Growing the communal feeling - Part 2

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

The Imams urge their Shiites especially to achieve a higher degree of cooperation and participation among themselves, which may reach the level of idealism. It is related from Saeed Ebnal Hassan that he said: Abu Jaafar (A.S.) said: does one of you put his hand in the bag of his brother and takes out what he wants without being forbidden by him?

I said: I don’t know that among us, he said: then you are nothing. I said: we have been rained then he said:

The people have not been given their tolerance yet.” 119

Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) has been a peacemaker in helping the others, it is related from Alfazel Ibnaqarrah that he said:

Abu Abdullah (A.S.) was spreading out his lap with packs of Dinaars, he says to the envoy: bring them to Mr. X and M.X. is of his relatives and say to them: this has been sent to you from Iraq, the envoy delivers it to them he asks him what did they say, he says they said:

As to you may Allah reward you good for your gift to the relatives of the prophet (S.W.A.) as to Jaafar may Allah be the Judge between us and him, he said: then Abbi Abdullah prostrates himself to the ground saying: O’ my Allah lower my neck to the sons of my father” 120

Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) has defined precisely the ritual and social characteristics of Shiites when he addressed one of his companions saying: “O Jaabir’ is he satisfied that who attributes himself to Sheism with saying that he loves us Ahlilbait (A.S.) I swear by Allah that our Shiite is no one but who feared Allah and obeyed Him, they hadn’t been known, o Jaabir, except of modesty, humility for Allah, trustworthiness, muchness in exaltement of Allah, fasting and praying, filial piety, doing favors to the needy, indebted and orphans, truthfulness in speech, Qur’an reciting, refraining their tongue from people except in a good concern…” 121

It is related from Mohammad Ibna Ajlaan that, he said: I was with Abiabdillah (A.S.), and a person came in and greeted, Abuabdullah (A.S.) said: “How are your brothers whom you left behind? He said a speech in which he praised them highly and commended them, abu Abdullah (A.S.) said to him: what about the call of their rich to their poor men? He replayed: “little”, he (A.S.) said.

What about the visit the rich of them pay to their poor men? He said: little, Abuabdullah (A.S.) said: what about the help of their rich for their poor? The man said: you are mentioning morals very rarely found with those with whom we live, Abu abdullah (A.S.) said: then how do you claim that those are Shiites?” 122

Thus we find that the matter of cooperation and liability to one another stood on top of the priorities of the Imams’ social concerns because it is the only guaranty and the best way to establish a coherent social building in which the motives of conflict and dispute disappear while the motives of love and association predominate.

What is wonderful and excellent is that the pre-Islamic Arabic society, which was torn out, and to whom other nations do not attach any importance, had become by virtue of the Islamic mission united, dignified and with a might and prestige. Imam Ali (A.S.) says: the Arabs today even though they are little but they are plenty with Islam, mighty with their agreeing on their religion…” 123

Fourthly changing the pre-Islamic habits and traditions:

The Islamic ideology had played a big role in changing so many habits and traditions in which human dignity is humiliated and result in suffering and grief. The prophet (S.W.A.) and his purified Ahlilbait have played an important role in this concern. The prophet (S.W.A.) said:

“Do not stand up like non-Arabs do to one another, it does not harm to move a little to give place to his new comer.” 124

The prophet (S.W.A.) endeavored to propagate and affirm new pedagogical habits, it is narrated from Abiabdullah (A.S.), that he said:

When the prophet (S.W.A.) enters a house he sits at the end of the place of sitting…” It is narrated from the prophet (S.W.A.) that he said “when one of you comes to a session, let him sits at the end of the session” 125

He (S.W.A.) was trying to change the habits in the different fields of life, in standing and sitting, eating and drinking, in clothes and the like.

Imam Ali (A.S.) followed the prophetic tradition, he strove to change the remaining pre-Islamic habits which do not harmonize with the magnanimity of Islamic religion and its call to give up affectation and false appearances which over load people, put fabricated barriers which prevent association among them, the association between the scholar and he ignorant, the rich and the poor and the ruler and the ruled. It is enough to recite the following example:

Imam Ali (A.S.) met the traders-in Al-Anbaar during his proceeding to Alshaam-they dismounted and exceeded the limits in their movements to greet him, he (A.S.) said: what is this you practiced? They said: this is a manner we follow to glorify our leaders, he said: By Allah your leaders do not benefit from that, certainly you overload yourself in this world and you put yourself in misery in the next life, what misfortune is the misery followed by punishment, and what benefit is the tranquility together with safety from fire” 126

He (A.S.) has delivered precious sermons which participate in building the human being, and implant the good customs into his behavior, such as his saying (A.S.): O people, undertake to discipline yourselves, and shift with it from the fierceness of its habits” 127

The aim of all that is to achieve the desired social change. It is obvious that social building without executing the interior change in the souls and habits of individuals becomes absurd like a building without a foundation Allah says:

“ Certainly; Allah doesn’t change the condition of a people until they change their inner conditions” 128

The martyred scholar sayyed Mohammad Baqir As-Sadre says: The subjective motive is the cause of the social problem, and this motive is original in the human being because it springs from his love to himself. Here the role of the religion comes by setting the only resolution to the problem as the resolution depends on the harmony between the subjective motives and the general social interests. 129

Notes:

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.

119. Ausoul ilkaafi: 2: 173-174/ 13 ch. Of Muamin rights.

120. Tenbeehil Khawaatir, Ameer Warram 2: 266, Daar Saoub.

121. Warraam collection 2: 185 Dar saoub.

122. Ausoulilkaafi 2: 173/ 10 ketaabil eeimaan walkufur.

123. Nehjilbalaagha: Subhi alsaalih 203/ sermon 146.

124. Mekaarim alakhlaaq: Tebressi: 26.

125. The same previous source.

126. Nehjil balagha: subhi Elsaalih: 475/ hekma 37.

127. Nehjil balagha Suhi Elsaalih: 538/ hekma 359

128. Al-Raad 13: 11.

129. Iktisaduna, by the martyr Mohammad Baqir Al-Sadr, p. 324.

Adapted from: "The Role of Ideology in Constructing The Human Being" by: "Ar-Risaleh Center"