Session Four

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

الحمد لله رب العالمین، والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبیاء والمرسلین، حبیب قلوب الصادقین، أبی‌القاسم المصطفی محمد. اللهم صلّ على محمد وآل محمد وعلى أهل بیته الطیبین الطاهرین، واللعن الدائم على أعدائهم أجمعین.

The Creation of the World in the Words of the Commander of the Faithful (a)

At the previous session, we reached this passage and spoke about it briefly. The subject of the passage is the creation of the world, a topic among those discussed exclusively by the Imams (a). Tonight, I will offer only an introduction to it and leave the discussion of the passage itself until our next session.

ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ سُبْحَانَهُ فَتْقَ الْأَجْوَاءِ، وَشَقَّ الْأَرْجَاءِ، وَسَكَائِكَ الْهَوَاءِ، فَأَجْرَى فِيهَا مَاءً مُتَلَاطِمًا تَيَّارُهُ، مُتَرَاكِمًا زَخَّارُهُ، حَمَلَهُ عَلَى مَتْنِ الرِّيحِ الْعَاصِفَةِ.

The creation of the world is a scientific topic, and I will present the view of modern science on it in our next session. It is also addressed in Nahj al-Balagha, in the words of the Commander of the Faithful (a). This is a matter of great importance. Modern science has no clear answer about the beginning of the world; as the common expression goes, the world is like an old book whose first and last pages have been lost. Science does not know its beginning or its end. Of course, theories about the creation of the world have been proposed, and I will also mention the well-known theory later.

When science has no clear answer in this matter, we must turn to the Infallibles (a) to learn how the world was created, and seek a reliable source that tells us how it came into being.

One point we touched on in the previous session was that God’s creation is not like our creation. When we make something, we think, use tools, and have to go through various stages. We may use trial and error and fail several times before finally making something. God has no such needs.

As the Commander of the Faithful (a) put it, the first thing God created was space: «أَنْشَأَ الْأَجْوَاءَ». Space, too, has layers and levels.

The Creation of Space and the Stages That Followed

Among theologians and philosophers, the question has been raised whether space has an independent existence or is a non-existent entity. Some have likened space to time: just as they consider time dependent on beings and relate it to their changes and motion. On this basis, the question arises whether beings must first exist for space to come into being afterward, much like the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

But this conception is incorrect. Space is necessary to build a structure; the first body that was created must also have had a place. Thus, space precedes the body. For this reason, the Commander of the Faithful’s (a) statement about the creation of space at the beginning of creation is sound and correct.

After the creation of space, the Commander of the Faithful (a) refers to the creation of water and air, and then speaks of the wind. Wind, too, has various kinds, and the Imam refers to some of them in this very sermon. He then speaks of the churning and accumulation of water due to wind and storms. This churning leads to the formation of foam, from which the heavens are created. Thus, the Imam describes the stages of creation in order: space, water, air and wind, the churning of water and the formation of foam, and then the creation of the heavens. We will examine how this account corresponds to modern scientific theory in our next session.

The Hadith of the Two Weighty Things and the Status of Imamate

Given that yesterday was the martyrdom anniversary of Imam al-Sadiq (a), I thought it would be fitting to benefit from his blessed shrine tonight as well and explain a hadith from him. First, however, I must offer an introduction.

During his lifetime, the Noble Prophet of Islam (s) related a hadith known as the Hadith of the Two Weighty Things. This hadith is mass-transmitted and is also accepted by the Ahl al-Sunnah. The Prophet (s) said:

إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي، مَا إِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا أَبَدًا.

I leave among you two weighty things: the Book of God and my kindred, my Ahl al-Bayt. So long as you hold fast to both of them, you will never go astray.

The prophets came to guide humanity, and the Prophet of Islam (s), who is the final prophet, came to guide people until the end of time. Therefore, what he brought for humanity’s guidance must be sufficient to guide the community until the end. The Qur’an remains with us, but it needs an interpreter. The Prophet (s) said that so long as people hold on to these two treasures together, they will never go astray; separating the two, however, is the beginning of misguidance.

The silent Qur’an is the Qur’an we have in our hands, and the speaking Qur’an is the Ahl al-Bayt (a): the Prophet (s) and the Infallible Imams (a), who are the eloquent voice of the Qur’an. These two must be held together. If one is separated from the other, the ground is laid for misguidance. Some held fast only to the silent Qur’an and went astray; others clung only to the speaking Qur’an, and many of them also went astray, giving rise to their sects.

Unfortunately, this separation continued, and some tried to separate Imamate from prophethood and the Qur’an. The issue is not merely the appointment of a caliph; the issue is how Islam is to continue after the Prophet (s). In our view, Imamate is the continuation of prophethood. At Saqifah, the greatest blow dealt to Islam was the separation of Imamate from prophethood. The Ahl al-Sunnah do not consider Imamate one of the principles of religion, but in our view, on the basis of the Hadith of the Two Weighty Things, the Qur’an and Imamate must be held together and must not be separated from each other.

