Returning Through Patience, Prayer and Humility

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Ya Ali Madad and Idd Mubarak. On the occasion of Idd ul-Fitr, may Allah grant material, spiritual and intellectual happiness to Muslims all over the world, and to all those who have submitted their wills to He Who is Above All Else. Ameen

On this day, may Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, the 49th direct lineal descendant of the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.), grant peace, prosperity, happiness, barakat, higher spiritual enlightenment, spiritual & luminous tayid (help) and empowerment to the global Jamat as we go through this difficult period. Ameen.

Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad (O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants).

In the post, I have organized the content under three headings:

1. Ayats from Surah Al-Baqarah and commentaries on these verses;
2. Teaching of Imam NOOR Mowlana Shah Mustansir bi’l-laah II (a.s.): and
3. Global prayers and three grand aspirations.

Explanation of Ayat 2:45

Footnote 56

‘Wasta’yeeno‘ meaning: ‘Seek ye help’ is an indefinite term which covers seeking help in matters temporal as well as spiritual as in 1:5.

‘Bis Sabr‘, i.e. with patience. It is a natural phenomena well known to every enlightened one that bodily mortification is to some extent necessary to disciplining the human ego accommodated in the physical framework, to lighten it by liberating it from the clutches of the desires and the passions of the material world otherwise it would have sunk its personal interest deep into it. This is essential to elevate it into the heights of realms spiritual. A religion constituted of some mere formal rituals and the offering of the chanting or the recitation of some verbal prayers or charms without the demand on the individual for the practical control of the animal self in him can hardly be worth anything. The truth endowed or the spiritual strength one gets through overcoming his selfish passions in him, is by itself a very vast subject to be dealt with in the brief notes meant to explain the particular aspects of the wordings of the verses here. However, traditions from The Holy Prophet and the Holy Imams say that the verse has a special reference to fasting.

Unfailing strength of conviction or the unshakeable faith in God is the first, foremost and rather the only requisite for any one to draw the grace he needs from the All-Merciful Lord. This basic demand of faith stands not in the need of nourishment of the physical body either for the creation of power or for its sustenance. The best example to illustrate this truth in this mystic but natural phenomena can be found in the Holy Prophet, Holy Imams and also in Lady Fatema the godly daughter of the Holy Prophet, the Lady of Light. The practical life of Ali the first of the Holy Imams, manifests this wonderful factor, the most. The whole Islamic world cannot but unanimously bear testimony to the fact that Ali’s diet was even far below the minimum necessary for life on earth and yet his valour, his knowledge, his spiritual strength and his portion in the realm of divinity was so matchless that the titles which his wonderful personality earned, none else could even aspire or dare to adopt for them.

‘Was Salat‘ meaning ‘and with prayers’—what else can ever be imaginably more effective or successful than an individual in his helplessness approaching the All-merciful, Almighty through prayers for help.

It is reported that whenever any difficulty confronted the Holy Prophet or any one of the Holy Imams and our Lady of Light Hazrat Fatema, they used to resort to prayers to seek God’s help. In fact the holy personalities of the Holy Prophet and the Holy Ahlul-Bait were nothing but ideals divinely set up for people sincerely seeking their salvation, to follow them. What more does any sincere seeker after truth need than to follow such models, whose character is infallible and whose conduct from the beginning to its end has been flawless and unchallengably godly. Having such ideal heavenly guides before him no sensible man or woman will ever even worry about the others whose personal qualities are doubtlessly the admixture of good and bad and who for their own selves need some one to guide them.

Footnote 56 S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali, p.98

Explanation of Ayat 2:46

Footnote 57

The term ‘Leqa‘, i.e. ‘meeting’ has been repeatedly used in the Holy Quran and wrongly interpreted by superfluous thinkers it as ‘seeing’ and they evolve the theory of the possibility of seeing God, i.e., ‘Ro’yat‘ in this world or in the hereafter. This view leads to personification of God, i.e., Anthropomorphism. This is totally opposed to the absolute unity of God in His Essence and His essential attributes, which is the fundamental article of the faith Islam and which has proved beyond doubt by reasoning and is supported by Holy Quran 6:104 and the authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imams of Ahlul-Bait. ‘Leqa‘ therefore is to be interpreted as the state of realisation and not a physical vision. The first Holy Imam Ali ibne Abi-Taleb was asked: ‘Have thou seen God, the Lord?’ He replied: ‘I worship not the God, Whom I see not.’ Saying this Ali continued: ‘He is not seen by sight of the eyes but views Him (in) the heart (Qalb) with the realisation of the faith.’ Vide Holy Quran says 6:101-105.

Footnote 57 S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali, p.98

Teaching of Imam NOOR Mowlana Shah Mustansir bi’l-laah II (a.s.)

“Therefore, O believers, if you want to be alive in both worlds, perfect your faith, because (only) by the light of faith may you attain eternal life. And faith comes from and is perfected by the recognition and knowledge (ma’rifat wa shinakht) of the Imam of the time, and obedience and love for his followers. Therefore, follow your Imam, and be happy and united with each other amongst yourselves in order that you may be alive in both worlds, and in the hereafter you may become resurrected with the pious, with prophets and saints in the presence of the Imam, with the greatest joy at meeting each other again. “

Imam Noor Mowlana Shah Mustansir bi’l-laah II. Advices of Manliness (Pandiyat-i Jawanmardi). Translated from Persian to English by W. Ivanow. The Ismaili Society Series A No. 6. pp.4-5

As we are a Batin Tariqah, the content presented above is applicable not only in the month of Holy Ramadan but to all the days of the year. Perfection of faith only happens when the God infuses of the light of faith in one’s spiritual heart (Qalb). Imam Noor Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah (a.s.) has taught us to enlighten our faith, i.e., belief has to be actualized into the light of faith. These are matters of spiritual heart (Qalb) and not of the rational mind so a greater attention is needed for the Qalb in the the midst of voluminous material activity. The Tahajjud prayers (bandagi) are an essential component for seeking this higher spiritual enlightenment.

May Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam fill your spiritual heart (Qalb) with his Noor and nothing else! May this enable you to present Spiritual and Luminous Nazranas described below.

Global Prayers and Three Grand Aspirations

Through the barakat of recitation of Holy Quran, Qasidas, Holy Ginans and voluminous prayers and Angelic Salwat by many, many individuals of the global Jamat, O Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam, bless the global Jamat with:

1. Spiritual and luminous tayid (help) to advance materially, spiritually and intellectually;
2. Sunshine in our spiritual hearts and actualization of the inner vision of the Truth;
3. Empowerment to present a Material Nazrana of time, knowledge and financial resources;
4. Empowerment to present a Spiritual Nazrana in the form of a pure heart which is in a state of constant dhikr; and
5. Empowerment to present a Luminous Nazrana in the form of a sound heart (qalb-i salim) which is in a state of constant dhikr and enlightenment.

Al-Hamdu lil-lahi Rab-bil Aalamin (All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds).

Idd ul-Fitr Mubarak!

Angelic Salwat Supplication

Let us now start supplicating with angelic salwat, Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad (O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants) to our beloved NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam for mushkil aasan for material and spiritual upliftment.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)