Pearls of Wisdom
Rasulallah SAW states that the heart is akin to a feather on the ground; it sways with the wind. The heart, thus, is susceptible to the whirlwind of changes that comes within one’s lifetime. Only our Awliyaa Kiram AS, their zikr, and their mohabbat, grant us the fortitude to remain steadfast in the face of life’s ups and downs. Rasulallah SAW himself was sent to ensure the hearts of his ummat remain firmly rooted on the right path; the faith and shariah he brought is medicine that protects mumineen from hardship, change, and uncertainty. And Maulana Ali’s AS mohabbat guarantees not only sure-footednes for our souls, but also serenity.
Change is constant, each wind billowing in a new trend, idea, or fashion that causes our hearts to sway this way and that. The heart is easily swayed; one moment it feels love, the next hate; its happy then sad, hopeful then disheartened. Those who are always ready to help have a golden heart. Those who are loving and caring are called warm-hearted. Those who lack empathy and compassion have hearts of stone, and are often called cold-hearted. Psychology teaches us that the world’s trials and tribulations impact us: it alters our habits and practices; it can change a kingdom’s financial and political circumstances; it can take a toll on our hearts, minds, and bodies. Through it all, for the heart to be able to remain on course is almost inconceivable.
Doat Mutlaqeen’s AS, however, remain steadfast and resolute, no matter the hardships they face and challenges they have to overcome, for the hand of Imam al Zaman AS rests on their shoulder. They are recipients of the Imam’s divinely ordained direction and revelation (ilhaam); thus, they are firmly fixed on the right path, and will always remain so. For over 900 years, Doat Mutlaqeen RA have weathered the world’s ever-changing currents. They have steered us away from what is false, and those who preach falsehoods that go against Islam, and have continued to guide mumineen. Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA dissuaded mumineen from smoking cigarettes at a time when smoking was popular and widespread and before it was discovered to be harmful to our health. How can one smoke a cigarette and say Maulana Ali’s AS name with the same tongue?! He RA, and each Dai, shielded us from the strongest gales, and guided us toward calm. Such is their strength and divine ability that they can do the impossible – keep a heart steadfast in the face of change. They ensure the peace, stability, and security of each and every mumin. They have and continue to achieve that which is beyond the realm of possibility – qalb al a’ayan.
It is incumbent upon each and every mumin, thus, to strive to achieve our Awliyaa Kiram’s AS happiness. For in doing so, we remain steadfast, and our hearts forever remain at peace. During the Battle of the Khandaq (Trench), when Amar bin Abdewad jumped his horse over the trench and into Madinah, Ali AS set out to face him. Amar tried to persuade Ali AS not to fight by appealing to his emotions, claiming that Ali’s AS father was his friend. Anyone else would have been swayed, but Ali AS remained resolute in the name of Allah’s TA and Rasullah’s SAW happiness.
For the last 1400 years, if not since the time of Adam Nabi AS, Awliyaa Kiram AS have called us toward the zikr of Imam Husain AS in order to deliver mumineen to the serene abode of Jannat. During these auspicious days especially, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS, with the blessings and divine strength of Imam al Zaman AS, calls us toward the zikr, huzn, and buka of Imam Husain AS, which illuminates our hearts. In answering his call, we achieve not only the happiness of our Awliyaa Kiram AS, but guarantee eternal peace. For the hearts who mourn Imam Husain AS become, in time, ruhani.