After the Prophet’s (s) passing, Imamate was set aside at Saqifah, and the question of the caliphate was raised in its place. Imamate and the caliphate are not the same. The caliphate passed from hand to hand, while the question of Imamate, which the Prophet (s) had raised, was pushed to the margins. This deviation continued, and over the years, rulers also worked to advance it.

Imamate was supposed to be revived in the time of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a). During the time of the Commander of the Faithful (a), there was no opportunity to discuss these matters, as the Imam was constantly engaged in war. In the time of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a), the government was in his hands, and Muawiyah had also accepted this. But afterward, the issue of war was imposed on Imam al-Husayn (a), and his Imamate was called into question. This course continued until the time of Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a). In fact, Shiism came to life again through Imam al-Sadiq (a). Had it not been for him, the thought of Shiism would have been eradicated. In place of Imamate, they raised the question of the caliphate, thereby continuing the very separation from the path of the Prophet (s).

In this connection, Sahih al-Bukhari relates that the second caliph, in the final days of the Prophet’s life, prevented him from writing down his will while those present were in his company. Ibn Abbas, one of the great commentators of the Qur’an, says that the greatest blow dealt to Islam was this very act: they did not allow the Prophet’s (s) will to be written down. Had this will been recorded, many of these deviations would have disappeared.

For this reason, it is our duty to speak about Imam al-Sadiq (a), the Imam of the Ja‘fari school, and to benefit from his words. A short hadith has been narrated from him. Imam al-Sadiq (a) was asked: What have you based your life on? In reply, he said that he had based it on four things. The first was this:

قِيلَ لِلْإِمَامِ الصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: عَلَى مَاذَا بَنَيْتَ أَمْرَكَ؟ قَالَ: عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْيَاءَ: عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ عَمَلِي لَا يَعْمَلُهُ غَيْرِي فَاجْتَهَدْتُ.

The Imam said: “I became certain that no one but myself would do my work for me, so I strove.” Every person has personal duties that no one else can perform in their place. When the Imam came to this realization, he made an effort and did not cease striving.

People have duties in this world, but sometimes they imagine they have come here without a purpose, and that their life is limited to eating and dealing with material matters. If all a person thinks about is why their wealth has increased or decreased, and what has happened to their material life, without reflecting on the philosophy of their creation, they must ask themselves why they have come into this world and what they are meant to attain. The God who created human beings assigned duties to them. God is wise, and the creation of humanity is not without purpose.

If people move only along the path of material things and disregard the duties God has assigned to them, it is as though they have turned their backs on those duties. God created human beings as human beings; if they were meant only to pursue their animal needs, they could have been animals.

The first point is that God has assigned duties to every person, whether spiritual and religious duties such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and zakat, or material duties such as caring for one’s family and the other obligations God has placed upon people. God has also shown the way to fulfill these duties.

Each Person Must Fulfill Their Own Duties

God has also provided a way to fulfill every duty, and people must strive to fulfill it by that very means. No one can perform another person’s duty in their place. When people believe this, they begin to make an effort.

May God have mercy on the late Ayatollah Shetari. He was a seminary teacher and an eighty-year-old man. When we took him on pilgrimage, during the stoning of the Jamarat we suggested that he remain in the tent and have someone perform the stoning on his behalf. He said, “This is my own duty; no one else can perform my duty. I must go myself.” The route from the tents to the Jamarat was also very long. Even so, he said that he had to go there himself; if he arrived and could not do it, that would be another matter. He could not sit in the tent here and say that because he lacked the strength, someone else should do it on his behalf. Each person must fulfill their own duty.

Imam al-Sadiq (a) says:

عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ عَمَلِي لَا يَعْمَلُهُ غَيْرِي، فَاجْتَهَدْتُ

This is the first point: I must fulfill my own duties and strive to do so.

God Encompasses the Human Being

The second foundation of my life is to believe that God encompasses me and knows all my moments and deeds, whether I do something in secret or openly. Nothing is hidden from God.

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مُحِيطٌ عَلَيَّ، فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ

When I believed this, I felt ashamed before God. If people regard God as present and watching everywhere, they will feel ashamed before Him in their work, their lives, and their interactions with others. Sometimes we feel embarrassed before people but do not feel ashamed before God. We see people watching us and may refrain from doing certain things in front of our friends, yet imagine that God does not see or know.

God says:

﴿

وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

﴾

We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.

And He also says:

﴿

إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

﴾

Indeed, God watches over His servants.

The second point, then, is that God encompasses us and that we are in His presence.

Everyone Receives Their Own Sustenance

The third foundation of life is to believe that no one else will consume my sustenance. When I come to believe this, I find peace.

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ رِزْقِي لَا يَأْكُلُهُ غَيْرِي، فَاطْمَأْنَنْتُ

We have no peace in life. We go here and there for a few morsels of bread, harm others, lie, and sometimes engage in wrong and forbidden acts to earn a living. This is our weakness: we have not yet believed that God is the Provider.

