The Prophet (PBUH) of Islam’s Important Recommendation on Contemplation
Religion places emphasis on contemplation, thinking and rationalization because it is to lead man toward God, godliness, and betterment of his worldly and heavenly life. It is in such condition that the foundations of religious doctrines are cemented in man and he can apply true Islamic beliefs in his thinking.
You might think that in order to get to this position we need to go through difficult practitioners and religious rituals. But according to Imam Baqir, it is not that difficult, “God said to Muses, ‘I truly have servants to whom I will grant the Heaven and I will make them the leaders of Heaven.’ Muses asked who they were and God said, ‘People who make believers happy.’” One of the most valuable things we could do is to make believers happy.
Destructive and evil powers for whom the epic of expectation is a disrupter of their injustices and plunders have always continued to forge Mahdilooking puppets. So as to get rid of this history-making and revolutionary idea and turn the warm hope of the masses for a bright future into despair.
The appearance of these actors in the big power’s puppet-show did not only fail to find a remedy for human anxieties, or change destructive wars into joyful tranquillity, or put an end to the tragedy of hunger, poverty and worry. But all those miseries also increased and added to human sorrow.
As an example, we will deal here with one pseudo-Mahdi namely that of Mirza Ali Muhammad Shirazi, to show that there is nothing in common between these claimants and the true Mahdi.* .
SAVIOUR
For such an expectation it is necessary to have an exact knowledge of the promised figure. So that we could not mistake him with the dolls of the puppet-shows of the powers that sing a new song every day in order to break up and destroy the wonderful epic of expectation, nor could the extravagant talks of ignorant and self-interested people cover up this matter with a veil of superstitions, and thus change our hope into despair, and our longing into defeat.
He is the twelfth and last leader of the Shia society of Muhammad, a son of Imam Hassan Askari, born in the middle of the month of Shabaan of 255 of the Hijra. His fine mother was Narjis, a Roman lady who was converted to Islam and had become Imam Askari's consort.
EXPECTATION
The Shia expectation is one which rouses ardour and motivation, and gives hope and life. It is this hope that has not only helped the dynamic Shia society to proceed in its motion in spite of intense oppositions and intolerable sufferings, but has also been an inspiring factor in its advance. This expectation has been the key to its survival and progress. It would be fitting to remove the rust of superstition from this human-nurturing and epic-making principle. So as to show what expectation it is that turns a numb nation into one full of fervour; a dispersed society into a well-organized one; despondent beings into joyful ones; distracted travellers into a steadfast group; violent humanity into a tranquil community; and a futureless history into a history-making morrow.
To become acquainted with the true meaning of this principle, the best authorities to refer to are Shia leaders. Imam Sadiq says:
HOPE
Most thinkers and reformers believe that the only solution for putting the present world in order is the establishment of a single world government based on justice. Undoubtedly in order to check mutual clash among the great powers of the world for the sake of expanding their spheres of influence over weak nations. Also to abstain from the destruction of large masses in the way of securing greater profits, to remove the problem of poverty and hunger which has been caused solely for the sake of pillaging the wealth of the weak by the strong. And finally to take a step towards liberation from difficulties so that people, like hippies, do not, in despair, resort to narcotics in order to forget their wrong notions about the futility of the world and all efforts and hopes. It is essential that a government based on justice and authentic human values must take over the reins of affairs of the whole world. It should unite all mankind into a single nation, and distribute all wealth equally among human beings, fully control the military power of the world, and place genuine human culture at the disposal of all.
DESPAIR
It is a desert, dark and fearful,
No goal for man, no way, no companion,
No sun, no candle, nothing is seen,
As if he has gone blind.
No wise man can he find to ask the way,
When suddenly thunder roars tiger-like,
And this man presses his ears for fear of the roar of thunder,
Then follows a brief lightning,
No one by him, no way is found,
Darkness and silence, and no hope is left.
Shia means
The word "Shia" in Arabic means the followers and companions. And in terms it means as county "Shiite are those who does follow only Imam Ali peace on him and they believe in his Imamate and caliphate through text and they say that Imamate does not leave him without oppression. in the holy Qur'an in many cases the Shiite means as followers and companions of the Prophet's sayings and word meaning followers of Imam Ali peace on him and his friends and we should believe that Shia in Shiite sources does not have more than one meaning, and it is the one who is beliefs to the succession of Imam Ali peace on him and his eleven children and stiffness.
Know that the intention (niyah) is to decide or to determine to do something. It is the soul's decision on performing some act after conceiving it and then acknowledging its advantage and judging its necessity. It is a psychological and conscientious condition, which appears after the said procedures. It is, then, expressed as to be a decision, a determination, a want, a will, an objective and the like. It appears in all voluntary actions, as there can be no voluntary act without undergoing the said process, and it is there in the entire action, in reality, not allegorically. It does not need, however, that the details should be in the mind from the very beginning or even during the process, nor should one necessarily imagine the objective and the decision in detail. It sometimes happens that man does the act according to a decision, and yet he is completely unaware of the detailed picture of the act and the decision, while the fact is there, and it takes place in the outside motivated by that fact. This is quite consciously obvious in the voluntary acts.
