of Islam a grand companion of the prophet and a governor of a wide territory and above all he has become one of Ahlilbait (A.S).
A person asked Ali (A.S.) saying: O Ameeralmu’amineen tell me about Selmaan Al-Faarsi, Ali (A.S.) said: excellent, excellent, Selmaan is one of us: Ahlilbait, how can you have the like of Lukmaan Al-Hakeem…” 112
Zaid ibna Haaretha and his son Ausaamah should have been according to the pre- Islamic division- within the class of slaves, but all of sudden they were leading the armies of Moslems in two of the biggest Islamic campaigns in number and ornaments.
This big change in peoples’ thinking and relationships could not be achieved easily in this short time of the mission except for the great changing role, which the Islamic ideology had undertaken.
Thirdly: The urgence on cooperation and acquaintance:
The Islamic ideology had changed the state of the society from the state of rivality and conflict into the state of cooperation and acquaintance. Qur’an, the first source of the belief urges people to gather and establish relationship among them Allah (be exalted) says: “O you men, We surely have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that they may know each other surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most God-fearing.” 113
It also urged people to cooperate: “And help one another in goodness and piety, and don’t help each other in sin and aggression” 114
The human experiments proved that there is power and dignity in cooperation and that it leads to progress. The pre-Islamic society was an under loped society, was living the state of conflict motivated by the tribal zealotry, or excessiveness of personal wishes and interests, or becomes of monopolizing the sources of water and grass by some people. This society -due to Islam- shifted to a new orbit after the values of cooperation and social liability had been settled in it.
In the biography of the prophet (S.W.A.)-who had been a source of a civilization, a motive of a revival- we find many examples of his love to cooperation and liability and his continual urgency to practice that.
In a journey he asked his companions to slay a sheep, one of them said: my duty is to slay it, another one said: I stripit off, another one said: I cut it into pieces, an other one said: I cook it, the prophet (S.W.A.): my duty is to collect the firewood, they said: O Apostle’ do not be tired- my our parents be you sacrificed- we save you that?
The prophet (S.W.A.) said: “I know that you save me it, but “Allah exalted” Doesn’t like his servant when he is among his companions to be distinguished” so he stood up collecting to them the firewood” 115
Just as the prophet (S.W.A.) in the last attitude disliked that one distinguishes from his companions and satisfies with the position of being an onlooker, he also disliked that one becomes a burden on the shoulders of his community depending on others in his life and concerns without an acceptable justification: A person was mentioned to the prophet (S.W.A) and they said: O the prophet’ he went with us to perform pilgrimage, when we reside he continued “tehleel” till we depart, when we depart he continues praising Allah and glorifies Him till we reside.
The prophet (S.W.A.) said: “Who was saving him feeding his camel, preparing his food? They sad: All of us, he (S.W.A.) said: All of you are better than him” 116
The school of Ahlilbait had played a great role in affirming the principal of cooperation and liability for each other in the society. For example, when falls, and eyes slept, Ali Bin Al- Hussain when night falls, and eyes slept, Ali Bin Al-Hussein started collecting what has remained of the food of his family, put it in a knapsack, hold it on his back, went out the houses of the poor, veiled and divided it among them, they had been often standing at their doors waiting him so when they see him they tell one another about his coming gladly saying the man with the knapsack has come.” 117
Imam Alkaazim (A.S.) was searching for the poor of Medeena at night, carrying for them a basket containing material things and Dinars, floor and dates, he delivers that to them while they do not know from which person it was, when he was informed a bad thing of a person about him the Imam) he sends him a pack of Dinars, his packs were well known as a proverb. 118
Notes:
109. Interpretation of Nehjelbalagha, Ibna Abil hadeed 13: 166, Dar Ehiaael turath alarabi pub. 2.
110. Ausoulilkaafi 2: 308/7 ch. Of zealotry ketaab aleimaan walkufur.
111. The morals of Ahlilbait (A.S.) sayed M. Alsadre: 70.
112. Al- Ihtejaj vol.1, p. 260.
113. Alhujuraat 49:13.
114. Al Maeideh 5: 2.
115. Mekaarim alakhlaaq, Shakh Tabressi: 251-252, Al’alemi, pub. 6.
116. Behaarel anwaar 76- 274, quoting Almahaasin.
117. Fi Rehaab a’emmat Ahlilbait (A.S.) Sayed Mohsim Alameen 2: 202 Darel ta’aruf.
118. The previous source 4: 84 Daar Saaub.