God has given us our physical, intellectual, and spiritual capacities, but sometimes we attribute everything to ourselves. This is the very Qarun-like way of thinking: with all his wealth, Qarun said that he had acquired it all by himself. In the end, the earth split open and swallowed him.

Our sustenance comes from God; it does not depend independently on our work or on other people. Teaching, working for a company, or doing some other job is not, in itself, what provides our sustenance. It is God who provides sustenance and helps us. We must recognize this and pay attention to it.

God provides sustenance for everyone; even animals benefit from His provision. The table of God’s mercy is spread for all. But we have two kinds of sustenance: material sustenance and spiritual sustenance. We must not cling only to material provision and this world while neglecting spiritual sustenance. Some people devote all their efforts to this world and have nothing to do with God, but we were not created for this. Human beings must grow and attain spiritual perfections, understanding, insight, and a connection with God.

The Noble Prophet (s) said:

بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ الْأَخْلَاقِ

I was sent to perfect the noble traits of character.

Good manners, such as courteous behavior, are important in daily life and in business as well; anyone who wants to trade must be courteous. But the noble traits of character belong to a higher rank, and the Prophet (s) was sent to bring them to perfection. Sometimes people observe certain ethical behaviors in Western societies and compare them with us, but these comparisons are not sound. If they possess good ethical qualities, many of these teachings have been taken from our teachings. As I said last night, that Christian said: If the Nahj al-Balagha of the Commander of the Faithful (a) did not exist, where would we have found these things to preach and explain to people?

We must not compare ourselves with those whose entire attention is focused on this world and material sustenance. We must also seek spiritual sustenance and strive for it. God gives to both groups:

﴿

كُلًّا نُمِدُّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ وَهَٰؤُلَاءِ

﴾

We provide for both groups from the bounty of your Lord.

﴿

وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا

﴾

The bounty of your Lord is not withheld from anyone.

One group seeks this world, strives for it, and attains what it wants; another group seeks the Hereafter. Our prophets sought the Hereafter. Sometimes people ask: Did God not love His prophets, that He did not give them wealth? God loved them, but a narration says that if this world had been worth even a gnat’s wing to God, He would have given it to the prophets.

اگر دنیا به‌اندازه بال پشه‌ای ارزش داشت، خداوند آن را به پیامبرانش می‌داد.

These are not values by which one can measure a person’s spirituality and perfection. The fact that some people have more wealth and others less is no proof of their spiritual superiority. Everyone receives their sustenance, whether little or much, and its amount depends on divine decrees and on the deeds people perform. God gives to everyone, and the difference in the amount of sustenance also comes back to the person and the extent of their spiritual connection with God.

Preparing for Death

The fourth point is to know that death is the end of my journey and to prepare for it.

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ آخِرَ أَمْرِي الْمَوْتُ، فَاسْتَعْدَدْتُ

We must go, yet none of us is ready. God continually places signs before human beings so that they may attend to the fact that they will depart. The Commander of the Faithful (a) says:

مَا أَكْثَرَ الْعِبَرَ وَأَقَلَّ الِاعْتِبَارَ

There are abundant opportunities to take admonition, but few who do so. Today a friend passes away; tomorrow, a brother. We have all witnessed the death of others. Nevertheless, when we leave the funeral and burial, we go back to our own affairs and forget everything.

When I know that in the end I must depart, I must prepare myself for the next world. This outlook on death and preparation for it is our way of thinking. How can we compare ourselves with those whose attention is wholly fixed on this world and who attach no importance to the Hereafter or to preparing for death?

It is true that in life one must not lie or betray others, and must behave well; but these are virtues of good character. Every rational person knows that one must not lie. If a Muslim lies, he has done something wrong; if a non-Muslim lies, he too has erred. These comparisons do not mean that we should prefer one person’s wrongful conduct to another’s, or regard it as right. Many of these ethical teachings have also been drawn from Islam, although, unfortunately, some Muslims themselves do not act upon Islamic concepts and teachings.

Summary

Imam al-Sadiq (a) speaks of four foundations:

عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ عَمَلِي لَا يَعْمَلُهُ غَيْرِي، فَاجْتَهَدْتُ

No one else will fulfill my personal duty for me; therefore, I must strive to fulfill it myself.

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مُحِيطٌ عَلَيَّ، فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ

God encompasses me; therefore, I felt ashamed before Him.

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ رِزْقِي لَا يَأْكُلُهُ غَيْرِي، فَاطْمَأْنَنْتُ

No one else consumes my provision; therefore, I found peace. How much anxiety and concern do we have over sustenance and provision, thinking that everything comes from this world, when provision—including material and spiritual provision—is among the things ordained by God, and we must seek it.

﴿

وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ

﴾

Your provision and what you are promised are in heaven.

وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ آخِرَ أَمْرِي الْمَوْتُ، فَاسْتَعْدَدْتُ

The end of my affair is death; therefore, I prepared myself.

We hope that these valuable words of Imam al-Sadiq (a) will be a lesson for us, and that we will resolve to act upon these precious points.

وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